The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) added another feather to its cap as the Executive Leadership Team of the Year in the recently concluded Asia CEO 2016 Awards night.
On hand to receive the top award of the evening was former SBMA chairman and current administrator Roberto Garcia during whose term as chairman the agency’s exceptional performance and financial breakthroughs were achieved.
In his brief acceptance remarks, Garcia said that when he assumed the chairmanship in 2011, “the SBMA’s management team and staff were demoralized for having received only one salary increase for 18 years, and the agency was suffering from tremendous losses”.
“It was a challenge to them to turn around (the agency) and rally to the theme that we had, which was “Good governance makes good business”.
This, Garcia said, spurred the team “to produce historic records for SBMA in terms of revenues, profits, investments, and the number of jobs generated”.
“This award is really a testimonial to them,” Garcia added, referring to the SBMA’s present management team, which has been in place since 2007.
After thanking the Asia CEO for the honor bestowed upon the SBMA, Garcia said, “This is an inspiration and a message to my fellow workers in government that we can excel and we have excelled…that government agencies like the GSIS can deliver world-class service that can compete with the best in the Philippines”.
From among 16 awards given that evening, the GSIS received the Service Excellence Company of the Year award and was the only other government entity aside from SBMA among the roster of winners.
The Asia CEO Awards, which aims to promote the Philippines on the world stage, is the largest business awards event of its kind in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific region, representing the most outstanding grouping of local and international business people and organizations in both the private and public sectors.
The SBMA was chosen from among six (6) finalists by a board of judges, which received the highest number of submissions in the history of Asia CEO Awards.
For the Executive Leadership Team of the Year award, the judges based their choices on five (5) basic criteria, which were leadership and good governance, financial contribution, pioneering achievements, social commitment, and international recognition.
Last year, the Subic Bay Freeport, which is managed by SBMA, was recognized in the Global Free Zones of the Year 2015 Awards as overall winner in Asia, and overall winner in the sub-region of South and Southeast Asia, and commendations in the form of bespoke awards for infrastructure developments and reinvestment.
With Subic acknowledged today as the best performing free port zone in the country, the reins of the SBMA were turned over to SBMA chairman Martin B. Diño last October 3. (SNL)
PHOTO:
Former SBMA chairman Roberto Garcia (middle) relishes a proud moment in SBMA history after the agency was declared the Executive Leadership Team of the Year in the recently concluded Asia CEO 2016 Awards. With him are the top guns of the other finalists in the same category.
