It's not TV... It's JPI! A Black and White Christmas Party

Last December 16, 2011, JPI Employees in the Philippines and in Japan went out after office to attend the JPI Christmas Party at the Alabang Town Center branch of Gloria Maris Restaurant and Shirokiya Bar and Restaurant near Sakuragicho, respectively.

The theme for this year’s party in the Philippines was: "It's not TV... It's JPI! A Black and White Christmas Party." Attendees wore their best black and white get-up.

Due to time differences, the party started earlier in Japan. Greetings from the Quality Assurance Department Manager, Mr. Raymond Guevara, opened the event, followed by a 7-course dinner with free-flowing drinks.

In the Philippines, the event kicked-off with a speech and toast by the President and General Manager, Mr. Masumi Morita. After which a sumptuous feast of Chinese-style dishes was served. The night was made alive by performances by Mr. Digs Loste and members of the 17th batch. A short video showcasing the Employee Events of 2011 and employees in their workplaces here and abroad was also shown. Some employees were also given the chance to show their acting chops during the movie-themed game, where they acted out choice scenes from popular movies.

For the exchange gift this year, we did away with codenames and tried something new. In Japan, trivia questions and descriptions were used to describe the owner of a wish list. Then during the event, each one was asked to guess who the wish list owner might be, which everyone enjoyed. Then in the Philippines, the letters of each employee's name were scrambled and a clue was provided. With that, each employee was supposed to get an appropriate gift for the person they picked. During the event, the employees were given time to go to the one they picked and give their gift.

The highlights of the event were the announcement of this year’s Employee of the Year, promotions, and the 10-year and 15-year service awardees. We would like to congratulate the Employee of the Year for 2011, Ms. Jaclyne Chan-Endriga, as well as all the promoted employees and the service award recipients.

But a Christmas Party won’t be complete without the raffle. Appliances and gadgets were raffled off to all employees regardless of place of assignment. Also, a special raffle was done towards the end of the program for employees in the Philippines.

This caps off the employee events for 2011. We would like to thank everyone for their support and participation that made each event a success. We wish the 2012 Employee Events Committee and its chairman, Mr. Aaron Jay Bautista, the best of luck for the events for JPI’s 20th Anniversary.

EEC 2011

JPI Tree Planting and Environmental Awareness

J-SYS Philippines, Inc. (JPI) Management and Staff spearheaded by the Employees Events Committee (EEC), in partnership with ABS-CBN Foundation's Bantay Kalikasan, supports the Save La Mesa Watershed Project through a Tree Planting and Environmental Awareness activity at the La Mesa Nature Reserve last November 11, 2011.

The activity started with a short lecture on Environmental Awareness including Bantay Kalikasan's efforts to protect the La Mesa Watershed given by Mr. Abelardo Angadol, Nature of Tourism Supervisor of Bantay Kalikasan. After the lecture, the participants were led to the nursery area and shown how to carefully plant Kalumpit germinants. A total of 100 Kalumpit germinants were planted. He also explained the importance of planting endemic/native species over exotic/foreign species, as they are more adapted to the local climate, thus live longer. Mr. Jose Pascual, the Nursery Supervisor from the Nature Reserve, reminded everyone that in order to successfully plant trees, they must make sure that it is planted not too deep or too shallow. He also emphasized that the best time to plant trees is during the months of June - August during rainy season. During off-season, they request volunteers to plant germinants which will be used as replacement for broken trees. Mr. Pascual also showed the vermicomposting area and its benefits. Containing water-soluble nutrients, vermicompost is an excellent, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner.

After the demonstration, the participants went on a 3.3km nature trek and were shown the different species of trees. Kupang, Rattan, Antipolo, Boho Grove, and Yemane are some of the tree species found in the nature park. After the nature trek we were led to the tree-planting site for the tree planting activity. JPI employees planted 10 Kupang seedlings for this activity. Mr. Atanasio Sta. Cruz, the Plantation Supervisor, demonstrated the correct way of planting seedlings.

Mr. Morita said in his closing remarks that "We should stop wasting resources like water, electricity, paper including human resources since our hours is limited." He also added that "I hope next year we will walk the 6km nature trek and know more about nature." The activity was capped off by the awarding of Forest Protection Certificate to J-SYS Philippines, Inc.

