By Cheann Mabansag and Bianca Gempesaw

What if the biggest win this year is what you don’t do?

Super Ditch Year 3 launches with a rallying cry to ditch the noise, cut the clutter, and work smarter. It’s not about doing more—it’s about doing less with purpose. This year, the challenge is bigger, bolder, and more focused than ever, with simplification at its core.

Screens lit up across the AEV floor as teams tuned in for the Super Ditch kick-off, signaling renewed momentum in our simplification journey and reinforcing its importance across the organization.

Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Transformation John Rubio opened with examples that showed how simplification drives impact. One was LEGO’s decision to cut its brick types from 12,000 to 6,000 to focus on what truly added value. It was a clear reminder that, like LEGO, Aboitiz can unlock creativity and efficiency by letting go of what no longer serves us. His stories set the tone for what Super Ditch is all about: challenging the status quo to build a more agile and empowered workplace.

Simplification isn’t about cutting corners—it’s about clearing the path. If we want to move faster, think smarter, and lead better, we need to challenge every process and ask: Does this still make sense?

– John Rubio, Chief Strategy Officer, AEV

The session also featured updates from project leads Aly Virrey and Cheann Mabansag of the AEV Transformation Team, who shared practical tools and explained how the program aligns with this year’s CSU scorecard. In addition, Glecer Bautista of the AEV Transformative Technology Team shared how, with their team’s collaborative support, the use of AI and digital tools can make Ditch ideas more effective, help teams work smarter, and turn concepts into real, practical solutions.

What is the Super Ditch Program?

Now in its third year, Super Ditch Program remains a flagship program of AEV’s Great Transformation. It invites team members to challenge the way things are done—submitting ideas that simplify processes, eliminate unnecessary steps, and boost efficiency. Imagine eliminating a weekly report only few people read—or automating a task that used to eat up hours. That’s the power of a high-impact ditching.

Rooted in AEV’s A+10 behaviors, especially in being Simple, Smart, and Open—the program invites everyone to ask: is this task still relevant in today’s context? Can it be simplified? Is there a better way?

What’s New This Year?

Super Ditch Year 3 introduces refined guidelines for evaluating processes and activities. Before submitting a "ditch" idea, team members should consider:

• Pain Point – Does it frustrate people or slow things down?
• Value Check – Is it truly worth the time, or just creating noise?
• Complexity – Can it be done in 3–5 steps instead of 10?
• Relevance – Is it still useful, or has it become outdated?
• Danger of Ditching – Can we ditch it safely without disrupting the user experience?

These guidelines help ensure that every ditch idea contributes to meaningful change.

The Ditch Hammer Returns

As part of the launch, the symbolic Ditch Hammer returned to AEV, sparking energy and excitement. Team members snapped photos and shared their personal simplification stories on AEV’s Google Space, adding fuel to the ditching movement. Printed CSU crests from AEV GT Cup’s first challenge were also available onsite for teams to claim—celebrating their identity while rallying around the spirit of simplification. (Read more about the GT Cup here)

Keep the Ideas Coming

At AEV, Simplification isn’t a solo mission—it’s also a team sport. Now part of the CSU scorecard, it’s a call to cut the clutter, question old ways, and work smarter, together. Your next ditch idea could be the spark that drives real transformation.

Got an idea? Share it now and help shape a smarter, simpler Aboitiz.