COVID-19

Aboitiz 100

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University of Experience

People & Culture

Power

LGUs Get PHP140M In Direct Remittances From AboitizPower Solar And Geo Units, DOE

One Aboitiz

The ‘New Normal’ Workplace

An Education In Biodiversity Conservation At Aboitiz Cleanergy Park

Banking and Financial Services

UnionBank Hailed As Among ‘Most Helpful Banks In APAC’

Aboitiz Group Advisory to External Stakeholders regarding COVID-19

2019 Bankers’ Night

2019 Brigada Eskwela Cebu

Aboitiz Eyes

WHAT MUST WE KNOW?
WHAT? The leader’s job?
WHY? The leader’s job?
HOW? The executor’s job?
“FUTURE...FUTURE…FUTURE...FUTURE-PROOFING.” -JAO
“A&E 24.60.60 997 — GET IT, GET IT DONE OR GET OUT OF HERE.” -EMA

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The following are EMA’s personal notes on the article “One More Time: How Do You
Motivate Employees?” published by the Harvard Business Review. We recommend
reading the full case study, which is available here
[https://store.hbr.org/product/one-more-time-how-do-you-motivate-employees-hbr-bestseller/R0301F]
, to complete your learning benefit.

> Forget praise. Forget punishment. Forget cash. You need to make their jobs more
interesting.
How can we still be asking this question? It was answered a long time ago and it
is still being discussed at Harvard. But let us find out what the above article
says.

How do we know if they are motivated? When you tell him that to win and to beat
unintended consequences the only way is A&E24x60x60-996 and he complains. 996,
the lava in his volcano will not be able reach the sea in this period of time.
He needs 997. The one who asks what you mean by 996 — he doesn't get it. That is
OK the first time. The one who does not want to work 996, you will never get him
to 997. FIRE HIM.

MOTIVATION — two points.

Firstly, if you do not come with your own generator, get out of here. I want
people who come with self-charging batteries. Batteries that go out into the sun
and get charged for free. Using my energy to motivate you? F*** you.

Secondly, I am not here to motivate you. My energy is for me, not for you. You
are here to motivate me to do two things: give you more responsibility with less
control so that you can make more money for me so I can pay you more as you are
learning more and having a good time. If you need espresso to get up in the
morning, f you. I want someone with so much energy and creativity that he needs
valium.

Name is Endika Aboitiz. I own this joint so I am the only one entitled to be fat
and not to work. Now, when we enter the conference room, I leave my name, my
position, and any power other than my reason at the door and you can tell me off
if I ever abuse my position power. If I do that you should tell me, “Endika, I
quit because I do not want any relationship with any moron who abuses power.”

I do not want to work with employees. I want partners.

If you do not like wine, quit because here you will drink a lot of it because my
job is to make sure that you have a blast working with me.

What makes me feel good — leaving a meeting feeling useless because you, the
manager, have it covered and I can spend my time thinking of the future at best,
reading second best, and doing nothing even better.

Energy And Motivating Employees

JAZZ: Freedom, Improvisation, and Adaptation to Change

Cristina Biyo



Enrique Aboitiz Mendieta
06 2020
The following are EMA’s personal notes on the article “Targeting Nonconsumption:
Who Are The Best Customers For Our Products?” published by the Harvard Business
Review. We recommend reading the full case study, which is available here
[https://store.hbr.org/product/targeting-noncomsumption-who-are-the-best-customers-for-our-products/420015]
, to complete your learning benefit.


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Go after what is not being consumed.

The traditional player will not be affected in the beginning.

Vacuum Tubes Stilettoed By Transistors
Sony’s transistor radio went after the teenagers who wanted a small, portable
device that enabled them to listen to rock and roll out of earshot of their
parents even if the quality was inferior to the home tube radio. Sony thanks
helicopter parents for their success.

Sony’s 12-inch B&W portable made TVs affordable to people who could not afford
the expensive and large RCA TVs. To start, they had smaller apartments.

From https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/84004113The stodgies, RCA et al., were
led by mental midgets. Sorry, too late to adapt.

Angioplasty Versus Open Heart
Not marketed as a sustaining technology like cardiac bypass surgery; it was for
less ill patients to start and then...Bingo! Then came stents.

Electric Cars Versus Gasoline Powered Vehicles
Tesla, BYD—read the story of why Tesla entered the high end of the market.

Some points of interest.

Disruptive to nothing at all is the comparison.

A whole new value network is created.

THREAT RIGIDITY—cease to be flexible and become "command and control" oriented

Chinese electric-vehicle maker BYD (Photo from Nikkei Asian Review)Disruptive
Channels Needed As Well
Discount retailers like Kmart did not have after-sales services; they came out
at the same time as Sony transistors.

Traditional Harley dealers would not sell cheap Hondas.

Customers as channels—IBM and Dell are a channel for Intel to reach important
markets.

