#pppc

Last week of internship at PPPC 🍀🌼🌸

I'm feeling a mix of emotions. I'm happy that I’ve completed the 550 hours, but at the same time, I suddenly felt a bit emotional—not exactly sad, but I know I’m really going to miss the people in HR.

--->This week was quite eventful. I knew it was going to be my last week because I had counted my remaining hours and realized I could definitely complete them by grinding through the week. I was lucky—since there was training going on and I was assigned as an assistant, I got to come in early and even earned some overtime hours. Also, I was part of the table tennis committee because Ma’am Rizza assigned me there. Since it was the PPPC-Sor Olympics, there were games happening in the afternoon and the basketball awarding ceremony as well.

During the first days of the week, we had to clean up because of the Supervisors' Training. Ate Aly brought some things and I was there to help, and later that afternoon, Ate Salud asked me to accompany her to the training room to help count the coveralls or PPEs, then she even said we're gonna be back the other day in training room for our unfinished business because we're not done with the cover all, and after the task we disseminated those to the DCN department. I felt really lucky to be involved like that, not just sitting around. We had some great conversations too, and I was happy to share moments with them. I truly felt the connection I’ve built with the people here—and I know I’m really going to miss them.

That week was also Carmela Shane’s last, as she had already completed her 600 hours. She’s very diligent—she finished ahead of me, but that’s understandable since I had to excuse myself before for a school event. She deserved to finish first. She was a bit emotional too, and honestly, I’m really going to miss our talks and shared moments, even though they didn’t happen often because we were both busy with our tasks. I think I grew a little closer to her, especially since she also had a friend in the storeroom. On her last day, she suggested we take a group photo, and I’m really happy we did. I know the HRD team is going to miss her too.

On the final inter-department basketball game, Ma’am Lany asked me to perform a halftime show as an intermission. Even though I wasn’t prepared, I couldn’t say no—especially since it was my last week. So, I danced as she requested, and she really enjoyed it! She even posted it on Facebook. It was a fun and memorable moment that added to the great experience I had during my internship.

I’ve learned so much throughout this experience that it’s hard to pinpoint and list everything. What I can say is that being exposed to a different environment—not necessarily more complex, but definitely unfamiliar—challenged me in meaningful ways. It pushed me to grow and mature, both personally and professionally. I was given the opportunity to contribute, to help, and to truly show what I’m capable of outside the comfort zone of school. This experience of being OJT helped me discover more about myself and how I can adapt and thrive in a real workplace setting. I know that I sometimes struggle with being open and expressive when communicating with others. Being in a new and unfamiliar environment made me more cautious—I felt the need to protect my personal space and avoid getting affected by workplace negativity. But during my stay, Ma’am Lany gave me valuable feedback. She pointed out that I should try to be more assertive and visible so that others can recognize my potential. I took that feedback seriously because I realized it’s something I can work on. It’s not that I’m overly reserved—I’m just more action-oriented. I’m driven by my passion and my goals to be helpful, so sometimes I focus more on doing than speaking. Still, I appreciated what she said, and I’m grateful for the reminder to balance both action and presence. It’s something I know I can definitely improve on moving forward.

I’m truly grateful for all the learnings and the warm welcome I received as an intern. On my last day, we took a group photo because I wanted something to remember this experience by—something I could look back on with gratitude. My stay at PPPC has been truly meaningful. Everyone I worked with taught me something valuable, and I learned so much from them. They are all great people, and I’ll always appreciate their kindness and support. Before I left, they wished me good luck to my graduation, they gave me an ID lace and a t-shirt 🥹 and even encouraged me to apply for a position there, which meant a lot to me.

Im so glad to have come this far of my internship 😭—anyways.

Now that I feel like things are really going somewhere, I just remind myself to be patient and always do my best in everything I do. Tasks like preparing DTRs, photocopying important files, cut out something, (even creating a box from out of something) and typing documents on the computer have become part of my daily routine as an on-the-job trainee. It may seem simple, but I find myself wanting to learn more, which is why I make an effort to keep track of what I usually do.

This week was packed with tasks, especially handling paperwork related to daily time records (DTRs). My main responsibility was monitoring attendance, identifying late arrivals, and tracking employees who exceeded their 40-minute break limit, particularly those on shifting schedules.

Farewell to Sir Mat and Ma’am Caren

On Saturday, we had a brief meeting to bid farewell to Sir Mat, who resigned, and Ma’am Caren, who was reassigned to another department. As a team, we prepared short messages for them and planned an outing for the following Sunday**.

