Lopezlink February 2016 issue

FEBRUARY 2016
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EL Center:
Spend Valentine’s Day
under the stars! See story on page 11.
ABS-CBN and its
values-driven future
By Carla Paras-Sison
NOBODY enters a small startup company at age 24 and imagines himself becoming President
Turn to page 6
PHOTOs BY JOHNNY DELOS SANTOS
AMML
conferred Order
of Sikatuna …page 3
Sweet comeback
for ‘LizQuen’
…page 4
A Valentine’s
Day guide
…page 12
Biz News
Lopezlink February 2016
First Gen hurdles anew
ISO recertification audit
Biz News
Lopezlink February 2016
Vidanes appointed ABS-CBN
COO of broadcast
By Kane Choa
By Joel Gaborni
ABS-CBN chairman Gabby Lopez and president Carlo Katigbak (3rd and 4th from left) with (from left) Fr. Tito
Caluag, ANC COO Cilette Liboro-Co and ABS-CBN News head Ging Reyes at the studio blessing
ANC unveils new
studio in Rockwell
By Kane Choa
THE ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) is now formally in
the heart of the country’s central business district with the
blessing of its new studio in
Rockwell Center in Makati.
ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio Lopez III, president and
CEO Carlo Katigbak, Integrated News and Current Affairs
head Ging Reyes and ANC
chief operating officer Cilette
Liboro-Co led the launch of
the new state-of-the-art facility, which is currently the
base of “Mornings@ANC” and
“Headstart with Karen Davila,”
with more shows expected to
use the studio soon.
Katigbak said that the studio
enhances the gathering and delivery of news by being near the
central business district.
“This is part of our commitment to stay close to decision
makers, the business leaders,
the policymakers and opinion
shakers of the community. We
want ANC to be the go-to
channel for people who want
to know what big decisions are
going to be made in business
or policies in the country,” he
said.
Reyes added that the new
studio is part of the country’s
first 24-hour global news channel’s efforts to remain the gold
standard among news channels
in the country.
“This studio is an essential
component in ANC’s commitment to strengthen our business
news equity apart from our political coverage. Eventually, the
site will be a satellite newsroom
and feed point to supplement
the main ABS-CBN headquarters in Quezon City,” she said.
The new studio is just one of
many developments and innovations ANC will be introducing to mark its 20th anniversary
this year.
FIRST Gen Corporation earned
once again a recertification from
the International Organization
for Standardization (ISO), the
world’s largest developer and publisher of international standards
based in Geneva, Switzerland.
The ISO, through its accredited certifying body Anglo Japanese American Registrars Inc.
(AJA Registrars), renewed First
Gen’s certificate of registration for compliance with ISO’s
Quality Management System
(QMS) (ISO 9001:2008).
Before earning the recertification, First Gen underwent
a rigorous recertification audit
conducted by AJA Registrars.
During the audit, AJA Registrars found no nonconformance
AMML is joined by his family as he receives the award from Pres. Aquino
Francis Giles Puno (2nd from left), First Gen president, receives the
certificate from AJA Registrars’ Paul Bagatsing (center). Witnessing the
event are (l-r) Renato Castillo, SVP and concurrent chief risk officer; Luis
Aningat, quality, environment, safety and health (QESH) senior manager;
and Margarita Pambid, QESH Management System senior specialist
issues in First Gen’s QMS—a
feat that reflects First Gen’s
commitment to business excellence in operating its power
plant assets.
Dando Drilling delivers
first units in the PH
By Raymond Siao
Balanced boards a must
By Carla Paras-Sison
FINANCE Sec. Cesar Purisima underscored the importance of balanced boards in
charting corporate success in a
rapidly changing business environment.
Speaking at a lunch hosted
by the Institute of Corporate
Directors (ICD) on January 27,
Purisima said public companies
have a fiduciary responsibility and board members must
protect the minority who have
entrusted their hard-earned
money with the enterprise.
“Things change so rapidly
in this world. A company can
easily lose market share. Management focus can blind them
to other aspects, so the board
must do its job to offer different
perspectives. This way, they can
reduce problems the companies
face,” he said.
Purisima urged the ICD to
help companies attain balanced
boards by setting benchmarks of
successful entities where there
are proper checks and balances of
executive, nonexecutive and independent members of the board.
The Finance Secretary also
zeroed in on execution and
succession planning as key concerns for public companies.
“The role of board member
should not be taken lightly. The
board sets corporate strategy
and holds management responsible for execution. Execution is
crucial. Strategy can be copied,
but execution cannot be copied even if companies have the
same strategy. At the same time,
the board must be cognizant of
changes in the environment so
that they can determine if strategy needs to change as well.”
In response to a query on his
plans after government service
or if he intended to stay on if
the new administration would
recruit him, he said:
“Government service is a relay race, not a marathon. While
you have the baton, you run as
quickly as you can, and then
pass it on to the next runner.
It is risky to stay too long in
any job, even for CEOs. You
tend to lose perspective. Mr.
(Washington) SyCip (founder
of SGV & Co.) asked me on
my very first day as managing
director (of SGV & Co.), ‘Who
is your successor?’ Succession
planning is a key role of the
CEO because the institution is
more important than any one
person.”
Purisima was among the
incorporators of the ICD in
1999. The ICD admits fellows who commit to bring the
practice of corporate directorship to a much higher level of
professionalism consistent with
international best practice and
global standard.
The ICD website lists the
following fellows and graduate members from the Lopez
Group: Salvador Tirona, Milani Caimol and Carla Paras-Sison of Lopez Holdings
Corporation; Ernesto Pantangco of Energy Development
Corporation; and Ana Maria
del Rosario of First Philippine Industrial Corporation.
Rodolfo Waga Jr., who retired
from First Philippine Holdings
Corporation, is also on the list.
Since it received its initial
ISO certification in 2003, First
Gen has consistently passed all
subsequent ISO recertification
audits.
A group from the Technical Services department of First Balfour attends
the training session
ENHANCING First Balfour’s
capability to deliver projects
that require in-depth and efficient geotechnical soil investi-
Therma One completes
first dispatch Therma One
gation are two fully-automated
drilling rigs purchased by First
Balfour Geotechnical Engineering Services.
Transport, First Balfour’s heavy equipment
transport and hauling services business,
recently marked a key milestone with the
successful delivery of two Kawasaki wheel
loaders for JVF Commercial. Overseen
by transport manager Mark Clareza
(rightmost), the delivery started from the
client’s equipment yard in Valenzuela City
to its customer’s quarry operations in
Rizal. Since then, Therma One has made
repeat deliveries for Infra Machineries
and Monark. It has also completed its
first dispatch for crane manufacturer
Manitowoc and Volvo dealer Civic
Merchandising. (Joel Santillan)
Manufactured by British
company Dando Drilling International, the Dando Dual Mast
Terrier is the first of its kind to
be shipped and operated in the
Philippines. It can perform soil
penetration tests to a depth of
approximately 20 meters or take
cores of bedrock at depths up to
50 meters. Instead of the conventional drilling technique which
employs a skid-type drilling machine that takes time and requires
more personnel to assemble, this
automated machine offers faster
and more powerful capabilities.
