“It seems only yesterday when the IBM IT experts arrived to help us improve our strategies and technical capabilities. Time truly flies when you are having fun.
Let me introduce them to you one by one. First, we have Jens Teichelmann, Director of Global Asset Recovery Services of IBM in Europe. Let us give him a round of applause. Second, we have Ms. Judy Yuan, User Experience Engineer/Advisory Software Engineer from IBM China. A round of applause again please.
Jens and Judy both shared their talents in drafting strategic and marketing plans for COMTEQ Computer and Business College. If you will see COMTEQ in the the days to come taking a route that no other school dared take, that direction is of course made possible by both of them.
Third, we have Douglas Del Prete, Senior Consultant for IBM in Boston, USA. We have always maintained that our curriculum is the most advanced in these parts. From the eyes of experts like Doug here, however, there is still much room for improvement in our curriculum. So that is what our good friend Doug has worked on for the last three weeks.
We are lucky to also have here with us today, Sadna, whom we had the privilege of knowing and who guided the SBMA to never lose sight of the big picture while toiling to turn the organization’s aspirations for the Freeport zone community into reality everyday.
We also had a web expert, Camilo Rojas, who is not with us here today. He is the Coverage Software Sales Representative from IBM Colombia. He gave a lot of valuable inputs on how to improve our website, the improvement on which, I must admit, is now long overdue.
I must also admit that at first, we were a bit apprehensive that what we had to offer as a starting point for your volunteer work may be found so wanting as to be an embarrassment when viewed through the eyes of experts like you. You proved our apprehensions were unfounded.
Through your very able assistance we were able to institute improvements to our curriculum, update our website, and develop strategic and marketing plans for our institution. And nowhere during the process did we ever feel looked down upon.
More than the technical and managerial aspects in drafting our strategic and marketing plans and in upgrading our website and IT curriculum, you have taught us, or rather reminded us, of the value of humility, hard work, persistence, discipline and professionalism.
We were deeply touched by your show of concern, often adopting our problems as your very own.
These you have communicated through the actions through which you have chosen to speak. A high level of professionalism is equally evident in all of you. If you represent the cross section of the people at IBM, we have no doubt that humility, hard work, persistence, discipline and professionalism must be part of your corporate culture. That is the impression you have managed to convey to each and every one of us.
And more than upgrading our curriculum, you also caused us to upgrade our definition of the term ‘consummate professionalism,’ and we can only hope that we have done fairly well also as hosts, and that you have enjoyed your stay with us.
How we wish you can spend more time with us and give us continuing assistance in management and in the fast-advancing Information Technology. But we know we can never have too much of a good thing.
Asking you to stay even just a day longer would also serve to deprive others equally in need of your expertise, of your support.
You are definitely assets not only to IBM but to all of mankind.
To merely say that we are grateful to you and to IBM, Australian Business Volunteers, and Subic Bay Chamber of Commerce for generously contributing your expertise to a humble college like ours is a gross understatement.
We say a heartfelt thank you for your assistance, but we can not bring ourselves to say GOODBYE.
Be assured that we will keep the communication lines open to inform you of your progress not only in implementing the programs that you helped us develop, but also in spreading the culture of consummate professionalism – the IBM way.
What we gained from you will benefit the present and future generations of COMTEQ Computer and Business College students. And as we part ways, for now at least, we feel obligated by your example to spread the culture of humility, hard work, persistence, discipline and professionalism, of course, with you behind us.
And if we have to spread this culture of consummate professionalism, we have to spread it like wildfire. We can do no less, we MUST do no less, if only to ensure that the generous gift of your time and expertise is not to be in vain.
Just as the light of the candle you held earlier, spread light through the room through the candles we lighted from it, so we must now be instruments in furthering the culture of consummate professionalism for the rest of humanity.
So from the bottom of our hearts, our dear Jens, Dankhe schoon. For our dear Judy, xie-xie. For Dear Sadna, Dhanyavaad. And for our friend, Doug, Maraming Salamat!”