Get it & Get It Done
Attention & Engagement 24x60x60 — 777

University of Experience: Targeting Nonconsumption




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Enrique Aboitiz Mendieta

06 21 2020




 

 
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EG and LG—Einstein’s God and Lulu’s God


To Einstein’s God, NO LIFE MATTERS. 
To Lulu’s God, ALL LIFE MATTERS, REPEAT, ALL LIFE!

I am sure that many will disagree and even get irritated by the title of this
message. If you get irritated before reading it then please pass over before you
peruse. There are many fora that want to muffle discussion and argument as we
have seen clearly in the latest show called BLM.

Here in this paper, we do not believe in diversity. We think it is terribly
unequal and unnatural. We do believe in “meritocracy” where you are respected
and rewarded for what you have done and will do and not for the number of words
you have used during the day without putting a cent behind your mouth. 

If you believe in “Get It and Get It Done”, please stay and find flaws in this
paper so we can improve it. We need “Developers” for our papers. If you do not
share this belief, then please feel free to get the f--- out of here, knowing
you are welcome to return always. Prodigal minds are as welcome as prodigal
sons.

Einstein’s God (EG), Nature, could not give a hay penny about you, nor mankind,
nor your whatevers. You are part of EG’s road to perfection as EG evolves and
evolves, as he has for God only knows how long.

He creates as he destroys and destroys as he creates. He gives life as he takes
it and takes life as he gives it. Do count on this, mofo. He just does not give
a s--- about you. Now, he is there so you might best be warned that he is clear
so you can trust him—he has Chance reward you if you are prepared and he has
Murphy visit you if you are not. He does not believe in miracles. He believes in
consequences for not understanding that the fittest survives—period—for, if not,
EG cannot evolve to perfection as is his mandate to himself.

In the roulette of sperms, eggs, and orgasm, he spun Saint Adolf, Saint Stalin,
and Saint COVID. LG may not even have known for what specific purpose other than
the larger motive of better.

Now Lulu’s God (LG), The God of My Mother Maria Lourdes Mendieta, is  the God of
Miracles, of Love, of Hope, of Kindness, of Compassion, and of Progress as well.
He works to  help you navigate around EG. Now, he knows us. He is the God who
created Man—not the world, but Man. He created Man in his image but that is work
in progress because LG is work in progress as well. He is not yet finished. 

Some of us see the future as a better image and some of us see it worse. To make
it more fun, LG let us play our part in that evolution towards perfection. He
allows us to decide but he is still learning to teach us how to think. Here, he
is way behind so he has to take more drastic measures. He knows we do not learn,
we do not understand morse and that we need to be shaken every so often so we do
not fall asleep on the wheel.

Let me give you three examples.

1. Lulu’s God sees a Europe killing and fighting for a very long time. He
finally gets fed up and sends Saint Adolf. He sacrifices his Chosen People and
tens of millions more. He destroys Europe. Now, out of the ashes come three for
the better.

Firstly, he gives his Chosen People the Promised Land—the thriving Israel of
today.

Secondly, Europe unites and is structured for peace.

Thirdly, he gives us Bretton Woods, which puts people out of poverty at a rate
not seen ever.

All are bumpy along the way but we are headed to the mountaintop. He sent us a
signal in 2008 but we did head and kept buggering on.

2. Lulu’s God sees man bickering over how to create and divide wealth. So he
sent Saint Stalin to finally launch a real challenge against the system of
market forces with a system of control. He proves to the world that not even he
and the Great Mother Russia can go against the natural trait that EG has brought
to the entire system—self interest, greed, and taking care of number one first
to survive. That is sorted.

3. He has sent many more Saints but let us focus on the guest of the day, Saint
COVID. Lulu’s God was seeing that we need to wake up to the fact that we are
putting the future of Lulu’s Vidalito at risk. He is right there with the Father
and she is concerned. The air is dirty and breathing is where life begins and
ends. Now, Lulu’s God knows that his creation needs drama to learn. Nothing
works better than killing a few people, as has to happen anyway and to make room
for the coming, as LG has done before and seen effective.

So Saint COVID has visited to remind us of some natural laws.
1. You cannot spend what you do not have and cover the deficit with borrow,
borrow, and borrow. This will end. You do it or I will send another Saint to
deal with this when you are not looking.

2. You cannot delay electric cars. You have to grow using less. The  existence
of my children is at stake. Fix it.

3. I have sent you Saint Binary so use the technology of Digital to use faster. 
You will create more wealth. You will have more leisure time to spend with your
children to love them more as LG sees that we do not love our children more.
Without that skill, how can we love others more?

Now that is what Lulu’s God sees as the perfection that he is after.

Love reigning! LG’s dream is for His children to love and help each other so
that everyone is happier and happier.