To fully understand the functions, controls and maintenance
of this compact rig, a Dando
Drilling engineer flew in from
the United Kingdom to conduct training for the Technical
Services department in January.​
AMML receives
Order of Sikatuna
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino
III recently conferred the Order of Sikatuna with the rank
of Grand Cross on Ambassador
Manuel M. Lopez (AMML) in
ceremonies held in Malacañang.
AMML received the award
with the following citations: for
his exemplary efforts which contributed significantly to the historic elevation of Philippines-Japan relations to that of a strategic
partnership; for his commitment
to working closely with Japan in
advocating maritime security in
accordance with international
law; and for overseeing and coor-
dinating with utmost dedication
and efficiency high-level visits
between the Philippine and Japan, including the state visit of
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in
the Philippines and vice versa.
The ambassador was also
cited for his indefatigable efforts in evacuating and ensuring the safety of Filipinos in the
aftermath of the 2011 Great
East Japan earthquake and for
his exemplary accomplishment
in working for the further advancement and strengthening of
the country’s national interests
in its relations with Japan.
The Order of Sikatuna is the
national order of diplomatic
merit of the Philippines and
is conferred upon individuals
who have rendered exceptional
and meritorious services to the
country; upon diplomats, officials and nationals of foreign
states who have rendered conspicuous services in fostering,
developing and strengthening
relations between their country
and the Philippines; or upon
personnel of the Philippine
Department of Foreign Affairs,
both in the home office and in
the foreign service.
What PH will gain from
Japan imperial couple’s visit
AMBASSADOR Manuel M. But he said the strong bilateral
Lopez (AMML) said the Japa- relations do not only benefit Japanese imperial couple’s recent nese companies as Filipino compavisit to the Philippines will nies now have gained more opporstrengthen Philippines’ diplo- tunities for investments in Japan.
matic ties with Japan and lead “We’re seeing now more and
to economic opportunities for more Filipino companies opening offices in Japan…Little by
both countries.
The Philippine state visit, a
first for Emperor Akihito and
Empress Michiko in over five decades, shows a deepening of ties By Nicole Orlina
between the two Asian nations, ROCKWELL Primaries, the
AMML told “Mornings@ANC.”
newest subsidiary of Rockwell
He acknowledged a “natural Land, builds on its promise to
progression of relationship” be- deliver better-than-good qualtween Japan and the Philippines, ity residential developments
with “foreign direct investments that will help customers start
from Japan going up year after building their future in a home
year, followed by tourism.”
that they deserve.
The past few years have also Rockwell Primaries offers its
witnessed a series of big economic clients 53 Benitez, its flagship
and political partnerships sealed project near New Manila, and
between the two countries.
The Vantage at Kapitolyo, its
AMML said the Japan-Phil- first high-rise development in
ippines Economic Partnership Pasig. Both properties are situAgreement also paved the way ated in strategic locations close
for increased Japanese direct in- to major thoroughfares and
vestments in the country. Many business districts.
more Japanese foreign invest- “Rockwell Primaries conments in the country are in the tinues to expand its portfolio
pipeline, the ambassador noted. to provide the market access
little we can see a bigger presence
of Filipino companies in Japan,”
he said. “With a little improvement on our side plus the reduction of tariffs I think you can
see in the future more and more
two-way investments.”(Excerpted
from news.abs-cbn.com/anc)
ABS-CBN Corporation announced the appointment of
Cory Vidanes as its chief operating officer of broadcast effective February 1, 2016.
Vidanes will continue to lead
and oversee the total channel
programming, artist development, on-air operations, events
management and overall revenue and profit delivery of
Channel 2. Together with the
Content Development Council
headed by chief content officer
Charo Santos-Concio, Vidanes
will manage the development
of new concepts for Channel
2 and the ABS-CBN TVplus
channels Yey, CineMo and
Knowledge Channel.
Vidanes has been instrumental in making Channel 2
the most watched TV network
in the country in 2015.
Vidanes’ leadership is also
Cory Vidanes
duction manager, production
manager, production director,
head of TV production, Channel 2 head, head of broadcast
and head of free TV.
EDC’s retail bonds maintain triple-A rating
PHILIPPINE Rating Services
Corporation
(PhilRatings)
maintained the issue credit
rating of PRS Aaa for Energy
Development
Corporation’s
(EDC) retail bonds worth a total of P10.5 billion.
The outstanding retail bonds
consist of P3.5B retail bonds
due on December 4, 2016,
P3.0B retail bonds due on May
3, 2020 and P4.0B retail bonds
due on May 3, 2023.
PRS Aaa is the highest credit
rating assigned by PhilRatings.
Obligations rated PRS Aaa are
of the highest quality with minimal credit risk. The obligor’s
capacity to meet its financial
Build your future with Rockwell Primaries
to the Rockwell lifestyle that
everyone loves, but at a more
attainable price. With the success of our two properties, we
are more than excited to be
launching East Bay soon,” said
Malou Pineda, Rockwell Primaries Development Corporation senior vice president.
53 Benitez is Rockwell Primaries’ two-tower mid-rise
residential condominium that
provides homeowners a secure
urban living experience. With
only seven floors in both towers, 53 Benitez provides homeowners the privacy and exclusivity of living in a close-knit
community just minutes away
from major thoroughfares.
marked by her commitment to
public service. She spearheaded
the preparation and execution
of the network’s relief operations and donation drives for
victims of natural disasters,
including the “Tulong Na, Tabang Na, Tayo Na” campaign’s
T-shirt fundraising and benefit
concerts for the survivors of typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
She is a recipient of the CEO
Excel Award from the International Association of Business
Communicators Philippines
in 2014 and was named one of
People Asia magazine’s People
of the Year in 2013.
Vidanes, who began her career in television with BBC-2
in 1982, joined ABS-CBN in
1986 as associate producer and
was later appointed to various
positions in the company—executive producer, assistant pro-
Meanwhile, The Vantage at
Kapitolyo allows young professionals and families to enjoy
the comforts of their personal
space with access to key leisure
and shopping establishments; it
will also have its own podium
retail strip.
“Building a life in a new
home is always something that
people look forward to. With
our residential developments,
we are providing our clients
with an investment that ensures their money’s worth. We
will provide them with the
lifestyle that they deserve and
commit to guarantee that we
will maintain quality property
management,” said Pineda.
commitment on the obligation
is extremely strong.
The rating reflects the following key considerations:
EDC’s ample cash flows; its
position as the leading vertically-integrated
geothermal
power producer in the country,
with its enhanced standing as
the world leader in terms of
geothermal power plant capacity; its growing portfolio of
renewable energy projects as
well as its international expansion efforts that are expected to
spark revenue growth; strong
revenue generation and sustained profitability; financial
flexibility and manageable debt
profile; and its proactive stance
in addressing emerging trends
in the local power industry.
PhilRatings also assigned a
stable outlook to EDC’s credit
rating.The company’s solid operating and financial performance
in 2014, proven resilience in the
face of calamities and disasters
as well as the upside provided by
its ongoing and planned projects
all contribute to the assignment
of a stable outlook.
Promos & offers By Dino Quizon
Easy access to a world of
entertainment from SKY!