A total of 20 employees participated in this Environmental Awareness Lecture and Tree-planting activity. This year's activity's main objective is to foster volunteerism and make employees "Think Green."

JPI Anniversary & Company Outing @ Blue Coral

Are you guys ready?! Rain or shine!

Breakfast... check!
Tourist bus... check!
Attendance... check!

August 6-7 marked the schedule of our JPI Company outing and Anniversary celebration. It was originally set last June 25-26 but because of typhoon "Falcon" it was postponed.

It was a rainy morning last August 6, 2011 but that did not stop the confirmed JPI employees from attending the event. Everything was set as we arrived at the Blue Coral resort. Upon arrival, we gathered at the beachfront as Ms. Mildred Miras welcomed and wished for everyone to enjoy the activities prepared by EEC. We then headed to the restaurant for a sumptuous lunch buffet. It was free time for all until 4pm that day. While some played beach volleyball, some tried out the resort’s amenities, others took a dip in the pool, while the rest just relaxed and basked under the sun enjoying the sunny afternoon.

We started the group games at the beach front at 4pm. Participants were divided into 3 teams. Everyone enjoyed the simple games prepared by EEC. Games played were the sponge relay, balloon relay, and charades. First game was the sponge relay wherein members will run to the beach and pass on the sponge to the other members to fill a container. Next game was the balloon relay where each member will have their turn in inflating a balloon and passing it on to the next member without using their hands with the last team member popping the balloon. Teams cheered on for their team mates made the games more fun and exciting. Last game was the charades. We all had fun in guessing the words as team representatives acted their words out to their team mates.

After dinner, we had a short program. Mr. Egle Bagsit and Ms. Miki Mariano were the emcees for that night. We gave our full attention as Mr. Morita, our company president, started with his opening remarks. EEC also showcased the 19 years of refreshing memories banner. After which we were entertained by the 17th batch employees for their special dance number. There was also a song number from Ms. Michelle Ronato. The song title game was played afterwards which the yellow team won. Teams challenged other teams to sing their unique song titles. Mr. Dennis Vega thanked everyone as we ended the program.

It was free time for all again until check-out time at 11 am the following day, August 7, 2011.

To recap, the yellow team won in all of the 4 games prepared. They were awarded with a banana boat ride as their prize.

1st - Yellow
2nd - Green
3rd - Blue

EEC would like to thank everyone for their active participation and support in this year's Company Outing and JPI Anniversary celebration. It was truly a fun-filled and relaxing weekend deserving two thumbs up!

Summer Fun @Tokyo Summerland

It is four days after Midsummer Day which marked the start of Japan’s rising temperature and humidity. Unusual as it may be, everybody hustled to fuel themselves in the common area that early Saturday morning. Why won’t they? Nobody wanted to be snoozing around if you’re going to the famous Tokyo Summerland!

After laughing and chatting and laughing some more while heading South, we reached our destination. The atmosphere’s so lively everybody was intoxicated. There’s so much to do it’s hard to decide what to try first.

The Rides – Tokyo Summerland is not only a water resort it also boasts tough rides like Free Fall, roller coaster, Flying Carpets and many more! Disregarding age limit, high blood pressure and heart attacks, almost everybody tried and enjoyed the rides. And yeah, it would’ve feel good to be forever young.^_^

The Wave Pool – What else would you see if you searched the internet for this famous resort? Of course it’s the famous wave pool beaming with hundreds of people. Although some were hesitant to dip in the crowded pool, it was worth the try. Everybody enjoyed the waves while some, well, they enjoyed it too! They might have just needed a swim ring, a swim float, or a taller friend to hold on to when the waves started to rush in. Lol.

The Onsen – Onsen is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language. It is also used to describe bathing facilities around hot springs. Though Tokyo Summerland does not have a hot spring, it does have a bathing facility like those that came from a hot spring. That is why we dubbed it as “The Onsen”. Everybody enjoyed dipping in the hot water. Some pools in the Onsen even have added minerals in them. After the high jumps in the wave pool, the Onsen surely took our tiredness away. It’s just so Japa-nice~.

The whole day felt like just hours as we craved to stay longer in the resort. We chatted and laughed and tell stories of our adventures. It just felt good to have a break, free from the stress of work and daily routine. Surely, that was one hot and fun-filled way of welcoming the summer!

