With the advent of technology and globalization, no one remains to be just a citizen of his or her own country. He becomes a citizen of the world -- a global citizen—transcending color, creed and culture. The Labor market in the 21st century is in need of global skilled workers who are products of technical vocational education and training (TVET), trained to become  skilled professionals, equipped with practical and soft skills, backed up with professional subjects, and are licensed to perform their duty. Progressive countries are known to excel in the technical vocational (techvoc) industry. For one, Singapore makes headlines for always introducing new methods, new ideas, and new products. While Japan constantly introduces something new, and is always number one in technology innovation. Unfortunately, much has to be desired in the Philippines’ techvoc industry where graduates are looked down as second class citizens and whose products and services are questioned for...

Who doesn’t eat rice? Ask any Filipino and he or she surely loves eating rice and the many variants it is prepared. Unless, of course, he is on a very strict diet either for health or medical reason. But after that, for sure, he’ll turn to rice once again. Rice, after all, is the staple food in the country. It is the meal of most of us three times a day: for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In fact, steamed rice with a simple viand could make up for a meal. Fried rice, on the other hand, a popular meal for breakfast at home, is also served at restaurants with different toppings anytime of the day. With rice as Pinoy’s staple food, business buddies Ronald Allan Callao and Antonio  Atienza, drawn together by their similar passions for Filipino cuisine, came up with Boy Kanin, now a growing Filipino food business managed by MB Flavored Rice Corporation. Boy Kanin offers everyone’s favorite Filipino dish. It is every Juan’s companion for low-budget o...

Japan is trains, subways, bicycles and long walks. The Japanese love walking. I was told they can walk from one to three kilometers. It’s usual in Osaka from morning till night: foreign and local tourists with their luggage and suitcases rolling traverse the sidewalk either on their way to their hotel destination or the train station. Bicycles are also a transportation of choice.  Young and old, man or woman, students or the working class including fashionably-garbed women with makeup ride the bicycle. For longer trips, they take the bus or the trains on scheduled trips. Foreign and local tourists with their luggage in tow all walk to take the train. The Japanese people don’t necessarily need the English language or any other foreign language to survive. It is the guests who need to understand or learn their language. These are some important notes on my recent trip to Japan with my first-timer travel buddy, my 14-year old daughter, Angeline. Angeline is being...