That is what EG gave us, the capacity to love that is, that he gave to no other
creature. Neither EG nor LG want us squandering this precious uniqueness that
drives his uniqueness—that of life being full of miracles.




P.s. BLM is not a Saint. He  is a new messenger—LG sees us listening less and
drowning out reason more. He already sent you Saint Stalin to teach you what you
are not listening to his morse code. He may send Saint??? To teach us to listen
to others.

Notes By EMA: Saint Stalin, Saint Hitler, and Saint COVID

Gia Mendoza

By Gia Mendoza [https://aboitiz.workplace.com/profile.php?id=100037420179418]

Moms or mother figures are more often than not, the superheroes of the families.
Truly, not all superheroes wear capes and we have our very own mothers and
mother figures in our lives to make this statement true. They juggle different
hats in a day to manage their career, personal life, and family life. But where
do these super A-moms get their super powers?

For Crisia “Ysha” Llante
[https://aboitiz.workplace.com/profile.php?id=100026733129196], Learning and
Development Associate from AEV, becoming a mom at an early age was a surprise as
well as a blessing. Her daughter Audrey, who is now eleven years old, has been
her biggest source of strength to be better in all aspects of her life. 

Q: What was the journey towards being a mom like?
A: I met the father of my daughter while I was working in a fast food chain and
I got pregnant at a young age. It was a shock to me, my parents, my guardian and
my friends that I ended up pregnant. I was a working student back then and had
very limited free time. I never partied. I came from a broken family and grew up
with my aunt. The days after I found out I was pregnant are pretty foggy. I was
facing the reality of becoming pregnant at an early age. Thinking about the
shame that society puts on me for having a child before a career makes me feel
like I will not amount to anything.

Q: What were your thoughts when you found out you were going to be a mom? 
A: It was hard for me, I was in denial that I was actually pregnant. What kind
of mother would I be? How would I support this baby? I was about to bring this
precious baby into this world by me, a barely legal teen. On top of that, I felt
a lot of guilt over the stress my pregnancy was putting on my guardian who had
shared me their home, just for me to screw it all up. On a positive note, I
wanted to be a good mom and decided to teach myself everything I could about
pregnancy and child rearing. I read lots of books, took my prenatal
[https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-baby/] vitamins, and went to all my
checkups. I tried to eat well, although I also used being pregnant as an excuse
to treat myself to lots of fast food. After all, I was eating for two! I cried
the whole day when I was about to give birth to my daughter. Being scared was
understatement. From her eyebrows to her toenails, a human being formed inside
me. It was amazing!

Despite the early surprise of Ysha, she found the strength from her daughter and
from the support of her family to continue to pull through. She faced the
challenges of a young single mom, yet continued to persevere without letting
other people’s opinion of her get in the way. She continued with her studies and
pursued working as a promise to create a good future for her daughter.

Q: As a mom, where do you get your strength from?
A: Definitely, from my dear daughter Audrey. Thinking about giving her the best
of the best everyday and for her future makes me inspired and motivated to
perform and deliver what is expected from me. To become the best mom for her, to
give her all that the things she needs, to give all the love, attention and
protection I can give and to make sure I’m her go-to person even when she gets
old. She’s literally my life!

Q: What do you think makes you a Super A-Mom?
A: When asked if I would change the fact that I am a teen mom my response is,
“No, my daughter makes me want to be a better person and I wouldn’t change the
fact that she is here for anything.” I can say that I am a Super A-mom because I
was able to rise from a "fall". Each one of us experiences a few “stumbles” in
our life, and don’t know how to start over. Sometimes we work hard for the
things we truly believe in, only for life to not go according to our plans.
These feelings of pain and doubt are normal, but they shouldn’t stop you. In
fact, when you realize you’ve hit rock bottom, there’s no way to go but up. The
process may be a difficult one and may even take away all your energy, but with
a strategy and will [http://www.success.com/article/the-science-of-willpower],
it can surely be done.

Moving forward, Ysha grew up to be a smart and gentle, but tough, young mom.
Ysha has been with Aboitiz as an intern until being absorbed into the company.
She celebrated two years with AEV early this year and looks forward to more
years with the company.

Q: What would your message be to yourself 10 years ago?
A: The day I had my daughter, I vowed to make up for it and not be an
embarrassment to my child and myself. I decided to go back to school for one
reason — to make a better life for Audrey. I learned how to balance my time as a
mother and in school. Many people believe a theory that once a woman has a child
young, she will no longer be able to get her degree. People often feel that a
child is a major setback if the parents aren’t established. This isn’t the case
for all women. Having a child at a young age can be taxing sometimes, but it
made me strive harder to do better in life. Having a baby didn’t stop me from
living my dreams. I went to find a part time job to help me support my studies.
I studied hard and was able to get an academic scholarship. Then, eventually, I
was able to finish my degree at the age of 27 and immediately found an
opportunity to work with a reputable company.

