11M safe man hours
In line with its commitment to promote safety culture, Aboitiz Construction achieved 8.3 million safe man-hours for a mining project in Taganito HPAL Nickel Corp. (THPAL) in Claver, Surigao del Norte from September 2012 to February 2022 and 3.2 million safe man-hours for the ongoing Tecnimont and JGC Philippines Joint Ventures (TJJV) project in Brgy. Pinamucan Ibaba, Batangas City from January 2019 to February 2022.
Both records are without lost-time injuries.
Both sites have been conducting a series of precautionary and preventive drills, hazard and risk mapping, safety awareness training, site inspections and audits, checking of personal protective equipment and tool box meetings to discuss safety matters.
Team members on all project sites strictly follow health and safety protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
WATERLab inauguration
West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. recently held the formal inauguration of its newly expanded water laboratory, called WATERLab, located inside the La Mesa Compound in Quezon City. The event was led by Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez (fourth from left).
The Maynilad WATERLab tests the quality of water distributed to the company’s 9.9 million customers, as well as the quality of effluents released by its wastewater treatment facilities. It is equipped with state-of-the-art analytical instruments that allow Maynilad’s chemists to study compounds in water samples drawn from 1,155 sampling points throughout the West Zone.
Mentor Me at Ayala Malls
Ayala Malls Manila Bay was the official venue for the relaunch of Mentor Me On Wheels, a one-on-one mentoring program tailored for MSMEs, held last April 9.
At the event organized by Go Negosyo in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), over 130 mentors shared their knowledge and experiences with small entrepreneurs within 30-minute consultation sessions, including Ayala Land president and CEO Bobby Dy. The program also gave cash prizes of over half a million pesos to winning attendees, which they can use as seed capital to kickstart or expand their business.
Among the many business leaders who shared their expertise at Mentor Me On Wheels were Bernie Liu of Penshoppe, Pepot Miñana of Jollibee Foods Corp., George Royeca of Angkas, Nigel Lockett of DHL Philippines, Enrico Dee of Foodie Global Concepts, Alfredo Pascual of the Management Association of the Philippines, Tommanny Tan of iFern Corp., Eric Teng of Resto PH, Yvette Orbeta of Wendy’s, Johnlu Koa of The French Baker, David Charlton of David’s Salon, and Joey Concepcion of Go Negosyo.
Ayala Land has supported businesses through various initiatives since the pandemic. Efforts include rental concessions to regular mall merchants, free spaces for social enterprises, vaccination drives for employees in coordination with LGUs, and the group’s strict compliance with safety protocols so customers can feel more comfortable to shop and dine back at Ayala Malls.
Eastern Communications webinars
From mid-April to June, Eastern Communications is introducing two simultaneous webinar series entitled “Ignite: The Strength of Rising Together” and “Reimagining Resilience: Growth After Adversity” which aim to equip and empower businesses from the enterprise and SME sectors, respectively, to help them emerge stronger.
These webinar sessions are under the telco’s thought leadership initiative entitled E-Huddle Series, created to promote digital transformation among businesses in the country which feature industry experts and key opinion leaders.
Intended for the enterprise sector, Eastern Communications’ Ignite: The Strength of Rising Together will offer talks on innovative solutions and invaluable insights from key opinion leaders.
Kicking off this year’s series is KMC Savills Inc. Managing Director Michael McCullough will discuss retail stability and sustainability (April 27) and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno will present the financial forecast for 2022 (May 11).
Meanwhile, a representative from the Department of Tourism will tackle forging efficiency in government services (May 25), and a representative from KMC Solutions will touch on utilizing digital in hybrid enterprises (June 1).
The Reimagining Resilience series is also graced by thought leaders from various industries. Jeron Travel and Tours CEO Chal Lontoc-del Rosario will share the future of travel post-pandemic (April 21), while Pause and Reform Founder Sara Bounouira, MSc will guide businesses in strengthening employee personal resilience (May 19), and Arcanys co-founder and president Frederic Joye will shed light on the future of trust in business (June 23).
EON appointment
The EON Group announced the appointment of Malyn Molina as its president and chief operating officer (COO) effective April 2022.
Molina assumes her new position following a five-year stint as COO of Edelman Vietnam.