JPI is now a PEZA IT Enterprise!

March 31, 2011 is a significant milestone for J-SYS Philippines, Inc., as its application for PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) as "IT Enterprise" was approved per Registration Certificate No. 11-22-IT.

Witnesses to this event include both Directors Ms. Mildred P. Miras & Ms. Mary Ann G. Mamaril and Ms. Isabel Lopez, Manager-Finance & Accounting. Upon completion of registration conditions, JPI will enjoy ZERO VAT rate on all its transactions.

Hippie Holiday: JPI Christmas Party 2010

The Employees' Events Committee (EEC) capped off 2010 with the company Christmas party last December 17, 2010 at Outback Steakhouse in Alabang, Muntinlupa City. There is indeed no better way to celebrate Christmas than having a hippie-inspired party that brings to mind what the season is all about - love and peace.

The party was filled with nostalgia as members gamely came in their best hippie outfits wearing love beads and head bands. Groups were asked to sing and interpret Christmas songs to the tune of 60's hits. Prizes were awarded for the grooviest hippie costume and best group presentation.

After the customary exchange of gifts, Mr. Ruther Lombos presented the details of the planned transfer to a new office building. Promotions and service awards were announced by Ms. Jean de Guzman, together with the company president, Mr. Masumi Morita and company directors Ms. Mildred Miras and Ms. Meann Mamaril. The 2010 Employee of the Year was awarded to Mr. Ellis Carlo Torres.

Gift prizes were raffled out in between presentations. Each member did not go home empty-handed as EEC arranged to have exciting prizes for all members. The two luckiest members were able to bring home an iPhone 3GS and a netbook. This just goes to show how JPI appreciates the dedication and loyalty of its members. Members based in Japan also celebrated their Christmas party at New Tokyo Beer Dock in Yokohama Landmark Tower on December 15, 2010.

JPI Spreads the LOVE

On December 10, 2010, JPI Employees' Events Committee (EEC), once again organized a gift-giving activity, this time for Marillac Hills, a rehabilitation center for young women aged 7 to 18 who were abused or exploited. It is not just L-O-V-E that made this event a very successful one but the essence of the event is best described by these letters.

Liberality or bigheartedness. The staff and the young women from Marillac Hills, were very open and welcoming. JPI employees likewise showed their generosity through loads of groceries and items on the ladies' wish list.

Oneness. Things started with unity from both ends, kicked-off with an opening prayer and remarks from Mr. Masumi Morita, JPI's President and General Manager followed by the staff's tour of the facility.

Vibrancy. Through activities set in the program, from the film viewing to team games, there was a certain vibrancy that was surely felt from everyone.

Enjoyable. By the end of the day, snacks were eaten, even the energy of individuals were gone but there is this particular thing in the activity, not that it was indeed enjoyable but it was told through the eyes of Marillac Hills' young women.

The Biggest Loser JPI Edition

November 30, 2010 was the much-awaited awarding night of "The Biggest Loser JPI Edition". It was an 8-week-long event (October 4 - November 29) that promotes wellness and healthy living to all the employees of JPI. There were 16 participants who joined the said event, including JPI's President and General Manager himself, Mr. Masumi Morita.

Five groups were formed for the "Group Challenge" that aims to promote team camaraderie. Group names were The Flintstones, The Addams Family, Incredibles, Jetsons and Simpsons. For added excitement, participants have their own aliases to hide their identity and were only revealed at the awarding night. The code names used were names of popular Filipino sexy actresses and hunk actors. The weigh-in was held every start of the week and the result is posted to monitor their current standing. Every week, jogging and badminton activities were held to help the participants lose weight.

At the final day of weigh-in, a temptation challenge was held. The participants were indulged with mouth-watering food for lunch. Some were able to resist the temptation and take in only a few calories, while some of them greatly enjoyed the kaldereta. Even though a temptation risked the participants of gaining a pound, in the end it still yielded a positive result. All the participants lost weight on the last week.

On the awarding night, one by one the participants' true identity were revealed, and it drew us closer to the revelation of The Biggest Loser. Finally, Coco Martin, who is Kenx Reyes, was announced as The Biggest Loser with a total of 22.4% weight loss. Belo Chavez a.k.a. Derek Ramsay and Dred Miras a.k.a. Katrina Halili got the second and third place respectively. In the group challenge, The Flintstones, composed of Kenx Reyes, Dred Miras and Masumi Morita, won the first place, taking the much-coveted prize pot. Consolation prizes and souvenir mugs were also distributed to the participants.