Q: Do you have any messages to your teammates or people who help you with your
everyday work? Or any message to other moms out there who also might struggle to
achieve work-life balance?
A: I’m grateful for my team and my team leader. They understand that I am also a
mother and have a responsibility to attend to. If there’s a need to prioritize
family matters, they’re allowing me to do so. My advice to other A-moms out
there would be learn to recognize your lows, ask for help, and get to work
surviving and thriving.  Indeed, motherhood and sacrifices go hand in hand.

We look up to all our Super A-moms in our lives and we appreciate all the
sacrifice and hard work they have done for all of us. 

To all our A-moms, you continue to inspire us everyday. Thank you!

My Super A-Mom: The Incomparable Strength of a Single Mom

Victor Silva

AboitizPower and the Department of Energy (DOE) recently turned over around
PHP140.1 million worth of Energy Regulations 1-94 (ER 1-94) funds to some 36
host beneficiaries of AboitizPower business units AP Renewables, Inc. (APRI) and
San Carlos Sun Power, Inc. (SacaSun).
The initial remittance is part of the total PHP351.6 million ER 1-94 funds
generated by AboitizPower’s geothermal and solar facilities. The remaining funds
are still being processed and will likewise be turned over to the host
beneficiaries as soon as available.

The host beneficiaries of APRI and SacaSun include 24 barangays, three
municipalities, and two cities in the provinces of Albay, Batangas, Laguna, and
Negros Occidental. Regions IV-A, V, and VI, through the Regional Development
Council (RDC), will also be given shares that they can allocate to their chosen
non-host local government units (LGUs) of APRI and SacaSun within their
respective regions.

ER 1-94 is a program that gives benefit to host communities through the one
centavo per kilowatt-hour (PHP0.01/kWh) share in the total electricity sales of
a power generating facility located within their locality. The new DOE Circular
No. DC2020-04-00080 mandates that the funds can now be utilized for COVID-19
response efforts, in support of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.

COVID-19 response initiatives that were so far implemented by the said LGUs
include holding areas or distribution centers, medical and PPE supplies,
facility decontamination, and relief goods to feed low-income households during
this prolonged quarantine period.

The said funding can also be utilized for mass testing, subsidy programs
(non-food items), mobile market to ensure uninterrupted availability of
essential goods, construction of quarantine centers, provision of cremation and
burial services, electricity cost subsidies to newly constructed health
facilities, and all other reasonable means or measure to mitigate, contain, and
eliminate the transmission of COVID-19.

> We don’t know how long this crisis will last. I see the accrued ER 1-94 fund as
a blessing. This is God’s provision that our host communities can tap and
utilize at this very difficult moment in our nation’s history. 

– Dennis B. Jordan, President and COO, AboitizPower Geothermal and Solar
Business Units
Jordan added that he hopes the beneficiaries will be able to use this resource
to help contain, mitigate, and eventually eliminate the spread of COVID-19 in
their respective areas.

Jill Ison

By Jill Ison [https://aboitiz.workplace.com/profile.php?id=100044220288286]

The coronavirus pandemic upended lives and businesses across many industries.
For months now, Aboitiz Construction actively engaged in organized efforts to
provide aid to employees and host communities, help slow the spread of the
virus, and reaffirm its commitment to serve clients. 

Considered the company’s business frontliners, the Business Development and
Tender Planning (BD & TP) team, are undeterred in managing clients and
converting prospects to revenues. The team makes sure to constantly engage the
customers from the different industries the company serves such as
infrastructure, energy and utilities, industrial, and other commercial projects.
They still provide regular updates or share information on the new conditions
relevant to the customers’ business. They are accessible and responsive when a
client reaches out.

Aboitiz Construction Business Development and Tender Planning Team Members> A
crisis separates the best companies and great leaders from those who are not. I
did not make a mistake in trusting Aboitiz Construction with our business. I’m
very happy with Aboitiz Construction.

– David Attewill, President, Philippine Coastal Storage & Pipeline Corporation
(PCSPC) [shared during the coordination meeting with the BD & TP team]
While compelled not to meet in person, technology paved another way so they can
stay close to the customers. Video conferencing, chat apps, multiple digital
tools to send and receive messages allowed the team to build and maintain strong
relationships. The BD and TP team now host price reviews, hold issue resolution
consultations, relay cost improvement options through web tools. That said, the
team keeps their customer communication personal, relevant, dynamic, and human.

> We continue to find innovative ways in keeping our clients warm and diligently
update them on our business continuity plan, and process improvements as we
become more agile and forward-thinking through the use of various digital tools.

