SBMA Chairman's group, Operations group finalists bag SBMA Employee of the Year 2023 awards

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)’s Chairman and Administrator’s group bagged both Employee of the Year (EOY) 2023 awards for Category 2 and Category 1 respectively, tying with the Operations group finalist in Category 1. 

Chairman and Administrator Group finalists Lex Byron Magrata of the Public Relations Office (PRO) and Ryan Joseph Garcia of the Planning and Development Office (PDO) were named EOY 2023 for Category 2 and 1 respectively; the latter tied with Operations Group’s Domar Reolizo of the Seaport Department. 

“This special occasion allows us to honor and celebrate the unwavering dedication, commitment, and excellence as demonstrated by our extraordinary team members,” SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño said in his welcome remarks. 

According to Aliño, the EOY is primarily selected by the Group Selection Panel (GSP) of their respective Strategic Business Units (SBUs), namely, Chairman & Administrator Group (ChAd), Business & Investment Group (BIG), Operations Group, Public Services Group (PSG), Regulatory Group (REG), and the Support Services Group (SSG). 

Aliño explained that at the very start of the nomination process, employees will be nominated according to their innovation &/or productivity, quality customer service, and malasakit and honesty. At the end of the year, their respective GSPs will come up with a finalist for Category 1 and Category 2 who will represent their SBUs. 

He also said that the finalists will undergo an interview by the Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) Committee which will decide who the EOY would be. 

Reolizo, hired by the agency as a clerk at the Port Management Division of the Seaport Department in 2018, made his mark with his proficiency in Google functions after barely six years in the government service.  

He automated the Trade Facilitation and Compliance Department’s and Seaport Department’s current system—the online overtime request, the seaport employee leave monitoring system, the Google scan image for seaport manual documents, and the online admission system--by maximizing the use of the G-Suite tools. 

In his acceptance speech, he thanked his family and the Operations group for the opportunity to be where he is now. 

Tying with Reolizo in Category 1 is Garcia, who initially was a driver-slash-messenger for the PDO in 2019. Still, he performed above and beyond his duties which made him one of the most reliable and integral parts of the department. 

He authored the guidelines for the procurement and distribution of the agency’s tokens to centralize the procurement of various kinds of tokens upon the request of the Accounting Department, Financial Planning and Budget Department (FPBD), and Procurement and Property Management Department (PPMD) to the PDO, being the expense account manager for tokens. 

Likewise, he expressed gratitude to everyone behind his success—his family, his superiors, and the agency. 

Meanwhile, Magrata, the EOY 2023 for Category 2, expressed his deep gratitude to OIC-DeputyAdministrator for Corporate Communications Armina Llamas for the trust and confidence accorded to him and his division’s staff. 

Magrata and his staff in the SDD were transferred to the PRO in November 2022 from the Ecology Center. 

In less than two years of his stint with the PRO, Magrata has been instrumental in securing a land area of more than four hectares at Sitio Kinabuksan worth P2.4 million in annual rental revenue when he worked promptly with the Office of the Solicitor-General (OSG) in drafting judicial affidavits that resulted to the court’s favorable decision to SBMA. 

He also assisted the court’s sheriff in delivering notices of Writ of Execution to informal settler respondents. Because of his engagement in a dialogue with respondents, 20 out of 38 have vacated the SBMA property. 

Other finalists were Frankie Ebidag (Business and Investment Group), Reynaldo Casimero (Public Services Group), and Rolando Cabrera (Support Services Group) for Category 1; and Jojit Catungal (Business and Investment Group), Capt. John Dulnuan (Operations Group), Rolando Lomboy (Public Services Group), and Raquel Bautista (Support Services Group) for Category 2. 

No representatives from the Regulatory Group were presented in both Category 1 and Category 2. 

The SBMA’s EOY awards program started in 2006. Initially, finalists were selected from an array of Employees of the Month of the SBUs, which in 2011 became Employee of the Quarter; and in 2019, Category 1 and Category 2 were launched to allow competition on their respective levels. (MPD-SBMA) 

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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)

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Central Luzon workers get pay hike

Workers in Central Luzon will soon get higher pay after the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) approved on Wednesday (Dec. 9) the newest wage order for the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said in a statement that Wage Order No. RB III-19, which raises by P15 per day the minimum wage for workers in the six provinces and P20 per day in Aurora has been unanimously approved.