SKY offers more choices to
match its consumers’ lifestyles with its new unlimited broadband plans—Plan
16Mbps at P1,999 per month
and SKY bundles Super Saver
Plan that gives you 8Mbps of
broadband connection plus a
cable plan with six HD channels and 35 standard-definition channels for only P1,599
per month. Subscribers of any
of these SKY plans can enjoy
exclusive unlimited access to
SKY On Demand and HBO
GO. SKY On Demand allows viewers to catch up on
their favorite ABS-CBN TV
shows and cable TV channels
and watch the biggest local and foreign blockbusters
Follow us @lopezlinkph on Twitter and Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/lopezlinkonline
on their computers, tablets
or smartphones or even on
their TV sets using the SKY
On Demand digibox. With
SKY broadband’s high-speed
Internet access, subscribers
can also enjoy other online
video players such as Netflix.
For more info, call 381-0000
or visit www.mysky.com.ph.
Lopezlink February 2016
couch potato treats
UAAP 78 volleyball
tourney’s smashing
comeback worldwide
Catch the games live worldwide on ABS-CBN
Sports+Action as the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) opens the Season
78 volleyball tournament. Fans can also watch
the games on TFC.tv. The men’s and women’s
volleyball games will take on the WednesdaySaturday-Sunday schedule during its regular
run until February 28. Livestream matches and
schedules can also be seen via sports.abs-cbn.
com/livestream/uaap.
‘FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano’
hits new all-time high
TV rating
“FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” hit a new all-time high
national TV rating on February 1. The Coco Martin starrer scored 45.9% nationwide versus “Little
Nanay” with 18.1%, according to data from Kantar Media. In the episode, Cardo, still disguised
as Paloma, gunned down syndicate leader Olga
(Gina Pareño) and went after the yacht carrying
Carmen (Bela Padilla). For more action-packed
scenes, tune in to “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” weeknights on ABS-CBN.
LizQuen makes sweet
comeback via ‘Dolce Amore
By Kane Choa
LIZA Soberano and Enrique Gil
return to primetime to give viewers
a taste of love’s sweetness in ABSCBN’s newest romantic drama.
The LizQuen tandem takes on
“Dolce Amore,” the story of two
souls in search of who they really
are, who will be brought together
by destiny and feel a connection
with each other.
Liza will portray Serena, a young
girl raised in Italy. Though she lives
the good life, she cannot shake off
the feeling that an important part
of her identity is missing—the truth
about where she came from.
The character of Enrique, Tenten, grew up suffering from the
pain of his real parents’ rejection.
Locsin (Paps) and Kean Cipriano
(Binggoy) will depict Enrique’s
adoptive family.
Also included in the
“Dolce Amore” cast are
Sunshine Cruz, Andrew E and Frenchie
Dy.
Don’t miss “Dolce
Amore” this February, weeknights
on ABS-CBN
Primetime
Bida!
A hardworking raketero, Tenten
takes on different jobs to help his
adoptive family.
Serena travels to the Philippines,
a country she had heard about
from her Filipina nanny.
She meets Tenten, with whom
she will discover a sense of
belonging and explore
the greatest adventure of all.
Matteo Guidicelli,
meanwhile, will take on
the role of Giancarlo, Serena’s best friend.
Playing Liza’s adoptive parents are Cherie Gil (Luciana) and
Ruben Maria Soriquez (Roberto),
while Edgar Mortiz (Dodoy), Rio
Cristine Reyes and Zanjoe Marudo
Follow the journey of Irene
(Cristine), a young woman who
vows to do everything to keep her
family intact, especially after her
mother abandoned them when she
was young.
She falls in love with Jaime, a
seemingly perfect Prince Charm-
Cinema One Originals extends deadline
Will ‘AngYna’ keep
promise of love?
In “Pangako Sa ‘ Yo,” Amor ( Jodi Sta. Maria)
and Eduardo (Ian Veneracion) finally found out
that Yna (Kathryn Bernardo) is their long-lost
daughter; however, Yna and Angelo (Daniel
Padilla) had vowed to love each other forever.
How will they discover that Angelo’s real father is not Eduardo? Will Claudia (Angelica
Panganiban) still be able to destroy Amor and
Eduardo’s happiness? Don’t miss the last few
days of “Pangako Sa ’Yo,” weeknights after “FPJ’s
Ang Probinsyano”!
Hero TV says ‘I love you’
Hero TV lets you journey once again with Mei
Tachibana in “Say I Love You.” Then there’s your
“One Week Friend.” Or join Magasumi in “My
Bride is a Mermaid.” New offering “Space Brothers” is about brothers who dream of becoming astronauts. Other new Hero TV titles are
“Aoharu Ride” and “Magic Kaito.” Old favorites
like “Captain Earth,” “Dragon Force,” “Kuroko
No Basket,” “Eccentric Family” and “Ixion Saga”
also provide more action, laughter and inspiring
moments.
CINEMA One Originals is extending its call for entries until
February 26, 2016 and is now offering a P3- million budget each to
deserving finalists.
The P3M stake is the highest
budget ever given in the Philippines by any film festival organization to encourage filmmakers to
submit their best stories.
Seven finalists in the feature
film category will receive P3M to
produce their film plus revenue
share, while three finalists in the
full-length documentary category
will get P1.5M to produce their
film in time for the festival.
To submit an entry, interested
filmmakers need to download and
fill up the entry form available on
Biz Excellence
A reunion of
LAA winners
HR Updates
At the 5th IT Summit
EDC goes ‘pervasive’!
Cinema One Originals’ official
Facebook page.
Join the growing community
of movers and shakers in the film
industry by becoming part of Cinema One Originals 2016! Cinema
One Originals, which is now on its
12th year, has produced a number
of internationally and locally acclaimed films. (K. Choa)
ing who promises to stay by her
side. But Irene soon finds out that
he is already a married man.
After a few years, Irene’s childhood friend Natoy (Zanjoe) returns to her life. Finally, Irene
gets what she has always wanted—until one night when Natoy
succumbs to the charms of barrio
lass Clara.
What will Irene do when she
finds out about Natoy’s infidelity? How will she protect her
family?
Also included in the cast of
“Tubig at Langis” are Vivian Velez,
Lito Pimentel, Nadia Montenegro, Marco Gumabao, Ingrid dela
Paz, Dionne Monsanto, Archie
Alemania, Victor Silayan and
Miguel Vergara. It is directed by
FM Reyes. (K. Choa)
The presenters receive tokens of appreciation from Angela Lopez-Guingona, operations head of Lopez Group
Foundation Inc. (rightmost); Benjamin Liboro, LAA director (2nd from right); and Elizabeth Canlas, LAA codirector
(leftmost)
FOR the first time since copping their Abueva-crafted trophies in October, the 12 winners in the 2014 Cycle Lopez
Achievement Awards (LAA)
were gathered together in one
room. The occasion: the 3rd
LAA Winners’ Summit held
at the Ortigas headquarters of
Energy Development Corporation (EDC) on January 27.
For Ernie Lopez, the summit was yet another instance of
“cross posting,” where companies learn from each other and
leverage each other’s strengths.
He cited as examples the Lopez Group’s experience during
typhoon Yolanda in 2013, when
ABS-CBN collected relief
goods which were distributed
by First Philippine Holdings
Corporation (FPH), First Gen
and EDC; and when ABS-
quiao biopic “Kid Kulafu”; “Hanggang Wala Nang Bukas,” the theme
song of the film “Heneral Luna”;
and “Ang Probinsyano,” a theme
song from ABS-CBN’s similarly
titled primetime series, featuring
rapper Gloc-9.