A Non-Stop Week

Since I worked on Saturday and attended the outing on Sunday, I practically had no break the entire week. The outing was a must-attend event, as everyone insisted I join. By Monday, I was back at my internship role, handling filing tasks. I sorted and punched documents for 201 files, including performance appraisal sheets and violation reports.

Orientation and Documentation

At times, Ate Ally assigned me data entry tasks, such as recording the exam scores of newly hired employees after their orientation exams to determine if they passed. I updated an Excel file prepared for these records. I also accompanied Ate Ally to the female locker area, where the monthly two-day orientation was conducted. Employees with March birthdays who had perfect attendance received a ₱500 incentive if they attended. My tasks included helping with snacks and listing attendees’ names, making the experience more engaging than my usual office duties. Ate gave me a peach mango pie after the orientation and Sir Buddy—they call him kuya "buddy"— treat me a sweet hot chocolate drink from the vending machine.

Inventory and those that are for Disposal

Another day, Ate Salud asked me to assist her in the training room, which also housed the stockroom for PPEs (coveralls used in production). We conducted an inventory check, counting used coveralls for disposal and returning to the admin office to sort the new PPEs for distribution. I listed employee names and categorized coveralls by size (small, medium, large). After completing the task, Ate Salud kindly gave me some snacks.

Others: ｡⁠◕⁠‿⁠◕⁠｡ ma'am Rizza gave me a task, to photocopy medical records of employees and Sir Kevin let me do some filing for the violation reports —a lot to file but I can definitely do it

If anyone’s looking for an intern with decent typing skills, a strong back (questionable yep), and the ability to remember things even before the actual employee does—I might just be up for sale! Week 6 was a rollercoaster of DTR calculations, last-minute reminders, resignations, and meetings, but hey, at least I’m still standing (barely). Let’s see what this week had!

After being gone for a week, coming back to work felt like starting all over again. Ate Des was on leave, so I had to take over all her tasks, specifically handling the DTR for all 14 departments. At first, I struggled to identify which records I had to complete first in each department, but I had to compute also the shift hours, check for tardiness and overbreaks, and verify everything before signing and receiving. It was a lot of work, but thanks to Ate Des’s prior guidance, I managed to do it properly. I spent three days catching up, along with other tasks like photocopying, stapling documents, and double-checking numerous overtime (OT) forms, which were quite confusing. By the time Ate Des returned, the DTR was almost done. She gave me a strawberry jam as pasalubong. 🥹🍓

I was relieved when she came back, especially because I remembered that every Monday, she uploads CocoSor’s biometric records in Outlook and PPPC’s in Teams. She had told me before, but she had forgotten until I reminded her—haha! Thankfully, I had recorded her explanation, so I listened to it to guide myself.

On top of that, a lot had changed while I was away. Ate Jas had officially resigned the same day my leave started, and now, Ate Caren and Sir Matt were also leaving. We had meetings about their resignations and task assignments, especially with the upcoming Sports Fest and ISO Audit. Since the HR team is already limited, we, the interns, will be helping out wherever we can.

This marks my fifth week of internship at Peter Paul Corporation. Being assigned to the HR department has given me valuable learning experiences and insights into the workplace. I’ve also grown closer to the HR team and have been entrusted with various tasks.

This week felt neutral—not particularly exciting but not gloomy either. I’ve come to realize that not every day will be energetic and smooth; some days may feel a bit dull, but work continues as usual. I’ve become accustomed to my daily tasks, which include managing the daily time records, monitoring late arrivals and overbreaks, filing documents, photocopying, and updating employees’ 201 files. However, when I don’t have tasks to work on or when I'm done with the tasks given to me, I sometimes feel bored or sleepy. Staying engaged can be a challenge when there’s nothing to keep me occupied. Sometimes, I start conversations about different topics, including my interests. My colleagues are engaging, and we often have interesting chats. There are moments when they learn something unexpected about me, and they say, "Oh, I didn’t know that about you!"

When I first arrived, I seemed very obedient and shy, but as time passed, they also saw my talkative and more expressive side. It’s nice to have these interactions and build connections in the workplace.

Since it has been raining constantly and I haven’t gotten my umbrella back from Ate MJ, I’ve been struggling with the cold weather. That’s why I always have to wear a jacket or a sweater to keep warm. However, I still end up running through the rain, which eventually led me to catch a cold. I started coughing, and I was worried it might get worse. There were times I arrived a little late—like 8:04 or 8:08—because of the bad weather.