Prior to this, she has held senior leadership positions at EON from 2009 to 2016, capped by her previous role as managing director of Engage, the group’s reputation management, public affairs, and government relations arm.
Molina brings with her over 20 years of expertise in corporate reputation and brand management, public affairs and government relations, and risk mitigation and crisis management.
Corn derby
Bayer Crop Science (BCS) Philippines’ new multiple pest-resistant hybrid corn varieties toppled other seeds in a Department of Agriculture-administered corn derby.
Coming out superior from the DA Region 10 Field Office (RFO) corn competition is Bayer’s DEKALB 8131S with a top yield of 12,36 MT per hectare. It bested other entries from seven seed companies.
Two other DEKALB hybrid corn varieties, ranked second and third in the DA RFO 10 corn derby. DEKALB 8899S gave a yield of 10.9 MT per hectare and DEKALB 8719S at 10.06 MT per hectare.
DA RFO 10 reported that the hybrid corn varieties were showcased in two research centers in Region 10.
Mindanao corn farmers found the DEKALB corn varieties highly profitable owing to its VT Double Pro that has resistance to four virulent pests. VT Double Pro has dual mode of action that protects corn plants from Asiatic corn borer, Fall Army Worm (FAW), earworm, and cutworm.
It is the only hybrid corn variety certified by the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority (FPA) for its resistance against FAW.
EY startup incubator program expands
The EY organization announced the continued expansion of the EY Foundry startup incubator program into Cambodia, Guam, Thailand and Vietnam. These markets will join Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore and Sri Lanka, where the program has been running since 2018.
EY Foundry helps early-stage tech startups to accelerate business growth through piloting and scaling activities with the EY organization, in particular the EY Tax service line.
EY Foundry is particularly keen to work with those startups that can enhance the EY Tax practice in any of the following innovation areas: Services of tomorrow: optimizing processes and enhancing the client experience; new enterprise: reimagining traditional tax, law and People Advisory Services (using disruptive technology to create new markets and business models; sustainability: technology that delivers ESG and supply chain transformation resulting in net-zero or negative carbon emissions and people and wellness: embracing the future of work through continuous learning and development, and employee wellness.
Supporting gender equality
Home Credit Philippines recently joined the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (PBCWE) and the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce (PLCC) to further cement its commitment to achieving gender equality and inclusion in the workplace.
This partnership will help the company engage in policy reform work for gender equality and explore initiatives that will promote diversity, respect, fairness, empowerment, and equality in the workplace. Both organizations are also set to put structure to the DEI efforts of Home Credit Philippines and create diverse and systematic initiatives for its employees.
Home Credit Philippines will undergo the Gender Equality Assessment, Results, and Strategies (GEARS), an assessment tool that will analyze and understand the current state of Workplace Gender Equality within the company. GEARS will provide Philippine-specific data to form a baseline of information used to create policies, guidelines, and projects and make decisions to promote more diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Home Credit Philippines’ top management and leaders will also attend a high-level executive course about Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression ( This
training will show the leaders how they play a vital role in championing equality within the company and inculcate gender awareness and sensitivity from top to bottom of the organization.
56th DELCO store
Pizza Hut recently launched a new DELCO store at the Upper Ground Floor of CTTM Square, 68 Timog corner Tomas Morato avenues.
Launched last March 31, the new Pizza Hut DELCO branch marks its 56th DELCO unit nationwide.
A DELCO branch is a fast casual delivery branch where customers can dine in or order for delivery or take-out.
DIGeCONOMY Bootcamp
Ninja Van Philippines has launched the DIGeCONOMY Bootcamp Series where business owners can learn valuable insights and first-hand knowledge from industry experts to help them overcome the challenges of transitioning towards digitalization and maximize opportunities in the digital space.
Through multiple legs, the DIGeCONOMY Bootcamp Series will follow the digital transformation journey of SMEs and MSMEs–from building and growing their brand online to maintaining brand affinity among customers.
Last March 22, the first leg of the series already began with a learning session that centered on developing a customer-centric brand for MSMEs and its importance as well as the available tools and solutions they can utilize to stay competitive in the digital market.
The next learning session is set in May.