Completing the track list are
“Bawat Daan” and the acoustic
versions of “Halik sa Hangin” and
“Lakambini Ko.”
“Bawat
Daan,”
produced
by Mike Villegas, can now be
streamed on Spotify and will
soon be available at record bars
nationwide. Digital tracks can
also be downloaded via leading
record stores and in online music
stores.
Ernie Lopez, ABS-CBN Publishing
president, thanks the LAA winners
Canlas reviews the highlights of the
2014 cycle
CBN talents helped FPH in
building relationships with external groups.
The president of ABS-CBN
Publishing Inc. thanked the
LAA winners for their good
work and willingness to share
their “secrets” through the summit.
Turn to page 11
Comptrollers’ Circle By Jei-Jei Gertes
THE Information Technology Group (ITG) of Energy
Development
Corporation
(EDC) recently held its 5th IT
Summit at the Chardonnay by
Astoria in Pasig.
Themed “Pervasive Technology: Anytime, Anywhere, Any
Place on Any Device,” this
annual event gathers Lopez
Group IT professionals and
partners in order to gain insights, learn about future trends
and discover how these technologies can be honed.
In his welcome remarks,
EDC chief information officer
Ferdi Poblete recounted three
reasons for the IT Summit: to
learn from past experiences,
celebrate ITG and EDC accomplishments and, lastly, explore other opportunities to
drive EDC’s success. Poblete
ended his talk by stressing that
business outcomes are more
important than the technology.
EDC president and COO
Richard Tantoco, the keynote
speaker, underscored that the
Philippines is presently shifting
to coal and carbon while some
countries are rejecting it. Due
to fast changes as far as technology is concerned, EDC’s
operations would be greatly
affected. The key is to embrace
and utilize technology to the
company’s advantage so it can
stay ahead of the competition.
Jonathan Krause, Gartner
Executive Programs executive
partner, spoke about the technology outlook while ABS-CBN
chief digital officer Donald
Lim zoomed in on Technology
in Focus. Kevin Ackhurst, the
managing director of Google
for Work, discussed Google in
the workplace.
The panel discussion was facilitated by IBM Research and
Development executive Jay Sabido and EDC ITG Account
Solutions manager Alelie Tagle.
The conversation was taken
through the eyes of Brett Nulf
of IBM, Simerjit Singh of Cisco
and Laurence Cua of Uber.
In the IT Expo, on the other
hand, ITG’s partners displayed
gadgets and oriented guests
on their latest offerings. Participating companies included
SKYcable, ABS-CBNmobile,
Apple, Cisco, Fujitsu, Google,
IBM, Trends & Technologies
Inc. and SAS.
EDC information security
manager Jason Salvador closed
the summit with a quote from
Jack Welch: “Change before
you have to.” For businesses to
survive in this fast-changing
industry, they have to constantly look for upcoming trends in
technology and seize the opportunity even before other
companies join the fray. This
becomes integral to company
survival.
Members bond over fun and games as
Comptrollers’ Circle marks 16th year
By Aaron Domingo
Ebe’s collaborations also consist of Sugarfree covers “Prom,”
where he sings with Yeng Constantino, and the tender “Wag
Ka Nang Umiyak” featuring KZ
Tandingan.
The rocker sings his heart out in
the breakup ballad “Dapithapon,”
the yearning love song “Kasayaw”
and “Lakambini,” an ode to a lover.
Ebe also brings inspiration with
“Padayon,” from the Manny Pac-
EDC and Lopez Group IT professionals celebrate Year 5 of the summit
Ebe collaborates with Yeng, KZ and
Regine in first album under Star Music
EBE Dancel returns to the recording scene with his first solo album
under Star Music where he delivers a powerful lineup of songs.
In “Bawat Daan,” Ebe brings
in some of OPM’s most respected
artists to rework some of his former band Sugarfree’s most successful hits.
highlights includes “Makita
Kang Muli,” a duet with Regine
Velasquez-Alcasid.
Lopezlink February 2016
By Gerbs De Castro
Liza Soberano and
Enrique Gil
Zanjoe, Cristine reunite
in ‘Tubig at Langis’
ZANJOE Marudo and Cristine Reyes, together with Isabelle
Daza, team up once more in a different kind of love story that tests
the limits of marriage, challenges
the strength of family and shows
the true value of love in “Tubig at
Langis.”
Councils
ABS-CBN CTO Mark Lopez
THE Lopez Group Comptrollers’ Circle held its general assembly and fellowship at the
ELJ Communications Center
to celebrate its 16th year of organization.
The whole-day festivities
started with Fr. Carmelo Caluag discussing spiritual wellness
in the professional and business
environment.
Mark Lopez, chief technology officer of ABS-CBN Corporation, delivered the opening
message.
Special guests were Lauren
Dyogi, head of TV Production of ABS-CBN, who talked
about work-life balance in the
media and production environment; and husband-and-wife
wellness coaches Jim and Toni
Saret, trainers on the “Biggest
Loser Philippines” program on
ABS-CBN, who presented
health and wellness activities in
the work environment.
The focus during this event
was nontechnical topics, with
the view of assisting the comptrollers and accountants in
their personal development as
well as to give time for fostering fellowship and camaraderie.
Turn to page 11
Special guest Lauren Dyogi (5th from left) with core team members (l-r) Aldrin Cerrado, Lucy Landayan,
Jingle Hernandez, Lanie Caimol, Gemma Roque and Jei-Jei Gertes
The members enjoy the annual fellowship
Lopezlink February 2016
Lopezlink February 2016
WHAT exactly does it mean
to be “in the service of the
Filipino”?
The flagship slogan of ABSCBN has been around since the
1990s, but its roots go back
much further, to the forebears
of the late ABS-CBN Chairman Emeritus Eugenio “Kapitan” Lopez Jr. and Chairman
Eugenio “EL3” Lopez III.
A narration of the definitive ABS-CBN story—how
Kapitan built the network in the
1950s, its fate during martial
law, its resurgence after the Edsa
Revolution, and yes, how and
why “In the Service of the Filipino” came to be—has been put
together for today’s audiences.
The result is a brief but
comprehensive video collating
the experiences of long-time
ABS-CBN executives, thus
retracing the beginnings of the
company—its rise and fall in the
1950s through the 1980s and its
unfaltering ascent by the 1990s.
“You only get to appreciate
what ABS-CBN stands for if
you know its history, the vision
of its builders,” says Robert Labayen, whose Creative Communications
Management
group is spearheading the
creation of the video project.
Sharing their stories and
memories for the video are the
people who joined Kapitan in
1986, among them Executive
Adviser to the Chairman, Chief
Content Officer and ABS-CBN
University President Charo Santos-Concio,Chief Operating Officer of broadcast Cory Vidanes,
Star Creatives’ Malou Santos,
Integrated News and Current
Affairs Head Ging Reyes, New
Media Head Enrico Santos, Star
Magic’s Johnny Manahan, Peter
Musngi, Olivia Lamasan and
former ABS-CBN President
Freddie M. Garcia; as well as the
newest generation of executives
who helped lead ABS-CBN
into the new millennium.