A total of 176.5 lbs. was lost during the participants' eight weeks of sacrifice and perseverance. This only proves the success of the activity. No harm was done during "The Biggest Loser JPI Edition", only fats lost and healthier lifestyle for our employees, which may as well inspire others to take care of their well-being.

Trick or Treat Halloween Party 2010

With the JPI Management fervent desire to strengthen family-ties and camaraderie among its employees and family members, the Corporate Functions Division (CFD) in cooperation with the 2010 Employees Event Committee (EEC) has organized a Family Day activity thru a "Trick or Treat Halloween Party 2010". The event was held at JPI office on October 29, 2010, attended by its employees and family members. The party started off with an opening prayer led by Mr. Mike Villanueva, then followed by a welcome remarks from Mr. Masumi Morita (JPI President). The party was hosted by Ms. Jen Faiwas and Mr. Enrico Ambrocio.

It was highlighted with hilarious parlor games, loot bags giving, dine-in with a variety of mouthful foods like spaghetti, pork barbecue, hotdogs with mallows, siomai, chocolate fountain dessert, chocolate cake, ice cream and assorted sushi. Halloween Best was given to the 1st Prize Winners (for Kiddies – AJ Guevarra; for Adults – Aldrin Rondero).

It was truly a fun-filled enjoyable afternoon.

Fujitsu Philippines signs contract agreement with J-SYS Philippines

On October 5, 2010, J-SYS Philippines, Inc.(JPI), an overseas subsidiary of JGC Information Systems Co. Ltd.(J-SYS) signed a contract with Fujitsu Philippines, Inc.(FPI), a subsidiary of Fujitsu Ltd. in promoting PLANTIA, a maintenance management solution, for the local manufacturing industry.

PLANTIA received the “PM Excellent Product Award” from the Japan Plant Maintenance Association both in 1999 and 2008. This product has been proven and tested for more than 20 years, at 280 locations, belonging to 140 companies in Japan. In addition, PLANTIA also offers a multi language feature, which is currently being used by a Japanese Company here in the Philippines, in Singapore, and in China, where JPI played a major role in its training and support.

JPI has started its plans for expansion of PLANTIA’s English version, not only to Japanese manufacturing firms based in the Philippines, but to other Southeast Asian Nations as well. Currently, it is focusing to strengthen the sales domestically, where there is a growing realization on the importance of maintenance management.

Using the Best Solution strategy, FPI developed its business in the Philippines, by offering not only the products made by Fujitsu, but also in partnership with other IT solution providers that would best benefit their clients. Fujitsu’s main customers are in manufacturing, and have sold various information systems to hundreds of companies already.

With the increasing demand for improvements in maintenance management, the partnership between JPI and FPI promotes PLANTIA, as an indispensable tool in contributing improvements in plant management, long term usage of plant equipment, customer's workforce optimization and profit expansion.

First SDD Activity 2010

March 21, 2010. Before sunrays touch skyscrapers and business establishments the Systems Development Division (SDD) has been a part of the 8 thousand health conscious and sports enthusiasts to join the Globe Run for Home 2010 event held at the Ayala Triangle Garden, Makati City.

After weeks of preparation and gearing up for their first-ever fun run, the team pinned their numbers, tied their “championchips” (timing chips) and excitedly waited for the gun start to mark the 5km run.

It has really been tough running up and down the curves of Ayala Avenue - some walked, others stopped by every drinking station they passed, still there were those persistent to run with all their might hoping to make it to the finish line as quick as they can.

A salute to the top 3 runners of JPI: Mr. Tots Benedicto from SDT2 bagged the 1st place at 00:28.44secs followed by Mr. Enrico Ambrocio also from SDT2 at 00:29.30secs while Mr. Joel Pascua from SDT3 got the 3rd place with 00:32.15secs. But of course, everybody made it just in time as the sun rises into a fine Sunday morning for a hearty breakfast and early chitchat.

PUP Jobfair

J-SYS Phils. Inc. participated at Polytechnic University of the Philippines Career Mania 2010 last March 1 to 3 at their Mabini Campus. Over 100 companies participated in the said event. Mr. Morita, our Company President, participated in the Ribbon cutting ceremonies.