“We have unanimously affirmed the wage order for workers in retail and services establishments with less than 16 workers,” Baldoz said, adding that the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) was able to meet its target that all of the country’s 30 minimum wage rates will be above the poverty threshold level before President Aquino’s term ends.

“This is a victory not only for Filipino workers but for all Filipinos,” Baldoz said.

The increase of P15 per day in Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales will be given in two tranches: the first P8 upon implementation of the wage order and the next P7 on May 1 next year.

Similarly, for Aurora province, the increase of P20 per day shall also be given in two tranches. The first tranche of P10 will be given upon the implementation of the order and the additional P10 on May 1, 2016.

Dole Regional Director Ana Dione said that with the pay hike, the minimum wage in Central Luzon now stands at P364 per day.

“With the increase, the highest minimum wage in the region is now P364, which is above the poverty threshold of P248 for a family of five as of December 2012,” she said.

The latest Dole-NWPC wage order applies to all minimum wage earners in the private sector in Central Luzon regardless of position, designation, status of employment, and methods by which the wages are paid.

Those who are not covered by the wage order are “kasambahays” and persons employed in personal service of another, including family drivers and workers of barangay micro business enterprises.

In issuing the wage order, the Regional Wage Board encourages establishments to adopt productivity improvement schemes such as time and motion studies, good housekeeping, quality circles, and labor management cooperation, as well as to implement gain sharing programs.

“Complaints for non-compliance with Wage Order RB III-19 shall be filed with Dole Regional Office III and shall be subject of enforcement proceedings under Article 128 of the Labor Code,” Dione said.

Any person, corporation, trust, or firm, partnership, association, or entity which refuses or fails to pay the prescribed wage rates shall be subject to penal provisions under Republic Act 6727, or the Minimum Wage Fixing Law. (JTD/Sun.Star Pampanga)

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2015/12/11/central-luzon-workers-get-pay-hike-446459

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GrainPro launches innovative solar dryer to help small farmers

A Subic-based company, recognized as world leader in post-harvest storage and drying solutions, launched another innovation of solar-powered grain dryers that aim to improve the productivity of small farmers.

GrainPro Inc., with a manufacturing and marketing facility in Subic Bay, announced the commercial launching of its Solar Bubble Dryer 25 (SBD25), which promises significantly improved grain drying capability all-year round.

The company also produces the SBD25-Electric, which has the same specifications but uses electricity to operate.

SBD25 is a collapsible modular dryer measuring 15 meters long and with a drying area of 25 square meters that can accommodate up to 500 kilograms of grains. Because of its compact feature, the SBD25 can be easily transported, assembled, and stored.

Branded as a perfect innovation for small farmers who produce 300-500 kilos per harvest, the SBD25 dries the grains while protecting them against rain and rewetting at day time and moisture-filled air at night.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia lauded GrainPro for creating the SBD25, which is expected to significantly help small farmers, especially those who live in communities without proper drying facilities or space.

“Our farmers will be happy to own this portable but very useful equipment,” said Garcia.

He noted that the SBD25-Solar uses solar power and can be used even in the remotest part of the country that lack the necessary dry space and facility for harvested grains, such as corn, coffee beans, cacao, spices, peanuts, and other grain seeds.

“Smallholder farmers now have the perfect drying partner with the SBD25,” says Philippe Villers, president of GrainPro, Inc., which has its main office in Concord, Massachussetts, USA.

“Almost all of the grain commodities can benefit from the superior drying ability of SBD25, which will help improve farm production and the income potential of farmers in developing nations,” Villers said.

Last year, GrainPro rolled out at its production facility in Subic Bay the SBD25’s predecessor, the Solar Bubble Dryer 50 (SBD50) and Collapsible Dryer Case II (CDC II) which are designed to dry up to one metric ton using the same principles employed by the SBD25.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of US-based GrainPro, GrainPro Philippines has sales offices in India, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Brazil and Mexico. (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO: 
The Solar Bubble Dryer 25 (SBD25) is touted to be a perfect drying partner for smallholder farmers. 

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Subic Freeport locator launches state-of-the-art grain dryer

GrainPro Inc., an American company that manufactures grain storage and drying systems here, recently launched its patented Solar Bubble Dryer (SBD) that provides a solution to challenges faced by farmers throughout the world.