– Felma R. Yap, FVP Business Development & Tender Planning, Aboitiz Construction
Business Development Team Members with Aboitiz Construction’s President & CEO,
Alberto A. Ignacio, Jr. (fourth from left) attending a conference last January.
From physical to virtual and now better adjusted to working remotely, the BD
team took this new work arrangement as a cue to re-evaluate current services and
how they offer them to clients and prospects. To enrich and expand the business
portfolio, the team will go after more engineering and design contracts,
increase maintenance contracts, and drive up demand for equipment rentals. And
to improve reach, tech-aided marketing, sales, and service tools will be an
exciting development.

Aboitiz Construction has weathered many storms. Squaring off the pandemic-driven
economic slowdown will demand innovation, agility, and smarts to successfully
execute business as usual. During this pandemic, the company’s offices and
project sites have adapted to the new normal to continuously provide quality
services to its customers. [See here
[https://www.aboitizconstructioninc.com/aboitiz-construction-return-to-work-playbook-for-external-stakeholders/] 
for the company's return to work policies and procedures.]

Alongside the company’s promises of contributing to the nation-building of the
country by serving industries that are building blocks of economic growth and
offering employment that uplifts the lives of more Filipinos, they keep the
promise of building better futures together with current and future clients, by
putting the customer’s interest first. And by being true to the Aboitiz values
and purpose, Aboitiz Construction has a chance to pull through the downturn and
kick off strong as the company navigates through the new normal.

Aboitiz Construction is one of the country’s most trusted and respected
engineering, design, and construction companies in the Philippines with a
clientele spanning 17 countries to date. 

To know more, visit the Aboitiz Construction official website
[https://www.aboitizconstructioninc.com/].

Construction

Keeping Aboitiz Construction’s Client Relationships Strong Amid New Normal

John Guiang

PERA HUB further expands its domestic remittance services through its
partnership with Cebuana Lhuillier in line with its thrust in becoming a center
for urgent cash transactions. Starting June 26, 2020, remittance customers may
now send and receive money via Cebuna Lhuillier’s Domestic Pera Padala in PERA
HUB’s 243 company-owned branches and soon in its over 3,000 authorized sub-agent
partner locations nationwide.

> Now more than ever, we want to be of help to our kababayans considering our
situation with the pandemic. Partnering with Cebuana Lhuillier enables our
locations to offer more remittance services through Cebuana Lhuillier's numerous
domestic and international remittance partners. Our strategic partnership with
Cebuana Lhuillier for remittance services is just one of the many initiatives
we’ve lined up to address the gaps in financial services. We look forward to
launching Cebuana’s international remittance services in our locations by the
3rd quarter.

- Ian T. Ocampo, President & CEO, PETNET, Inc.
Cebuana Lhuillier’s Pera Padala is an addition to the new remittance partners
introduced by PERA HUB in the 1st half of 2020 as it goes non-exclusive with
Western Union. Cebuana Lhuillier is the Philippines’ largest microfinancial
services provider that offers pawning, remittance, micro savings, micro
insurance, bills payment, e-load, and business-to-business micro loan solutions
services.

Cebuana Lhuillier’s Domestic Pera Padala Services Now Available At PERA HUB Branches

Francesca De Ocampo

By Francesca De Ocampo
[https://aboitiz.workplace.com/profile.php?id=100041542770875]

COVID-19 has changed the world drastically that even the workplace is never
going to be the same.

Physical distancing is required. Sanitation measures are strictly enforced. And
team members reporting to the workplace must submit to regular health screening.
(Team members may read the Aboitiz Return-to-Work Playbook here
[https://sites.google.com/aboitiz.com/newcovidaboitizgroupguidelines/return-to-work-playbook?authuser=0]
.)

With no vaccine available yet, what will the ‘new normal’ workplace look like?

Goodbye to Open Office Spaces?
The concept of open office spaces was popularized in the early 20th century by
Frank Lloyd Wright. Known for his stunning design of the S.C. Johnson Wax
Administration Complex in Racine, Wisconsin
[https://www.scjohnson.com/en/a-family-company/architecture-and-tours/frank-lloyd-wright/designed-to-inspire-sc-johnsons-frank-lloyd-wright-designed-administration-building]
, the idea was thought to be groundbreaking — democratic architecture where
walls are broken down literally and figuratively.

The S.C. Johnson Wax Administration Complex in Racine, Wisconsin was considered
a prime example an open office space. (Photo from scjohnson.com)But as much as
open workspaces were meant for increased collaboration and productivity, they
have become hotbeds for viruses. In a study made by the American Society for
Microbiology
[https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-09/asfm-hqv090214.php], 40 to 60
percent of workers were infected with a virus after being in contact with
commonly touched objects. More so, microbes can travel through the air and
within HVAC systems, if not properly maintained and regularly cleaned.

Execution of floor plans could also pose a problem as open office spaces have
become cost-saving measures, filling the “empty” spaces with more employees. It
was contrary to Wright’s original blueprint, where employees were stationed a
meter apart. According to an investigation done by South Korea’s Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
[https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/8/20-1274_article] on an identified
densely populated open office, almost half of the workers emerged positive for
COVID-19.

