by Human Resource Tribe and Marketing Tribe, UnionDigital
Since its inception in the Aboitiz’ Banking Group in 2022, UnionDigital Bank, Inc. (referred to as ‘UD’) has been deeply rooted in its purpose of elevating the lives of Filipinos by providing access to banking services, products, and financial knowledge to the unserved and underserved. Guided by AEV’s great transformation journey, the Bank since then has made steady strides in realizing this purpose, driven by a diverse and highly skilled set of talents united by a common mission.
While UD continues to pursue business milestones, it is simultaneously building the organization through its culture, leadership, and people. Along with its birth pains, UD had undergone several leadership and organizational changes. These transitions tested UD’s resilience in maintaining business continuity, strategy execution, including employee retention and engagement. Amidst these challenges, what has buoyed the Bank is the ethos of its people – UD employees are passionate, driven, and determined individuals. They have a heart for what they do.
With the strong vision of UnionDigital for continued growth and stability, comes the need to ensure that the Bank as an organization, and not only as a brand and business, is cohesive, engaging, and purpose-driven.
2024: A New Chapter in UD’s Culture, The Rise of One UD
In 2024, UnionDigital embarked on a mission to build and shape its culture and revitalize its workplace by aligning it more closely with the Bank’s aspirations and values. The goal was to create an environment where every individual contributes directly to the Bank’s mission, hone their skills, realizes their potential, and aligns their personal purpose with that of the organization. Conceived through the ideation and strong collaboration among UD’s senior leadership team, Marketing, and Human Resource, and with the support of the Parent Bank (Union Bank of the Philippines) & UD’s Board of Directors, ‘One UD’ was born.
One UD is the Bank’s flagship strategic culture building and communications initiative structured around four (4) main thrusts: 1) forge a strong sense of unity within UD, 2) foster collaboration & teamwork, 3) espouse the Bank’s norms, core values & behaviors, and 4) create meaningful employee experience. In shaping the Bank’s culture, One UD enables its people to be the driving force behind programs and initiatives by implementing and prioritizing the voice of the employee (VoE).
With a strong balance between business and culture, One UD sees its success through the achievement of the following: a) support in the Bank’s goal of sustainable profitability, b) support in the execution of the Bank’s low and grow strategy advancing real financial inclusion, c) organizational stability, d) advancement of an innovation-driven culture, e) cultivation of a learning culture, and f) retention of high-performing talents.
Meet the Culture Catalysts: One UD Champions Circle
At the heart of this initiative are people whose passion, influence, and involvement on the ground are catalytic to ensure that One UD would run successfully. The program therefore is primarily hinged on people and is being implemented in four (4) phases: 1) Assessment and Feedback from all members of the organization i.e. from employees to the Management Team, 2) Strategy Development, 3) Implementation, and 4) Evaluation & Iteration.
To support and spearhead the initiatives of One UD, the One UD Champions Circle was created, which is composed of selected UnionDigital employees who embody the spirit of great transformation.
The members of the Circle or ‘Champions’ were selected based on the following criteria: (1) wield a positive influence and consistently uplift and inspire others, (2) demonstrate deep commitment to UD’s core values of Integrity, Magis, and Ubuntu; and (3) act as team players and promote cross-departmental collaboration to achieve shared goals.
As members of the Circle, the Champions are an integral part of UD’s culture transformation journey by contributing to a unified connection & engagement among all employees. They act as advocates for One UD within their tribe, promote and encourage participation in internal activities, and implement programs and initiatives aligned with their team goals and One UD.
First Phase: Assessment and Feedback | Listening Intently, Laying the Groundwork
To operationalize the first phase of the program which is ‘Assessment and Feedback’, a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) per tribe was conducted by each Champion. It aimed to gain insights from the employees on how they view UD’s culture at that time and how they want UD’s culture to be. The feedback and outcomes were then discussed and shared by the Champions through the One UD workshop and ideation on September 25, 2024. The results of the FGD provided substantial inputs for the program and strategic development of One UD.
Second Phase: Ideation and Strategy Development | Co-creating Impact
Building on the insights gathered during the Assessment and Feedback phase, the second phase marked a crucial turning point, where voices turned into vision.
This phase focused on translating employee sentiments, aspirations, and cultural gaps into a coherent framework for transformation. The workshop fostered open dialogue, creative brainstorming, and strategic alignment.
The output of this phase included the formation of program pillars, cultural touchpoints, and communication strategies that directly responded to the lived experiences and suggestions from the tribes These strategies were not only tailored to support One UD’s four main thrusts: unity, collaboration, values alignment, and employee experience, but were also structured to cascade effectively across all levels of the Bank.