The SBD is a collapsible drying facility for such commodities as coffee, cocoa, rice, wheat, corn, millet, and beans; and can hold up to one metric ton in one drying cycle while protecting commodities from rain and ultraviolet (UV) rays.

According to Dr. Pat Borlagdan, the firm’s manager for research and development, the drying facility is made from durable materials. Its transparent polyethylene cover is UV-resistant and water repellent, while its drying floor is made of sturdy plastic materials to ensure that water does not penetrate from below in case of heavy rains.

Borlagdan stressed that the SBD is a technology developed with food security as its ultimate goal.

“As such, it will help address inadequate agri-based technologies in order to help farmers ensure higher crop yield, thereby ultimately translating to higher food production and enough food supply for the Filipinos,” Borlagdan said.

He also said that a recent study showed that around 12 per cent of prime agricultural commodities are lost during the post-harvest drying process due to unpredictable weather conditions and lack of drying facilities.

The SBD will help farming communities in their critical post-harvest process because it dries grains and seeds to the right moisture safely and efficiently under any weather condition, keeping it from infestation and fungus, he added.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman Roberto Garcia said the drying facility is “proudly Subic-made,” pointing out that the firm’s products are principally manufactured at its wholly-owned subsidiary here, the GrainPro Philippines Inc.

Garcia added that the Subic-made drying system will be a big boost to local farmers and farm producers.

“Here in the surrounding communities, we often see farmers drying their grain products on the roadside and a lot of these go to waste. The Solar Bubble Dryer can boost the productivity of these farmers, as well as our national food stock,” Garcia said.

GrainPro’s development of the SBD was in partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Germany’s Hohenheim University. (RFD/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTO:
GrainPro President and CEO Tom de Bruin (left) demonstrates the operation of the Solar Bubble Dryer (SBD) during the product launch at the company’s headquarters in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. (AED)

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Subic workshops set to help promote Philippine competitiveness

Globally-acknowledged competitiveness gurus will share their expertise on quality, productivity, workplace cooperation and benchmarking in the forthcoming national symposium-workshops to be held here from March 27 to 30.

The symposium-workshops are being organized through a public-private-partnership (PPP) between Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and Quality Partners Co., Ltd. (QPCL).

The event is divided into a pre-symposium seminar-workshop on “Scientific Benchmarking for Excellence” which will be held on March 27 and 28, and the seminar-workshop dubbed as “Workplace Cooperation for Quality, Productivity and Competitiveness,” which will be conducted on March 29-30.

Both will be held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC) in this free port.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said that both symposium-workshops are projected to be the initial activities in a long-range quest to develop a National Center for Excellence and a Resource Center for Quality and Productivity Information and Training with the Subic Freeport as the hub.

Garcia said the SBMA and QPCL are undertaking the project in the belief that quality, workplace cooperation and excellence will lift the country’s global competitiveness.

The pre-symposium seminar-workshop will be conducted by Dr. Robin Mann, chairman of the Global Benchmarking Network of New Zealand, a membership-based organization with members in more than 20 countries, and founder-head of the Center for Organizational Excellence Research (COER), Massey University, which undertakes research projects — both focusing on business excellence and benchmarking.

Mann has helped over 300 organizations undertake self-assessment, written 30 refereed journal papers, 100 non-refereed papers, six short books, and has been a frequent keynote presenter in 15 countries in 2011.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jose Gatchalian, chairman of QPCL, will address the participants of the seminar-workshop on workplace cooperation with his keynote piece entitled, “Workplace Cooperation: A Cutting Edge for Quality, Productivity and Competitiveness.”

Joining Dr. Gatchalian will be Globetel Philippines president Ernest Cu, who will discuss “Workplace Cooperation: Customer First Circle”; and University of the Philippines vice-president Dr. M.S.V. Amante who will talk about “Workplace Diversity and Cross-Cultural Work Relations.”

Meanwhile, the panel discussion will be conducted by a battery of panelists composed of successful and prominent resource speakers who shall share their experience and expertise in their respective field.

The symposium will be open to all top management executives and shop-floor leaders.

For inquiries and slot reservation, interested parties may send e-mail to qpcl.gatch@gmail.com or tqm.sbma.yahoo.com or call Ferdie Anatacio, QPCL (0915-974-7772) or Buds Fernando, SBMA (0917-552-4920). (SBMA Corporate Communications)

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