Floor plan of the identified office which was considered a coronavirus break
hotspot in South Korea. The ones in blue are the seating places of persons with
confirmed cases. (Photo by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, South
Korea)Could this be the end open-floor offices? According to articles published
by BBC
[https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200514-how-the-post-pandemic-office-will-change]
, New York Times
[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/health/coronavirus-office-makeover.html],
and National Geographic
[https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/will-coronavirus-end-the-open-office-floor-plan/]
, businesses are considering. Could this mark the return of the cubicles? Maybe
but in a form of ‘sneeze guard’ made out of plexiglass. Dr. Susan Huang, medical
director of epidemiology and infection prevention at the University of
California, Irvine, said that the barriers
[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/health/coronavirus-office-makeover.html] —
originally designed to minimize noise — can be repurposed for protection.

However, as recognized by Dr. Huang, the fight against COVID-19 needs more than
just plastic shields.

Safety First 
In an article by BBC, experts recommend a combination of short-term fixes and
long-term solutions
[https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200514-how-the-post-pandemic-office-will-change] 
emphasizing on stringent hygiene practices. Albert De Plazaola, global strategy
director of international design firm Unispace, said that the primary focus will
be to keep employees safe and to alleviate their fears. He likens the tactical
solutions companies will try to come up with surgical interventions, where
employees could have a sense of safety temporarily.
WeWork, an international workspace solutions provider present in the
Philippines, said that it has been working with industry and government agencies
to modify their shared spaces to focus on “prioritizing personal space,
cleanliness, and behavioral signage.”
[https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/06/16/business/real-estate-and-property/how-office-work-remains-sustainable-for-businesses/732063/]

Last May, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) released the Interim
Guidelines on Workplace Prevention and Control of COVID-19
[https://www.dole.gov.ph/news/workplace-rules-set-to-cut-spread-of-covid-19/],
which the Aboitiz Group referred to in the Return-to-Work Playbook
[https://sites.google.com/aboitiz.com/newcovidaboitizgroupguidelines/return-to-work-playbook?authuser=0]
. The playbook is a working document updated regularly for team members to
navigate through the ‘new normal’. Some of the protocols included are general
guidelines, details on the re-entry screening process, process of delivery and
releasing of items, packages, documents, and checks, and signages and reminders.

The Aboitiz Group Return-to-Work Playbook is regularly updated with the latest
government-issued workplace guidelines to protect team members while working in
the office.> The playbook was a result of incorporating government directives from
the DOH, DTI, DOLE, as well as the Taguig City LGU into our internal processes —
conducting risk assessments pertaining to the pandemic and setting up controls
and protocols in order to address the prevention and detection of the spread of
COVID-19. This is a team effort of the COVID-19 pandemic TWG of the Aboitiz
Group.

- Andy Torrato [https://aboitiz.workplace.com/profile.php?id=100025977696558],
AVP - Physical Assets Security, AEV
As soon as the news of COVID-19 was reported in January, the Aboitiz Group has
been proactive on crafting relevant protocols and preventive and precautionary
measures. Information was obtained from DOH, WHO, reputable medical journals, as
well as practices and learnings from other companies.

> Given all the uncertainty during the quarantine period, Team Members had a lot
of questions. The playbook is something that TMs can download and easily refer
to when they have questions. Now more than ever, we need to overcommunicate. 
Fear comes from uncertainty and the unknown. Having the playbook, together with
our microsite
[https://sites.google.com/aboitiz.com/newcovidaboitizgroupguidelines/home], our
Team Members are more informed and equipped to operate within the new normal.

- Tin Kempeneers [https://aboitiz.workplace.com/profile.php?id=100025290970280],
AVP - Risk Management, AEV
A workplace re-entry program
[https://aboitizeyes.aboitiz.com/post/easing-back-to-the-workplace-with-our-re-entry-program] 
was also put into place to ensure the protection of team members and all
stakeholders while allowing companies to continue servicing the vast majority of
customers. The program includes sanitation and disinfection measures in communal
areas, elevators, workstations, facilities, and equipment.

An exclusive ride sharing mobile app called ‘Pasabay’ has also been developed
for team members to either book or offer a ride with other A-People travelling
to and from the NAC and ORE offices.

COVID-19 has changed the way we work. More so, it has placed greater emphasis on
health and sanitation, affecting our lives like never before. The future remains
uncertain, but as #OneAboitiz, we will continue to adapt to the situation with
resilience — demonstrating Integrity, Teamwork, Innovation, and Responsibility
in advancing business and communities
[https://aboitizeyes.aboitiz.com/post/from-the-group-ceo-return-to-work-policy].

What did it change? What change did it accelerate?