Also providing a personal
glimpse of Kapitan are his
younger brother, Lopez Group
Chairman Emeritus Oscar M.
Lopez, eldest daughter Gina
Lopez of ABS-CBN Lingkod
Kapamilya Foundation Inc.
and long-time
Lopez Group
executive Atty.
Jake Almeda
Lopez, his boyhood friend at
the Ateneo de
Manila.
W h e n
one considers the corporate
and creative behemoth that is
the ABS-CBN of today, it is
almost impossible to imagine
that it ever went through a
spectrum of trials, from the
appalling to the ridiculous.
“When ABS-CBN reopened in 1986, wala silang
kagamit-gamit: their conference tables were doors that
employees took off their
hinges; there weren’t enough
chairs for everyone and there
was only one sofa that no one
would sit on for fear it would
collapse; it would flood in the
office whenever it rained; and
tapes were reused several times
over so there are no records of
ABS-CBN’s early programs.
“The people who went
through all of that are still
around, so this is not ancient
history,” Labayen shares.
For the multi-awarded adman, the creative mind behind
most of ABS-CBN’s station
IDs and slogans including
2009’s well-loved “Bro, Ikaw
ang Star ng Pasko,” its soul is
what sets the network apart
from competition.
“For generations now, the
Lopezes have been known for
public service, starting with the
father of Don Eñing (Kapitan’s
father, Lopez Group founder
Eugenio H. Lopez Sr.) who
was serving as the governor of
Iloilo when he was assassinated. Don Eñing in turn passed
these values on to Kapitan and
then on to EL3,” he says.
The initiative to tell the
ABS-CBN story to its employees and guests is thus
particularly
relevant—and
timely—as the 63-year-old
network embarks on a new
chapter under its new President, Carlo Katigbak.
Labayen shares an observation he had while watching
the network’s Christmas special two months ago: “We can
endure because we have lots of
stars, creative talents and writers. We can provide so much
more than the competition.
“Our leaders still have so
many plans.The history of ABSCBN is just about to begin.”
Photos by Johnny Delos Santos, Carmelo Saliendra and Ryan Ramos (ABS-CBN)
What’s the story,
Kapamilya?
Clockwise from top: The launch of ABS-CBN TVplus;
The ABS-CBN board of directors; The 2015 ABS-CBN
Christmas special at the Araneta Coliseum; Meeting with
the company’s rank and file union; “Pa-burger” event for
ABS-CBN employees; ABS-CBN wins the Agora Award
for Marketing Company of the Year from the Philippine
Marketing Association; Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo
Wurtzbach in an intimate brunch with ABS-CBN executives
during her recent Kapamilya homecoming
ABS-CBN AND...
from page 1
and Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of its even bigger parent
company in 21 years. But things
happen—and for good reason.
Carlo Katigbak, President
and CEO of ABS-CBN Corporation since the beginning of
2016, recalls: “When I joined
SKY (Sky Cable Corporation) in 1994, the only thing I
really imagined was bringing
cable TV to every corner of the
country. That was my job at the
time as head of provincial operations. I’ve aspired for many
other things since then, but
running ABS-CBN was never
something I imagined.”
At that time, SKY was not
even part of ABS-CBN, but
was a subsidiary of ABS-CBN
parent firm Lopez Holdings
Corporation. It was the pioneer
cable service provider in Metro
Manila and began a strategic
push to acquire provincial
operators to gain more leverage in negotiating program
acquisitions from foreign content providers. It was only in
2009, following the entry of a
Singapore partner in SKY, that
Lopez Holdings divested its
ownership in SKY in favor of
direct control of the business
unit by ABS-CBN.
It was not a straight path to
the ABS-CBN presidency for
Katigbak, either. He even left
the group for a few months in
1999 before returning later in
the year to head ABS-CBN Interactive, starting up the digital
services division of ABS-CBN,
beginning with creating websites and microsites for ABSCBN programs, divisions and
some Lopez Group member
companies. In 2005, he returned
to SKY as Chief Operating Officer. In 2012, he became President when Chairman Eugenio
Lopez III (EL3) retired.
EL3’s goal
Katigbak was also made
concurrent Head of Access
in ABS-CBN, working with
teams to commercialize EL3’s
goal of ABS-CBN’s leadership in the emerging technology platforms consisting of
digital terrestrial television or
DTT (now better known by
its brand, ABS-CBN TVplus),
ABS-CBNmobile and iWantv,
and SKY on cable and satellite
broadcast.
1957
1953
The Philippines witnesses its
first TV broadcast courtesy
of Alto Broadcasting System
(ABS), formerly known as
Bolinao Electronics
Eugenio
Lopez Sr.,
who already owns
Chronicle
Broadcasting
Network
(CBN),
buys ABS
from Tony Quirino and names
Bert Villanueva President. His
Today, as President and
CEO, he will have to expand
his horizon beyond the digital
space to include talent management, news and entertainment
content production, events,
publications, customer service,
theme parks and the thousand
and one other things ABSCBN does as a multimedia conglomerate. He did spend much
of his time as head of Access
soaking in the day-to-day affairs
of ABS-CBN, getting to know
what makes people at different
levels of the organization tick.
The best and brightest
“The last two years have
been spent learning as much
as I can about the company
and its people. Both Gabby
(EL3) and Charo (ABS-CBN
Chief Content Officer Charo
Santos-Concio, also recently
retired CEO) have generously
shared their experiences, learnings and knowledge. I’ve put
in a lot of time talking to and
working with some of the best
and brightest people in the industry. I don’t think you’re ever
really prepared for something
like this, but the only thing to
do is embrace the challenge
and keep moving forward.”
son Eugenio “Kapitan” Lopez
Jr., also known as Geny or
ELJ, becomes Executive Vice
President. Jim Lindenberg,
the former owner of Bolinao
Electronics, becomes General
Manager (GM) of both ABS
and CBN
1961
Luis Garcia takes over as
GM of ABS and CBN after
Lindenberg’s departure in 1960
1962
One of his major challenges
is resurgent competition in
local broadcasting with local
content providers making a focused push for higher national
ratings day to day, particularly
in the last quarter of 2015.
Trailblazer
“This is a competitive industry and you need a healthy
respect for competition. But
ABS-CBN is a trailblazer in
the industry. We have to stay
focused on what we want to
do instead of worrying about
the competition. While they
may have a higher-rating show
from time to time, that is the
nature of the industry. A sustained leadership is not about
looking for the latest overnight
sensation. We must undertake
a conscious, deliberate effort to keep improving what
we deliver to our consumers.
Leadership is measured over
time. We shouldn’t panic with
respect to the day to day. What
makes ABS-CBN strong is
that we are not reliant on any
one team or tandem or star. We
have many of the most popular talents—actors, directors,
writers—who have generated
overwhelming public support
Kapitan reverts ABS to its old
name, Bolinao Electronics, as
a tribute to Lindenberg
1963
The name that the company
goes by today, ABS-CBN,
comes into use. The employees
also start referring to their
leader as “Kapitan.” Had he
gone into the army after his
stint in Virginia Military
Institute in the early 1950s,
they reasoned, he would have
for the shows and movies they
have created with us.”