Ma’am Rizza, the supervisor, sometimes assigns me tasks. She often asks if Ate Des has already given me something to do or if I’m available to input the employees' annual medical exam records. She also asked if I could handle the DTR (Daily Time Record) on my own. I just smiled and laughed a little because I feel like I still need more time and training to master it, with Ate Desiree’s guidance.

This time, I was a bit hesitant to bring it up, but I decided to ask anyway. I requested permission from Ma’am Milanny and Ma’am Rizza to be absent for a week to prepare for a big school event, as I am one of the performers. They approved my request and said it was okay, and I also mentioned that I would really make up for the missed days since my OJT is six days a week, including Saturdays since they said it’s okay if we don’t come in on Saturdays, but it’s also fine if we choose to work on those days.. I always try to work hard every day, so I appreciated their understanding. They even joked, "So that means you'll be staying longer here?" It made me wonder—were they happy about it? Even Ate Ally seemed amused!

By the way, Ma’am Milanny gave me a small tumbler as a token of appreciation. I remember she also applauded my intermission performance last time. I felt shy but really grateful for her kind gesture.

"Seeing your daily grind as an end in itself instead of just a means to your end." - it's from an article that I've red (⁠人⁠ ⁠•͈⁠ᴗ⁠•͈⁠) ---

This week at PPPC was all about preparation and surprises! Last week, I mentioned that we were gearing up for the upcoming Valentine’s Day event, and this week, I got to be hands-on with the planning and execution. One of my main tasks was assisting with event preparations. We were assigned different roles, and I was in charge of cutting printed materials to decorate our "FEB-IBIG Express" Freedom Wall—basically a space where anyone could post their thoughts or sweet messages. Designing it with colorful printed figures was unexpectedly fun, and I never thought I’d get to use my creative side like this during my internship—oh we also had photo booth by the way. I worked on this with Carmela Shane, an intern from Veritas who is also assigned to HR. Over time, we got to know each other better, which was really nice. I’d often ask if she needed help or just start random conversations, and it was great learning about her personality. We also helped Ma’am Lanny and Ma’am Rizza with various tasks. One of them was cleaning the projector screen in the locker area. Ma’am Lanny asked us to find alcohol to clean it, and I volunteered to go back to the office to get some rubbing alcohol. But… I made the mistake of forgetting to wear my ID. The security guard called me out, and I had to explain that I did have an ID—I just forgot to wear it after lunch. It was a bit embarrassing, but I took it as a lesson in being more responsible. Definitely won’t make that mistake again!

Aside from that, last time I helped Ate Salud put up reminders about the Free Eye Check-up for all PPPC employees, scheduled for February 13-14. Meanwhile, Ma’am Lanny invited vendors for the event, including a flower seller and M&M Creations, a team that makes digital art on wood—really cool stuff! Another fun task was printing and cutting large letters in Excel. Carms and I chatted and asked each other questions while working, which made the task more enjoyable. Since there was a program, the team suggested having an intermission number. That’s when things got interesting… they pointed at me and said I should dance! Apparently, they had never seen me perform, even though I had mentioned being a dancer. I felt shy and a bit pressured because, unlike in school where I dance with a troupe, this time I’d be performing alone. But hey, new experiences are part of growth, right?

When the eye check-up event arrived, Ate Des was super busy, so she left me in charge of monitoring late arrivals and over-breaks in the DTR system. Just when I was about to finish, I noticed the names had disappeared! I panicked, not knowing what I clicked. Luckily, Ate Jas saw me struggling and started laughing—it turned out the list was just filtered. That was a funny (but slightly stressful) moment, but I finished the task and arranged the papers properly. Furthermore, Ma’am Rizza assigned me to input the Daily Time Record (DTR) of doctors and physicians for November and December. She handed me a paper and told me to find a specific file. The problem? She had given me a completely different file name. I spent about 30 minutes scrolling through the system, getting more confused by the second. I even asked Ate Des for help, but she couldn’t find it either. Eventually, when I got the chance to ask Ma’am Rizza, she realized her mistake and admitted she had given me the wrong file name. That moment was both frustrating and funny—definitely an epic learning experience!

And after all our hard work, Ma’am Rizza treated us a Jollibee meal—free meals always make things better! And What's sweet was I also received some chocolates on Valentine's day from the HRD clerks and a handmade flower 🌻 really coolsome (cool & awesome)

This week was a mix of creativity, problem-solving, and stepping out of my comfort zone. I never expected preparing for a solo dance, work on creative tasks, and handle responsibilities on my own. Mistakes were made, but hey—that’s part of the learning experience, I guess that’s the beauty of an internship—you never know what you'll learn next!