By Francesca De Ocampo

While Aboitiz leaders convened at the Aboitiz Group Management Conference, team members simultaneously convened at watch parties held in their respective offices to await the live streamed 100th anniversary message from Aboitiz Group President & CEO Sabin Aboitiz.

Preparations leading to the event went by like a whirlwind. There were coordination meetings with HR point persons of various business units, ideas exchanged, tasks delegated, and a barrage of emails sent with accompanying instructions and information. There were also constant checks to ensure the quality of the live stream connection, especially for onsite BUs. Enthusiasm was high and everyone had one goal in mind — a celebration watch party without hitch.

Tension spiked on the week of the event owing to some last-minute changes. A technical run-through was done again, this time to check on connection stability at the different sites.

Finally, on the day of the watch party, team members bustled to have their photos taken at the photo booth and to get food at the buffet tables. Activities, including a trivia game and a group photo, proceeded as planned. As the time for the live stream approached, the chat group among the coordinators buzzed non-stop.

Finally, the green light. It's time to go live. At the Taguig Corporate Center, silence filled Caf8 as team members listened attentively to SMA delivering his special message.

Overall, it was a significant milestone in the history of the company - a significant event even for the leadership. It seemed like a lot of pressure but everyone worked together as one team. There was initiative and open communication that helped get things done faster and better. The question "how can I be of help?" - as simple as it sounds - opened a floodgate of opportunity to converge.

Thank you to all HR teams who went out of their way to make the 100th-year anniversary watch parties memorable and celebratory. The event would not be possible without your initiative, enthusiasm, and your willingness to help.

It really was One Aboitiz in action.

Great coordination with all other BUs.
– Irene Pailagao, Apo Agua

[The] common comments we got from Oil BU personnel was that they enjoyed the games and food, and they are looking forward to similar activities in the future.
– Christine Rodriguez, AP-Oil

As an Aboitiz team member, I am grateful to be standing on the shoulders of giants — Don Ramon and the pioneers of the family business. The century-old enterprise that we are today is the result of honor and integrity upheld through generations. As we now mark a hundred years, it is the same integrity that will push us further in the next 100 years. The global landscape is constantly changing, and as SMA mentioned, we must be comfortable with uncertainty. Quick to iterate. Fast to learn. Open to change. On a personal level, I must upskill to keep myself relevant to the changing needs of the organization.
– Kiara Rofero, Hedcor Group

I learned and was inspired when Sabin told the story that our Aboitiz founder and father, Don Ramon, did not declare bankruptcy when the company had big loss and debt. With his high spirits and help from friends, family, employees and other parties, he fought to rebuild the company to be great to where it is today. No help will come to him in this situation, unless he has “trust and good reputation” - a principle that still applies to any challenges that our company facing nowadays.
– Victoria Yim, Gold Coin Group