Aboitiz puts transformation forward with triple win at the Philippine Quill Awards
Transformation at the center: The Aboitiz Group celebrates its Quill Awards for initiatives that bring it closer to its goal of becoming the country’s first Techglomorate. (L-R) Aboitiz Construction Inc.’s Manager for Reputation Management Rafael Antonio, Senior Specialist for Reputation Management Earl Gio Manuel, Creatives Associate Graciela Molina, Senior Assistant Vice President for Business Transformation Karmine Andrea Ching, and Executive Director Antonio Peñalver, Aboitiz Equity Ventures’ Transformation Manager Isaac Galang, Transformation Officer Cherry Ann Mabansag, VP for Transformation Dea Csuba, and VP for Transformation and Head of Information Technology Wolfgang Merkt.
The Aboitiz Group bagged three merit awards for its transformational initiatives at the 20th Philippine Quill Awards, the country’s most prestigious body in business communication. Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) and Aboitiz Construction, Inc. (ACI) were lauded at the awards gala last January 23 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City.
Aboitiz Equity Ventures, the portfolio management company of the Aboitiz Group, received the merit award for Communications Management in the Internal Communication category for its internal transformation campaign dubbed ‘Super Ditch Day’. First introduced last August 2022 and continued in ongoing campaigns, the project aimed to ‘ditch’ or remove unnecessary tasks, practices, and bureaucracy as suggested by employees themselves in order to improve their efficiency and productivity. Super Ditch Day proved to be a popular success in the Group, with almost 400 processes ‘ditched’ from ideas across 13,000 team members and resulting in a significant 19% increase in work process efficiency.
Campaigns like Super Ditch Day advance the Aboitiz Group’s goal of transforming itself into the Philippines’ first techglomerate. It is a conglomerate that behaves with the agility, efficiency and innovation of a life-changing start-up, driven by technology and a renewed entrepreneurial spirit. AEV Vice President for Transformation Dea Franko Csuba describes the initiative as an examination of value.
“Super Ditch Day is asking the question ‘does this still add value to my work’? For us to be an agile player in the industry, we should regularly assess our activities and processes and ensure that we keep and improve what works, and ditch what doesn’t. Efficiency is all about doing more with less.”
Meanwhile, Aboitiz Construction Inc. (ACI), the Group’s construction arm, received the merit award for Communication Management: Marketing, Advertising, and Brand Communication category for its rebranding campaign “The New Brand of ACI”. The campaign’s accompanying new corporate video likewise earned the merit award for Communication Skills: Audio/Visual category. ACI began its rebranding initiative in February 2022 and focused on strengthening its national presence in the construction industry through a more diversified portfolio and enhanced technical capabilities. With its stated mission of fostering economic growth by helping businesses and communities to thrive, it has positioned itself with a distinct and enduring presence in the construction industry.
“We are deeply honored to be recognized for the bold strides in elevating the Aboitiz Construction brand. Our new brand signifies the nearly five decades presence of the company in the industry, strengthening our Great Transformation, which is focused on delivering operational excellence, quality and safety in our construction and maintenance services,” said AIC Executive Director Antonio Peñalver.
The Aboitiz Group has been recognized by the Philippine Quill Awards several times in the past, highlighting its commitment to the highest practices and standards across all of its businesses. The awards were hosted by the International Association of Business Communicators – Philippines, the premier organization for business communication and the standard bearer for global communication standards in the industry.