Aboitiz is 100 this year as a corporation, 150 next year dating back to the
arrival of Paulino Aboitiz, and 200 this year as Yrastorzas in the Philippines.
This longevity and survival are about the ability to adapt to change. This is
our number one trait.
Change is happening on the fly as we individually get along every day and
individually make 10,000 decisions a day. Nine billion people making 10,000
decisions a day, some emotional, some rational,  some good ones, some bad ones,
some thinking, some by instinct, some winning, some losing, some smart,  some
dumb, all human and all bouncing off each other and changing things everywhere.

Aboitiz is 100 this year as a corporation, 150 next year dating back to the
arrival of Paulino Aboitiz, and 200 this year as Yrastorzas in the Philippines.
This longevity and survival are about the ability to adapt to change. Our second
trait is hard work — 997.


What will it change? What change will it accelerate? These are the questions
that I peruse daily.


What has the virus changed?

 1. People are willing to do now what they were not willing to three months ago.
    Their willingness to change is your opportunity. Renegotiate elegantly,
    fairly, and in win-win atmospheres to find a better way for both parties.
    
    Leverage reputation to get better payment terms at better prices. How can
    this be win-win? Wine growers have limited capacity to store in their farms?
    They can get this off their storage facilities to us saving them money and
    us working capital — both win!
 2. The level of technological dependence and its unintended consequences. Will
    abrupt adaption mean cyber risks we are not protected for?
 3. It is not a bigger government that should concern us, but rather a bolder
    government and those unintended consequences. The most incapable and
    incompetent part of society bigger, bolder, and deeper in debt is going to
    be fun to beat.
 4. Global emissions will drop as poverty goes up with populism, clumsy excuses,
    and scapegoating. A new generation will come out of the “ashes”, the
    lockdown generation.

Let's make sure we do not over-correct automation and digitization, analogue in
the prurient must remain, please. The overhasty adoption of technology to muffle
opinion, privacy, and liberties will not be enjoyable. Contact tracing may ruin
relationships.

What was already evolving only to be enhanced by the virus? 

Evolution to revolution is in much of the precipitation that was always going to
fall.

 1. Digitization — that was well on the way towards ubiquitous penetration in
    all aspects of our lives. COVID is going to accelerate its offensive while
    forcing those who refused the change to embrace it.
 2. The moving components of everything are fixed and variable. The possibility
    to move the chairs around in this area of life are more and more possible.
    Lowering fixed compensation and increasing variable compensation for all
    transactions are very real and can benefit all. This can be a win-win.
 3. Now everything and everyone will digitize including the slower portions of
    society. As the slower components digitize and enter the real world of
    faster change, we will all benefit. 
 4. The more change-averse minds are being pried open as we speak. Tradition is
    meant to be a compass, it is not designed as an anchor. The anchor chains
    and links are rusting away to break away. That corrosion is accelerating —
    will your ship, along with you, be brought out to sea? 
 5. Who do we hire? With change and challenge accelerating, the hunger,
    discipline, and ability to learn must be a top priority. The Jews survived
    and they used education as the main armour. 
 6. Mental illness has to be a concern that will come about. It was already
    accelerating due to loneliness. I would imagine the same is so for social
    anxieties.
 7. The virus will stall progress made in many areas and, from there, its
    unintended consequences.

It used to be about the land, the farmer, the plow, and God. Now we have the
same amount of land, a more informed and educated farmer and an electronic plow,
and better communication with God — we know more about the weather and we know
it in advance.

Aboitiz is 100 this year as a corporation, 150 next year dating back to the
arrival of Paulino Aboitiz, and 200 this year as Yrastorzas in the Philippines.
This longevity and survival are about the ability to adapt to change. Our third
trait is unity — 997.

Assessing and upgrading the farmer without a better and better plow with better
and better advanced information is 1/4 the way there. The 3/4, so to speak,
comes from better systems. They need to be seen as one but realizing as well
that the systems upgrade can be more rewarding as it adds more value and
enriches the farmer’s mind.

This paper is designed to be dynamic as the two questions above and what can be
done about them must continue to develop — what has COVID changed and what has
COVID sped up?

Please help me fill it up so that, in a month or so, I can add your experience
to populate this Aboitiz Eyes section with experience — your experience!

The University Of Experience is here to help you prosper and not be made
irrelevant by THE VIRUS!


– Enrique Aboitiz Mendieta

The Virus Of Our Time

By Victor Anthony Silva
[https://aboitiz.workplace.com/profile.php?id=100026755920923]

AboitizPower took home two awards, including the In-House Community Industry
Legal Team of the Year in the Energy & Natural Resources - Asia at the In-House
Community Counsels of the Year Awards 2020. 

The AboitizPower Legal Team, represented by VP for Legal, Energy Affairs and
Compliance Maria Consolacion Mercado, won the In-House Legal Team of the Year
(Energy & Natural Resources - Asia).“We are happy that the legal community
recognizes the initiatives that AP Legal implements to add value to our
organization. This challenges our team to strive better and to continually live
out the Aboitiz culture,” the AboitizPower Legal team shared.