He believes that ABS-CBN’s
measured response to the threat
posed by competition led to its
noontime program catching up
in the ratings by way of sustained
improvements on the show
itself. In addition, ABS-CBN’s
primetime programs, aired from
6 p.m. to 10 p.m., continued to
dominate national ratings for
the whole of 2015.
Exemplary roster of
leaders
And while nothing can ever
fully prepare anyone for the
enormity of the work ahead,
Katigbak believes he has only to
look to the exemplary roster of
ABS-CBN leaders who came
before him.
“The presidency of ABSCBN is a very heavy responsibility because its leadership
has a long history of achieving
commercial and creative successes. It has built a lasting
legacy of public service and
nation-building, and it is a
company that is constantly in
the public eye. If you know the
story behind the last 60 years
of ABS, you will understand
the depth of the struggles that
made the rank of captain by
1963
1966
Jake Almeda Lopez, Kapitan’s
high school friend who went on
to become ABS’ lawyer, takes
over the GM post. Freddie M.
Garcia, or FMG, joins ABSCBN as a marketing assistant
1967
Bolinao Electronics officially
becomes known as ABS-CBN
Broadcasting Corporation
its previous leaders have had to
deal with,” he says.
Connection with storied
past
It is this palpable connection
with the company’s storied past
that Katigbak hopes to renew
among ABS-CBN veterans
and introduce to ABS-CBN
newbies through an internal
launch of the ABS-CBN brand
story.
“It is important to know the
story behind the achievements
of the company. We didn’t get
here in one generation. We can
claim those achievements because there were many dedicated
leaders working with talented
teams who brought ABS-CBN
to where it is today. We have to
tell our story internally because
what we consider important
as an organization transcends
any one person. It is about the
values that guided our leaders
and brought us success in the
past. We must ensure that the
culture they built survives the
transition of leaders throughout
multiple generations. Values are
transcendent and they have the
power to bring us to where we
want to go as an organization,
as a company,” says Katigbak.
1986
As ABS-CBN emerges from
the martial law years, Kapitan’s
eldest son and namesake
Eugenio “EL3” Lopez III
comes on board as Treasurer
1987
Kapitan finds a production
consultant in Charo SantosConcio
1994
EL3 takes over as president,
while Kapitan serves as
Meet the team
Charo Santos-Concio
Executive Adviser to the Chairman, Carlo Katigbak
Chief Content Officer, and ABS- President and Chief
CBN University President
Executive Officer
Cookie Bartolome
Integrated Marketing Head
Ayo Bautista
General Counsel
Kane Errol Choa
Corporate Communications
Head
Donald Lim
Chief Digital Officer
Carmela del Mundo
Internal Audit OIC
Mark Lopez
Chief Technology Officer
Paolo Pineda
Business Development
Head
Bambi Orendain
ABS-CBN University Head
Malou Santos
Star Creatives Head
Vivian Tin
Integrated Customer
Business Development Head
chairman. FMG, meanwhile,
succeeds Jake Almeda Lopez
as GM
1997
Kapitan passes on the chairmanship to EL3, while FMG
becomes ABS-CBN president
1999
Kapitan passes away at the age
of 70
2003
ABS-CBN celebrates the 50th
year of Philippine TV
Cory Vidanes
Chief Operating Officer
(Broadcast)
August Benitez
Integrated Sales Head
Jun Dungo
Integrated Public Service
Head
Abigail Aquino
Regional Head
Maricel Arenas
KidZania Head
Philbert Berba
HR and OD Head
Aldrin Cerrado
Chief Financial Officer
Robert Labayen
Integrated Creative
Communications
Management Head
Dino Laurena
Integrated Sports Head
Raymund Martin Miranda
Strategic Planning and
Horizon Head/Chief Risk
Management Officer
Raffy Lopez
Global Head
Caesar Poblador
Legal Head
Ron Valdueza
CSG 2 Head and Group CFO
Leng Raymundo
Integrated Acquisition and
ISD Head
March Ventosa
Sky Cable Chief Operating
Officer/Narrowcast Head
2004
Luis Alejandro serves as
President and Chief Operating Officer until
2006
2008
Concio becomes the
company’s first female
President. From 1989
to 2006, she had
served as Director
for Programs, Vice
President for Produc-
Mark Nepomuceno
Corporate Services Group
1 Head
Ging Reyes
Integrated News and Current
Affairs Head
Nandy Villar
ABS-CBNmobile Head
tion Operations, Senior Vice
President for TV Production,
Executive Vice President, and
Head of Channel 2
2013
She takes over as
CEO upon the
retirement of EL3
2016
Carlo Katigbak is
named President
and CEO of
ABS-CBN
Corporate Sustainability
Lopezlink February 2016
A different celebration for
KCh as it marks 16th year
By Niña de Sagun
KCh president Rina Lopez-Bautista (rightmost) and ABS-CBN Digital
Terrestrial Television head Chinky Alcedo (2nd from left) turn over a
“mahiwagang black box” to a Bago Bantay Elementary School student as
principal Adela Salvador looks on
KNOWLEDGE
Channel
(KCh) celebrated an “Ibang
Klaseng Pasko” with students
and teachers of Bago Bantay
Elementary School in Quezon
City.
With the help of ABSCBN TVplus and Sony Philippines, 50 schools in Luzon
will receive new television
sets and access to KCh. One
of the four exclusive channels
offered by the “mahiwagang
black box,” students will enjoy
watching KCh’s curriculumbased programs with crisp and
clearer digital TV viewing.
With division heads and
school administrators from
Department of Education
(DepEd) divisions in attendance, KCh showcased
on video its achievements
and milestones in 16 years of
serving the public educational
system; the all-educational
channel also gave a sneak peek
of its offerings for 2016.
The following day, the KCh
team headed by president and
executive director Rina Lopez-Bautista, together with
DepEd Sec. Br. Armin Luistro, went to Isabelo Baleros
Elementary School in Taal,
Batangas to formally turn over
a KCh On-Demand package
for K-12 to the teachers and
learners.
Meanwhile, four other Taal
schools were recently reconnected to KCh. Taal Central
School, Carmino Biscocho
Memorial Elementary School,
Tulo Elementary School and
Balisong Elementary School
regained access to KCh through
new digital satellite receivers donated by Telered Technologies.
Now on its 16th year, KCh
aims to live by its vision to
reach more and teach more
schools across the country by
bringing access to innovative
and fun multimedia learning
resources, making each classroom experience ibang klase.
‘Calidad
Humana’
now
available
online
Cedie Lopez Vargas, Lopez Group Foundation Inc. president, receives the
first copy of Calidad Humana from Amb. Roberto Mayorga of the Calidad
Humana team
Exporting the Filipino
spirit the ‘Calidad
Humana’ way
By Jared Echevarria
“CALIDAD Humana: Sharing
the Filipino Spirit” was recently
launched at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
The book, the first installment in a two-part series, is
dedicated to the preservation
and promotion of the Filipino
character.
Lopez Group Foundation
Inc. president Cedie Lopez
Vargas represented Lopez
Group chairman emeritus
Oscar M. Lopez (OML) at
the launch. Also present were
the authors of the book, members of the diplomatic corps,
researchers, academicians and
students.
