Tourism officer bags 2015 SBMA Employee of the Year award

An events coordinator from the Tourism Department of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) was named the agency’s 2015 Employee of the Year (EOY) for his notable contribution in increasing the number of tourist arrivals here last year.

Antonio Dela Cruz emerged the most outstanding among the six finalists in the annual EOY search held on March 18 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC).

“What makes these employees whom we honor today different from everybody else? There are only three things that I look for in an employee: One is competence, two is integrity, and three is malasakit or, for me, going the extra mile,” said SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia during his inspirational message.

“And the six employees we have today have exemplified that. They are not only competent at their jobs; they have integrity. And most of all, what distinguishes them from many of us, is that they have gone the extra mile. They have malasakit,” he added.

Dela Cruz was nominated for his efforts in increasing Subic Bay Freeport's tourist arrivals from 1.1 million in 2014 to 1.4 million in 2015.

According to SBMA tourism records, total visitor arrivals at Subic Bay Freeport increased from 6.4 million in 2014 to 7.3 million in 2015, while hotel occupancy grew from 64 percent in 2014 to 70 percent in 2015. Meanwhile, special event revenues reached almost P955,000 in 2015, while media value from various events increased from P260 million in 2014 to P318 million in 2015.

Media value is the amount equivalent to advertisements and other promotional services that the agency has saved by holding big-ticket local and international events in the Freeport.

Dela Cruz represented the Business and Investment Group in the EOY competition. The same strategic business unit of the agency had earlier selected him as the group’s employee of the year.

The other five finalists were Carlos Andres of the Chairman and Administrator’s Group; Yolando Dimen of the Public Services Group; Bello Mabato of the Regulatory Group; Vivian Perdigon of the Support Services Group; and Ernielita Rosas of the Port Operations Group.

Andres, an Information Officer II at the Public Relations Department, was cited for the assistance he extended to the Magbukon Aeta tribe at Sitio Kanawan in Morong, Bataan, in their bid to acquire their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT).

On the other hand, Dimen, an Executive Assistant to the SBMA Deputy Administrator for Public Works and Technical Services, was noted for his major task of preparing on-time the project status report of all projects being implemented by all the departments under the Public Works Group.

Mabato, a Community Development Officer I, used his background in agriculture to establish the “Gulayan sa Kagubatan” and the “Pastolan Village Forest Nursery” projects, which benefited residents of the upland Pastolan village in Subic Bay Freeport.

Perdigon, a Senior Communications Development Officer I, was recognized for her excellence in undertaking multiple functions with minimum supervision that included working on records and archives, collating performance records of the agency, as well as delivering mails.

Rosas, a Document Examiner II, was honored for her crucial work of ensuring that any regulated and monitored goods to be admitted inside the Freeport are well documented and properly liquidated, and for strictly implementing the process on a “first-come, first-served” basis.

During the awarding ceremony, Chairman Garcia also challenged all other employees to work equally hard to be model employees in their own right.

The SBMA Employee of the Year Awards is a project of the SBMA Human Resources Management Department to recognize and reward exemplary services rendered by employees in line with the Civil Service Commission’s PRAISE program. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] SBMA 2015 Employee of the Year Antonio Dela Cruz of the SBMA Tourism Department proudly carries the symbolic torch passed on to him by the previous year's winner during the awarding ceremony on March 18 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] JUBILANT. Antonio Dela Cruz raises his trophy after being proclaimed the SBMA Employee of the Year for 2015. Chairman Roberto Garcia (2nd from left) presented the award along with Tourism Department OIC Jem Camba and Senior Deputy Administrator Ramon Agregado. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)