Taguig City, Philippines — The Philippine HR Institute (PHRI) recently concluded its Foundation Certificate in Human Resource Management (FCHRM) program, delivering comprehensive professional development for entry-level HR practitioners and non-HR practitioners in the Philippines. The program was well received and ran from March to April 2025, equipping participants with essential knowledge across key HR domains, from strategic human resource management to Philippine labor law compliance. Participants, comprising both aspiring HR practitioners and professionals seeking to formalize their HR knowledge, got engaged in interactive sessions bridging HR concepts with practical applications relevant to the Philippine business landscape.
HR theories and concepts program lecturer Ms. Liza Arceo, a seasoned HR practitioner with extensive industry experience, shared valuable insights on the evolving nature of HR functions in modern organizations. “Today’s HR professional must understand the critical difference between traditional HR management and strategic HRM,” Arceo emphasized during her sessions. Drawing from her years of experience managing HR departments across various industries, Arceo provided practical examples of how strategic HR initiatives directly impact business outcomes. Participants particularly appreciated her practical tactics for navigating difficult organizational cultures with strategies for gaining management buy-in for HR initiatives as well as meeting the nuanced demands of the organization from the bottom up.
The program concluded with a comprehensive session on Philippine Labor Law and compliance facilitated by Atty. Eleazar “Ely” Ypilan, Employee and Labor Relations Senior Manager at Armscor Global Defense, Inc. Atty. Ypilan’s unique expertise in navigating the “grey areas” of HR practice—those challenging situations that fall between clear legal mandates—proved especially valuable to participants. He addressed nuanced employment law scenarios often overlooked in standard labor law discussions, such as the intricacies of managing contractual employment, the proper documentation of progressive discipline, and the complex legal considerations in management and labor union relationship. “The law provides a framework, but HR professionals operate in the spaces between explicit regulations,” Atty. Ypilan explained. “Understanding how to navigate these grey areas ethically and legally is what separates exceptional HR practitioners from the rest.” His practical approaches to managing employee expectations and situation within the framework of legal aspect provided much value in defining what an HR Professional adept with labor law is, versus the traditional “labor lawyer” approach. Atty. Ypilan, becoming a dedicated HR practitioner first implicates that HR discernment and compassion comes first when it comes to employee situation context, then compliance to law and procedures secondly.
PHRI is pleased to announce the next FCHRM learning session is scheduled for June 2025, with sessions on June 7, 14, 21, and 28. HR professionals and career-shifters interested in enhancing their HR credentials are encouraged to visit the PHRI website and navigate to the Certificate Courses section, where they can find the FCHRM tab with complete program details and registration link. The program continues to provide a valuable pathway to further credentials, including eligibility for the CHRA examination under Category F upon completion.