Calidad Humana is “a deep
and intuitive concern for others that comes naturally to the
Filipino.” Inspired by the Lopez
Values, the Calidad Humana
Movement shares and spreads
kabutihang-loob sa kapwa to
Lopez and non-Lopez communities and organizations in
order to promote the beauty of
the Filipino spirit.
Department of Foreign Affairs Usec. Laura del Rosario
committed to distribute 400
copies of “Calidad Humana”
to Philippine embassies and
consulates around the world,
describing it as an important
reminder of the nation’s identity that should be shared and
exported outside of the Philippines.
As OML wrote in his introduction for “Calidad Humana”:
“Just as all countries seek to
export their natural resources or
their industrial and technological products, the Philippines is
in a unique position to export
its human richness to all the
peoples of the world.”
L-R: EDC CSR department head Tracy Peralta, HR manager Onel Luna and director Art Valdez with UPLB chancellor
Dr. Fernando Sanchez, College of Forestry and Natural Resources dean Dr. Willie Abasolo, associate dean Prof.
Roniel Manalo and former dean Dr. Ramon Razal
EDC establishes biodiversity park in UPLB
By Toni Nieva
ENERGY Development Corporation (EDC) in partnership
with the University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB) and
UPLB Foundation established a
biodiversity park in UPLB. The
UPLB-EDC BINHI biodiversity park will serve as a seedling
or gene bank for threatened Philippine tree species and a source
of planting materials for forest
restoration programs.
Two-hundred forty trees,
including the highly valued
dalingdingan, kaladis narig,
kamagong, malabayabas, manggachapui, narek, Philippine teak
and tindalo, are now planted in
the park. The park will serve as a
living laboratory for taxonomy
students, faculty and researchers. It is also equipped with
facilities and a nature-themed
walkway for the appreciation of
conservationists and tourists.
EDC has been seriously
involved in the rescue and
preservation of the country’s
most premium endangered tree
species through BINHI, its
landmark biodiversity project.
“Through BINHI, we seek
to preserve the gene pool of the
critically endangered premium
indigenous tree species which
are at the core of our local
biodiversity and which represent our nation’s heritage and
identity. EDC is rescuing them
from the few remaining stands
in the wild through the collection of seeds and wildlings,
and is propagating them for
replanting in safe areas such as
schools and parks,” EDC vice
president for Corporate Affairs
Ricky Carandang explained.
EDC has already completed
similar tree park projects in
UP Diliman in Quezon City,
BayaniJuan in Calauan, Laguna
and Rafael Salas Park in Bago
City, Negros Occidental. It has
also planted seedlings of these
rare and endangered species in
120 partner schools and parks
nationwide.
Portions of “Calidad Humana” are now available for
downloading and reading on
lopezlink.ph.
The excerpts of the book
available online are the foreword of OML, the introduction by Amb. Mayorga and
the first chapter written by
social scientist Dr. Katrin de
Guia as well as the messages
of the presidents of leading
Philippine universities. The
table of contents will also
be shown so online readers
will have an idea of the other
chapters.
Meanwhile, the Calidad
Humana Movement, together
with Lopez Group Foundation Inc., SM Cares Foundation, AIESEC and Global
Peace Foundation, launched
the Calidad Humana Kapwa
charter making competition.
The contest, which is open to
all Filipinos, invites entrants to
list down the most important
and practical behaviors that
Filipinos should preserve.
“Calidad Humana” can be
used as the reference for the
competition.
For hard copies, “Calidad
Humana” is available at the
Lopez Museum at the ground
floor of Benpres Building,
Ortigas Center. For more info,
call 631-2417. ( J. Echevarria)
Harvard Business School, Sharp Travel boost
Laguna school kids’ spirits Bantay Bata 163-Laguna,
together with Harvard Business School Field 2 and Sharp Travel Service,
distributed gift packs, books and educational toys as well as repainted
classrooms and conducted a storytelling activity for some 200 students
of Sto. Niño Elementary School in San Pedro, Laguna. Harvard Business
School Field 2 also turned over a computer set to the school. Said ABSCBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. managing director Susan Afan:
“I am so happy to say that they chose us among so many foundations,”
adding that “every immersion comes from small beginnings and follows a
great thing that makes them leave a piece of themselves.” Andy Zelleke,
Harvard Business School faculty director, assured Bantay Bata 163 that
they will come back to the Philippines to support and help Filipino children.
(Mharize Mina) PHOTOS BY: HYLE MAE LONEZA
BAYAN Academy offers
the following certificate
training courses this month:
February 26: Business
Model Canvas
For rates, call Carol
Arcaya at 426-3140. Bayan
Academy reserves the right to
change course dates.
Museum/Values
Lopezlink February 2016
Ongoings
‘Drawing the Lines’: Illustrating
the story of a nation
FROM striking depictions of
personalities to provocative
illustrations of factions and
even institutions, editorial or
political cartoons have survived as an enduring art form
that meshes the representation, opinion and style of the
artist.
Lopez Museum and Library opens its 2016 calendar
with Drawing the Lines, an exhibition that reads beyond the
physical space of the editorial
cartoon in tabloids, newspapers and news weeklies while
marrying journalism, history,
artistry and wit. Drawing the
Lopez Values in Action
Lines features the works of
Danilo Dalena, Neil Doloricon, E.Z. Izon, Dengcoy Miel,
Dante Perez, Jose Tence Ruiz
and Pinggot Zulueta.
The exhibit will reassemble
defunct publications by piecing
together clippings, photographs
and other materials from the
library’s extensive collection.
Caricatures will be taken apart,
dissected and magnified to
expose and understand the personalities they depict.
Drawing the Lines will
reevaluate the role and importance of this powerful medium
in light of different contexts in
Philippine history.
Completing the exhibit are
works from the museum’s permanent collection. Portraits by
Juan Luna, Felix Resurreccion
Hidalgo and Fernando Amorsolo will be featured along with
editorial cartoons by Liborio
Gatbonton and illustrations
by Vicente Manansala as well
as social realist and abstract
works by Onib Olmedo, Cesar
Legaspi, Brenda Fajardo and
Galo Ocampo, among others.
Archival materials of the Manila Chronicle and a selection
from the Philippines Free Press
section of the library holdings
will also be integral to the
show.
Drawing the Lines opens on
February 26 and runs until July 8.
Be a Lopez
Museum
intern!
DO you want to have a different museum experience? Do
you want to know what happens behind the scenes? Come
and join the Lopez Museum
team!
The museum is looking for
bright, creative and dedicated
students who are eager to learn
and have fun in the process.
The Lopez Museum and
Library internship program is
designed to give undergraduates
and fresh graduates an overview
of the different departments of
the museum.
For the first batch of the 2016
internship program, which will
run until July 1, the museum is
looking for interns for the Public
Programs (Graphic Design and
Public Relations) departments.
Applications will be accepted until February 13, 2016.
For more info, email lmmpasig@gmail.com or call Thea or
Yna at tel. no. 631-2417.
The Lopez Memorial Museum is at the ground floor, Benpres Building, Exchange Road
corner Meralco Avenue, Pasig
City. Museum days and hours
are Mondays to Saturdays, except
holidays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Avail of
unlimited access to exhibitions
and library resources by signing up for the Lopez Museum
membership program. Members
can borrow books from the lending section and get discounts on
lectures, workshops and services
for only P1,500.