Ultimately, Phase 2 set the foundation for a culture strategy that is co-created, employee-driven, and ready for impactful implementation in the next stage of One UD.
Third Phase: Implementation | Bringing One UD to Life
The Marketing and Human Resource tribes, with guidance from the UD President & CEO’s vision & support, conceptualized and solidified the execution strategy of the program.
The highlights of the third phase of the program, Implementation, are the following:
- One UD Life: One UD Life is UD’s employee life banner program anchored on three (3) pillars: One UD Way, UDWell, and UDversity.
- One UD Emblem: The emblem’s concept is transformation, depicted through an image of a butterfly. A butterfly best represents this concept through its transformative process of metamorphosis. Its wings represent UD’s goals, vision and mission. Together, these elements symbolize growth and change, reflecting our commitment to innovation and ultimately, transformation, aligned with the Aboitiz Group’s Great Transformation journey.
- One UD Credo: The Credo best embodies what UD stands for as an organization and what best represents the qualities, behaviors, values, and vision of UD and its people. The Credo consists of three (3) parts: 1) I Am One UD, highlighting the values of excellence, collaboration, integrity, and trust; 2) I Am One for UD, articulating UD’s mission and vision and touching on the employees’ affinity to it; and 3) We Are One UD, affirming the employees’ belief and faith in each other’s talents, potentials and passions to create a lasting impact.
One UD Gains Ground
One UD is steadily reaching milestones with one of its goals of building strategies and implementing programs for employee productivity, engagement and retention using a cohesive approach. ‘One UD’ is consciously and consistently being injected and exemplified in both Bank-wide and inter and intra-tribe collaborative programs and communications.
In terms of gauging employees’ experience in and perception of workplace culture, UD has seen significant improvement based on the bi-annual Workplace Culture Survey conducted in the 1st quarter of 2025. The 2025 Year-start Employee Engagement score is 4.30 versus 4.13 from the previous survey in 2023. In addition, the response rate for the survey also significantly increased to 96% in 2025 from 53% in 2023.
One UD has garnered positive feedback from the employees across leaders and team members.
Below are some testimonials from them:
“One UD caused a renewed sense of community. It serves as our North Star knowing that what we do on a daily basis leads to a higher purpose of nation building and making a difference in the lives of Filipinos. It is our source of fulfillment and a guiding force to always go the extra mile because it brings to life the mission and vision of UD” Mike Magpily, Chief Marketing Officer
“One of the most impactful UD initiatives has been how it’s shaped and strengthened our culture. It’s brought clarity to our goals and how we work together. What really stuck with me is the idea that we should be each other’s safe space. That message really hit home—seeing our culture actively building that kind of environment.” Elaine del Rosario, IT Audit Officer
“One UD helped me and the team challenge the status quo and embrace the uncertainties. It strengthens the collaboration within the Bank and allows new ideas and perspectives. We are now willing to take more risks yet being accountable for the results. We are now gradually pivoting to a better culture unlocking more potentials, building a safe space and seeing each other as mentors instead of competitors.“ Alvin Baylon, AML Investigations Head
On the other hand, the impact of One UD to the business is reflected in the following key milestones for 2025: a) organizational stability through the full complement of the Management Committee and critical roles, b) exceeding of loan disbursement targets, c) increase in brand awareness and engagement.
It is noteworthy to mention that One UD was recognized during the 2025 HR Excellence Awards Philippines with a Gold Award for Excellence in Workplace Culture. One UD will be evaluated for its effectiveness and will be scaled-up and enhanced as deemed necessary based on business and organizational impact, and employee & stakeholders experience.
Breathing Life Into the One UD Culture
As One UD continues to evolve, the goal is not only to complete programs but to create sustaining ones which will ingrain One UD in every employee and transform it into a way of life.
One UD aims to holistically address gaps and enhance employee experience in the areas of structure, internal communication, work environment, people development, employee behavior, norms, recognition, rewards & processes within the organization.
In continuation of the program’s third phase, Implementation, One UD rolled out a Culture Caravan this 2025 which will be executed in three (3) sub-phases. Each sub-phase will be executed until 2026 where there will be a focus on (1) safe space, (2) genuine support, and (3) forward-looking mindset for the future.
The Caravan will include various programs and initiatives including but not limited to a) interpersonal and intrapersonal workshops, b) wellness activities and workshops c) fellowship and team building initiatives, d) employee recognition and appreciation programs, and e) employee-driven community outreach initiatives. Through the Culture Caravan and its focus on our signature behaviors, One UD will shape a workplace where collaboration, creativity, and connection flourish.
More than just a campaign, One UD is becoming a way of life – defining who we are and how we grow together and a living culture – rooted in purpose, shared values, and everyday actions.