In a write-up about the winners, AboitizPower was described as an industry
leader "making an invaluable contribution to society at large... by continually
briefing the Philippines government and economic zone authorities regarding the
ever-changing energy market."
[https://www.inhousecommunity.com/article/house-community-counsels-year-2020/]

In addition, AboitizPower's Diversity and Inclusion Campaign was recognized in
the Diversity - Asia category under the In-House Community Best Practice Legal
Teams of the Year.

AboitizPower was shortlisted for the Asia In-House Team of the Year award along
with other big names such as KPMG China, IBM Japan, MTR Corporation, Sanofi
China, Ant Financial (Alipay), and AEON.

The whole team tuned in to the e-ceremony with Vice President for Legal, Energy
Affairs and Compliance Maria Consolacion Mercado officially representing the
group.

Since its establishment in 2015, the AP Legal Team has gone over and beyond its
mandate, proof of which is a groundbreaking project that helped them secure this
year’s win at the in-house counsel awards.

In 2019, AP Legal launched an initiative aimed at promoting diversity and
inclusion within the organization, a first of its kind across the Aboitiz Group. 

The team’s Diversity and Inclusion Campaign is a multi-year program focused on
messaging the primacy of merit above gender or sexual preference, religion, or
ethnic background. 

It is intended to spread awareness on diversity and inclusion as well as to
promote respect and to celebrate individuality, all while promoting a culture of
excellence and high performance.

While the submissions were completed in the latter part of 2019, the panel of
judges is said to have been more drawn to in-house counsel team submissions that
“encouraged empathetic working cultures and working practices that would prove
resilient through the [coronavirus] crisis — and especially to those innovations
that are proving positively significant to society at large.”

According to its website, the goal of the In-House Community Counsel of the Year
Awards is not only to shower winners with praise and recognition, but also to
stimulate the entire in-house community by sharing some of the innovative
solutions pioneered by in-house counsel and external providers uncovered through
the awards process.

AboitizPower Bags 2 Awards from Int'l In-House Community Counsel Awards

By Victor Anthony Silva
[https://aboitiz.workplace.com/profile.php?id=100026755920923]

AboitizPower subsidiary San Carlos Sun Power, Inc. (SacaSun) has found a way to
continue supporting the government’s major annual back-to-school programs
despite the disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

Instead of gathering volunteers to repaint chairs and clean up school grounds
for the yearly Brigada Eskwela program of the Department of Education (DepEd)
like it has in the past, SacaSun this year is set to donate hygiene kits to help
learning centers and students within its host community combat the pandemic.

(L-R, front) DepEd San Carlos City Schools Division Superintendent Anthony
Liobet, SacaSun Reputation Officer Raymond Peter Rigor, and DepEd San Carlos
City Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Julito Feliciano during the
virtual launch of Bayanihan 2020: Oplan Balik Eskwela at Brigada Eskwela on June
1, 2020.“The San Carlos City Schools Division Office is so privileged to have
partnered with Aboitiz Foundation and SacaSun for a number of years already. For
now, we are challenged by this contagion but we are so happy to receive
essential items for our public schools and learners,” San Carlos Schools
Division Superintendent Anthony Liobet said during the virtual kick-off of the
2020 Brigada Eskwela (BE) and Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE) programs in Western
Visayas on June 1.

Bagonbon National High School (extension), Don Juan Ledesma Elementary School,
Mag-amihan Elementary School, and Talave Elementary School in Barangay Punao,
San Carlos City will each receive thermal scanners and hand sanitizers.

Meanwhile, a total of 735 students from all four schools will get a kit
containing protective masks, alcohol disinfectant, and hand soap.

On June 1, Education Secretary Leonor Briones announced modifications to this
year’s BE and OBE programs in the DepEd memorandum no. 53 s. 2020, relative to
the country’s current COVID-19 situation.

Bannering the theme “Pagpapanatili ng Bayanihan Tungod sa Kalidad na Edukasyon
para sa Kabataan,” the joint implementation of BE and OBE will be from June 1 to
August 29, 2020.

This year’s back-to-school programs also feature the slogan “Bayanihan sa
Paaralan,” which highlights sustainable and safe living through addressing
required health standards and social issues at home, in school, and the
community in the context of the global pandemic.

Public schools and some private institutions are set to formally open classes on
August 24, despite uncertainties brought about by the ongoing health crisis.

DepEd announced on Monday, June 8, that it is postponing face-to-face classes in
the absence of a vaccine and will instead prepare for a distance learning
approach.

SacaSun operates the 59-MW utility-scale solar photovoltaic power plant located
in San Carlos, Negros Occidental. It is committed to co-creating safe,
empowered, and sustainable communities through its various corporate social
responsibility programs, community sponsorships, and ER 1-94 projects.

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