Philippines: Citi, FINEX Foundation Launch the Ninth Citi Junior Bankers Congress

Citi Philippines and the FINEX Research and Development Foundation, Inc. recently launched the ninth Citi Junior Bankers Congress at the Washington Sycip Development Center in Makati City. As one of the citizenship initiatives of Citi geared towards youth education, the program aims to provide college students with first-hand knowledge into the banking and finance sector and eventually link participants to mentorships and job placements with FINEX member companies. Citi Junior Bankers Congress is funded by the Citi Foundation.

Through the program, Citi and FINEX Foundation, the non-profit foundation of the Financial Executive Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), will reach out to 200 underprivileged finance students from all over the country. They will participate in the training and internship with the goal of leading them to better job opportunities among the country's top corporations.

In the Manila leg, 88 students from nine state universities were invited to the Citi Junior Bankers Congress where seasoned bankers gave talks on finance as well as career advice and professional development. FINEX carefully selected the participants to represent the top 20 percent graduating finance students from the following state universities: Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of Makati, Batangas State University, Bulacan State University, Laguna University, Navotas Polytechnic College, Pamantasan ng Cabuyao, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Citi Corporate Affairs Director Aneth Lim underscored the importance of the program in helping youth build their skills and determine their right career path. "Expanding educational opportunities for youth is one of the areas where Citi actively contributes as a way of giving back to the community. We hope to improve their chances in achieving academically and eventually landing good jobs through the Junior Bankers Congress," said Lim.

Citibank Savings, Inc. President Tonet Itchon, who volunteered to speak at the congress, talked about a career in banking and gave an overview of the different opportunities in the industry. "This [attending the Congress] is an investment in developing your career as future bankers," Itchon said as he advised the students that success in banking is not so much about the technical abilities and concepts learned in school. "It is in your ability to carefully lay down the critical stones that will allow you to build the foundation to achieve your goals," shared Itchon.

Citi Country Economist Jun Trinidad gave an economic briefing and taught the students the importance of understanding these fundamentals in making business decisions. He provided an overview of the global economy and linked the impact of recent economic developments to the Philippine market, allowing the students better appreciation of the theories they learn in school.

The Citi Junior Bankers Congress also included sessions on personality development, which showed the participants how to prepare for a job interview and write a proper cover letter and resume. Professor Albert Buenviaje, Dean of the Ateneo de Manila Graduate School of Business, also gave a lecture on Leadership and Corporate Governance emphasizing that the students must be "effective, efficient and always act with integrity" as they begin a career in finance.

The congress enabled Vergel Eusebio, a graduating Management major from Navotas Polytechnic College, to better assess his plans after college. "I thank Citibank and FINEX for organizing this Congress. The speakers were very good, and I now want to explore a career in banking operations, possibly starting with Human Resources. I already fulfilled my on-the-job training requirement for school, but I am going to take up this rare opportunity to pursue an OJT with this program," Eusebio said.

Following the launch, the Citi Junior Bankers Congress will also reach out to the top graduating finance students from state universities in Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in the first quarter of 2012.

Citi
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