When the global pandemic began, the Philippine education setting shifted drastically to a digital setup which continues up to this day. This caused a major shift that drove academic institutions to deliver their programs through online platforms with the health and safety of all its stakeholders in mind. In effect, service providers for academic institutions must identify and create innovative solutions to guarantee the latter’s business continuity given the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Mr. Jerry Vicente Catabijan, or Jerry, as he is fondly known by his classmates in the Asian Institute of Management’s (AIM) Executive Master in Disaster Risk and Crisis Management (EMDRCM) program, is the current President and owner of St. Mary’s Publishing Corporation (SMPC). SMPC is a publishing house built by his late father, Mr. Vicente C. Catabijan, Jr., in 1965. Through Jerry’s leadership, SMPC aims to be a prime mover of reading in the Philippines, as well as an advocate of developing the young Filipino’s reading and verbal skills in both English and Filipino. SMPC has been producing books for over 50 years with the mindset of enriching young Filipinos. They have produced titles such as Developing Reading Power and Pagpapaunlad ng Kasanayan sa Pagbasa, which are available in various academic institutions in the Philippines.
Adapting to the changing landscape of academic institutions while considering the effects of the pandemic on the financial standing of most Filipino parents, Jerry and his team developed an e-learning platform that makes their books readily available to parents and students. Their e-learning platform is a web-based application that can be accessed through desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Students only need to log in to access their accounts, add credits through accredited payment portals (i.e., GCash), and use their credits to purchase the learning materials needed for school use. This allows the books to be purchased at any time either through one-time purchase or in parts. In turn, parents are afforded better and flexible financial options without having to worry about missing any portion of their children’s lessons. Moreover, parents can also receive reports on their children’s learning progress.
Reflecting on SMPC’s innovative approach in providing e-learning services to facilitate continuous learning despite the hardships of the pandemic, academic institutions and their service providers are encouraged to follow suit by adapting to the changing landscape which has led to the digitalization and blended learning delivery of academic programs and services.
When asked how EMDRCM helped him with his business, Jerry said, “Agility is the first strategic lesson I garnered from EMDRCM. It confirmed that I was taking correct directions for my company in this trying times. My new direction now has proper parameters because of the BCP and ERM lessons I have learned. Strategic planning has expanded with the inclusion of resiliency plans.”
If you are interested in learning more about the products and services of SMPC, you may visit their website at https://www.smpc.com.ph/. If this article has brought you interest in AIM’s EMDRCM program, visit our website at https://devatwork.aim.edu/ or send us an email at emdrcm@aim.edu.
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