Congratulations to LAA achievers

To complete our article on outstanding practice in recognizing and rewarding contributions to corporate goals, Bheng Relatado, FPHC Lopez Achievement Award's creative mind, gave me this list of LAA awardees for 2006.

Award for Customer Focus: Speedy Restoration of Power after Typhoon Milenyo (Typhoon Milenyo Restoration Team, Meralco).

The speedy restoration of electric service made possible the return to normalcy of the lives of Meralco's customers in just 9 days, fueled by dedication, perseverance and malasakit.

Award for Business Management: Pinoy Big Brother (PBB Team, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation)

Through optimized use of assets, efficient spending leading to cost savings, strategic partnering, and cross-platform synergies combined with creativity and innovation in producing a 24/7 reality TV program, the strategies employed in PBB became the benchmark and template for other cross-platform synergies/programs.

First Day High: A Pioneer Synergistic Co-Production (First Day High Team, ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc)

This team's project legitimizes a new way of film-making business amidst scarce financing besetting local film industry.

Mining the US Market (Rockwell Land US Road Show Team)

This team's achievement demonstrates creativity in addressing a market opportunity in an industry overwhelmed with stiff competition. By employing a comprehensive marketing and sales strategy that includes simultaneous roadshows in the US and West coasts, intensified media exposures and after-sales activity such as Balikbayan Program, the team and this cost effective approach has become a benchmark in the industry.

Award for Operations Management: Lowering Meralco's System Loss (Systems Loss Management Team, MERALCO)

The team redefined "systems loss" as the residual of all business process (metering, billing, complaint resolution, etc), going beyond electric theft. Acting on this new thinking, the team was able to lower the systems loss level from 10.95% in 2005 to 10.28% in 2006, thereby avoiding bulk energy purchases worth P1B, mitigating company's net losses in 2005, and delivering recoveries to customers as discount to generation charges amounting to a total of P826 million.

The Anti-Illegal Connection Drive (The Anti Illegal Connection Drive Team)

By adopting a systems approach in addressing cable line pilferage, the team was able to orchestrate a series of well-planned and well-coordinated clean up and conversion of illegal connections in various parts of the metropolis. The team efforts not only revitalized the company's financials, it also raised the morale of the whole organization and forged true synergy and trust between the sales and technical people.

Award for Public Responsibility: The Road to Safe Driving (TMC Handbook and Tabloid Editorial Team)

With barely one year experience in expressway operations, the team whose membership was on a voluntary basis, advanced the company's commitment to Driver Education on Road Safety through the publication of Motorist's Handbook and Tabloid Newspaper - the first of its kind in the country's expressway operations. These communication vehicles have become integral part of law enforcement, and have proved their value in reducing accidents in the NLEX.

Catalyzing Partnerships for Verde Island Conservation (VIICDP Team)

By painstakingly organizing the disparate efforts of the public and private sectors to preserve and develop Verde Island, the team has built a solid foundation for the implementation of the Coastal Resource Management. The team's call for action led to the creation of a National Policy on Biodiversity and the declaration of the Verde Island Passage as a National Protected Area.

Bago Yan Ah! (Science Radio Program) (Radio Unit, ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc.)

Working on their will to bring science and technology into the consciousness of Filipino youth and rural folks, this two-man team empowers its listeners to become self-sufficient and more productive, with accurate, relevant and comprehensible S&T knowledge product of own researches and constant innovation and development of contents, segments and formats.

Director for Special Projects, Manila Radio ABS-CBN: ANGELO PALMONES

Driven to carry on his Science Advocacy beyond the confines of the radio program, Mr. Palmones has used different interventions to promote S&T culture to the Filipinos by spearheading the creation of Philippine Science Journalists Association, authoring books that promote creativity and inventiveness among the youth and in participating School-based Science activities and for his committed and competent media practice contributing greatly in the promotion and commercialization of Filipinos' invention, innovations and creative researches.

(www.paradigmsandparadoxes.ronjie.com; www.learningandinnovation.com;
moje@mydestiny.net)