During the jobfair, as initial screening, we conducted a 20-minute Technical exam to graduating IT students and also to some alumni. Those who passed the exam were given info sheet, which they need to accomplish and attach to it their picture and resume. They were also scheduled to take an online exam at JPI offices beginning March 22, 2010. A total of 102 applications were received.

This is the second time that JPI participated in their jobfair.

E-services 2010

The 10th e-Services Global Sourcing Conference and Exhibition held last Feb. 8-9, 2010 at SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex was a showcase of international and local companies engaged in information and communication technology and services. President Arroyo was the guest of honor during the opening rites. Professionals from various fields attended the exhibit, including students as well. JPI was one of the exhibitors in the said event.

JPI President Mr. Masumi Morita, some JPI managers and members were present at the booth. On its second day, JPI was given an opportunity to present PLANTIA among the attendees. This created awareness of the advancement of facility maintenance management systems using Information Technology and how it can help plant and manufacturing companies improve efficiency and productivity.

JPI Gives Back: A Christmas Gift-giving Activity

With a jar filled with coins and bills and a box loaded with clothes and toys, the JPI Employees Events Committee (EEC) gathered enough gifts during the Holiday season to present to the orphans of SOS Children's Villages. The gift-giving activity, headed by JPI's President and General Manager, Mr. Masumi Morita, took place on December 23, 2009 at 3:00 PM inside the SOS Children's Villages, Alabang. The program was initiated with a prayer followed by an opening remark. To cheer up the afternoon, the EEC prepared some activities for the children, starting off with the ‘Kiddie Obstacle Course' and ‘Pass That Teddy'. The children then had a light snack followed by a film showing about the essence of Christmas (Veggie Tales' An Easter Carol). The main event - the gift-giving proper - subsequently followed. Although pictures and memories are brought back, the experience of having shared our time and resources to the orphans is beyond compare.

JPI Commemorates its 17th Anniversary

Anniversary celebrations give us time to reminisce, to reflect how we are now and gain insight that will guide us henceforth. It is in this context that JPI commemorated its 17th Anniversary last July 1, 2009.

The Employees Events Committee (EEC) headed by Ms. Lory Lopez, organized a simple yet meaningful affair. Themed “J-Sys Siete”, the event showcased the talent and creativity of JPI employees as the White, Blue and Green teams tried to outsmart each other in the production numbers and group games. The Green team was declared the overall champion in this event.

Congratulations to all the teams for making this event possible. See you all at the next activities!

HAPPY 17th ANNIVERSARY JPI!!!

J-SYS Philippines, Inc. (JPI) Welcomes Ten (10) Programmer-Trainees

Despite global economic downturn and crises, and while many companies are downsizing, J-SYS PHILIPPINES, INC. converts these crises to opportunities by building up and　training its knowledge workforce. JPI recently hired ten (10) new Programmer-Trainees. Fresh from college and coming from different universities, the trainees underwent rigid recruitment, pre-screening and selection process that shortlisted them from over 1,200 candidates. They just completed a 3-month intensive Japanese Language (Nihongo) course and passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Level 3 administered in-house by accredited Nihongo instructors. Now equipped with the Nihongo proficiency coupled with IT and programming competencies, the trainees are ready to face the challenges in systems development within a Japanese environment and utilize Japanese operating systems.

J-SYS Philippines, Inc. Has A New President & General Manager

MR. AKIYOSHI NAKAJIMA, President of JGC Information Systems Co., Ltd, (J-SYS) Yokohama, Japan, 100% owners of J-SYS Philippines, Inc., recently announced the appointment of MR. MASUMI MORITA as President and General Manager of J-SYS Philippines, Inc. (JPI).

Mr. Morita’s appointment opens a new chapter in JPI’s corporate life as he brings to the Company his extensive and valuable experiences in systems development projects having worked in J-SYS for over 23 years in different capacities.

Mr. Morita takes over the leadership from MR. MITSUHARU HAMADA who returned to J-SYS after more than 13 successful and fruitful years in JPI. Mr. Hamada, however, will remain to be the Japan-based Adviser to Mr. Morita.

Sayonara (goodbye), Hamada-san, Irrashaimase (Welcome), Morita-san.