By Dulce Festin-Baybay
Pinky Diokno: Let your performance speak for you
FOR Cielito “Pinky” Romero
Alvarado Diokno, who recently
retired from Lopez Holdings
Corporation as its Human
Resources head, performance
has always been her basis for
gauging workplace standards.
“Let your performance
speak for you,” says Diokno,
a high school graduate of St.
Theresa’s College, a school
known for its tough standards
of excellence. “You don’t have
to ‘suck’ it up with the boss,”
adds this holder of a Bachelor
of Science degree major in Psychology from the University of
the Philippines.
Before joining the Lopez
Group, Diokno was exposed to
the global practices of human
resources. She was with Standard Chartered Bank as its
country head. She was the first
to set up the HR department
of Maynilad when it was privatized as the government-run
Metropolitan Waterworks and
Sewerage System to a company
belonging to the Lopez Group.
This transition proved to be a
difficult period for Diokno,
who did not want to deal with
union issues anymore. Besides,
she found Maynilad quite far
from her house in Parañaque.
She was just not interested in
staying at the Quezon City-
based water company any longer.
Interviewed by Kapitan
After more than a month,
in May 1997, she was invited
by a Lopez Group executive
and was later interviewed by
the late Eugenio “Kapitan”
Lopez Jr.
Diokno recalls: “He gave
me his blessing. I was interested in joining because I considered Benpres (the former
name of Lopez Holdings) a
blue-chip company. Working
with the Lopezes, I felt more
nationalistic and I could help
in implementing social justice
as we were into providing electricity, water and communications.”
She joined Benpres HR
where she worked on the employees’ compensation package. After a few months, she
was asked to help out the HR
department of BayanTel.
Progressive company
“BayanTel was one of the
progressive companies I worked
with,” says Diokno, “and the
company was nominated for
the People Management Association of the Philippines’
Employer of the Year award.
We were way ahead in building
a service-oriented culture.”
Diokno, a mother of one
boy, also recalls the time when
the Lopez Group companies
were in due stress.
“It’s not always been about
money,” she says. “When we
had a financial crisis, all the
vice presidents opted not to
have a salary increase for three
years.”
Shifting mind-set
Another obstacle that
she had to hurdle as HR was
the shifting mind-set from a
strong sense of entitlement to
one of meritocracy wherein she
encountered a lot of resistance.
“We had to shift to performance-based culture. We
introduced salary structure
according to market standards.
If you don’t meet your performance objective, you do not
get any increase.”
Diokno considers setting up
the Lopez Group HR Council
with Beth Canlas of First Philippine Holdings Corporation
and Mabelle Ramos of Lopez
Inc. as one of the highlights
of her career with the Lopez
Group.
Growing the HR Council
“We grew it. We encouraged companies to join. They
saw how our HR Council
head Cedie Vargas supported
it, and her being a Lopez was
a big advantage for the growth
of the council. The HRs of the
different Lopez companies also
saw how long we have been
here at our companies and this
established and strengthened
our credibility. We were able
to exercise influence over our
peers. We would go out of our
way to help.”
This was quite easy for
Diokno to do as she is a service-oriented person and,
being a Virgo, is concerned
with details, organization and
perfection.
“Being in HR, our focus
was our customers—the employees. It is a two-way thing
so that they help when asked.”
Diokno takes pride in putting into practice the values
she herself has always believed
in.
Setting a good example
“My values are aligned with
the Lopezes’ and I take pride
in these. In HR, you have to
set a good example. First and
foremost, you must have integrity. We help achieve business
excellence and, of course, we
are into employee welfare. I try
my best to be the best that I
can be and to help others to be
the best that they can be, starting with my staff. I point out
areas for development. I help
them convert their weaknesses
into strengths. I take pride in
seeing those who worked with
me become heads of their
respective HR departments. I
feel fulfilled when I see this.”
For Diokno, her only
heartache, as she puts it, is “you
take care of everybody,
but no one takes
care of you when
you are in HR.
And I just
want to have
a low profile
at all times
and I feel
uncomfortable
with recognition and
awards. Most
of all, I just
want to be fair when it comes
to formulating policies for employees.
“I have been working for
37 years and I am ambivalent
about retirement,” she adds.
“Now, I just want to have time
for myself. All this time, I
have always been concerned about other
people. When I look
back, you can only
think there really
is a higher being.
From where I
was before to
where I am
now, I had the
right
breaks.
And again, my
piece of advice:
let your performance
speak for itself.”
10
Lifelong Wellness
Lopezlink February 2016
Eye exams 101
Preparing for the trek with the Rockwell team
By Charizze Henson
WTT’s opening
salvo in La Mesa
By Gerbs De Castro
WEEKS after the yuletide bingeing of Pinoys, more than 450
Lopez Group employees, family
members and friends displayed
their love for chairman emeritus
Oscar M. Lopez’s walking advocacy by flocking to the January
Walk the Talk (WTT) event.
The walk in La Mesa Nature Reserve, Quezon City was
sponsored by ABS-CBN, SKY
and Knowledge Channel.
The program proper began
with the invocation and the
recitation of the Lopez Credo
and Values led by SKY’s Jonathan Cruz and Bulak Acierto,
respectively.
Dimpy Jazmines of SKY and
TJ Isla of ABS-CBN delivered
the welcome remarks as representatives of their respective
companies that sponsored the
wellness undertaking.
WTT participants who celebrated their birthdays in December and January were also
recognized during the program.
Before trudging the six-kilometer trail, the participants
The WTT team gathers for a class photo
Jonathan
Cruz of SKY
SKY ’s Bulak
Acierto
prepped with stretching/exercises by the Rockwell team and
the safety briefing courtesy of
Energy Development Corporation’s August Villalon.
Emcee DJ Papi Charlz
chats with a participant
The team from sponsor company ABS-CBN
After walking for around two
hours, everyone was treated to
sumptuous packed meals at the
venue.
As the 10th anniversary of
WTT draws near, a lot of exciting things are definitely in
store for all those who have
been continuously supporting
this wellness project.
H AV I N G
good
vision is more
than seeing clearly.
Aside from
nearsightedness,
farsightedness
and
astigmatism, there
are diseases
like glaucoma, cataracts or retinal diseases that may affect your
vision.
A comprehensive eye exam
involves tests designed to evaluate the overall condition of your
eyes. Your eye doctor does not
only determine changes in the
eye grade or prescription but
also evaluates the lenses and
retina.
Says Asian Eye Institute refractive/LASIK surgeon and
comprehensive ophthalmologist Dr. Emerson Cruz: “The
only way to know if your eyes
are truly healthy is by doing a
thorough eye exam. We can
detect eye diseases at an early
stage—when they are most
treatable. Most of these diseases
don’t have signs or symptoms at
the onset, so it’s important that
we treat them early to prevent
vision loss.”
Children’s eyes should be
checked at six months old, at
age 3 and right before they start
going to school. Children with-
Standing abs for a stronger core
START the year right by resolving to get fitter and healthier.
Standing abdominal exercises can build core strength
and mimic many exercises done
while lying flat on your back.
These are short exercises you
can do during your break—instead of drinking that extra cup
of coffee or tea!
The descriptions of the following exercises are excerpted
from fitnessblender.com. However, the number of counts
have been adjusted to fit in five
minutes. For the full 10-minute
workout on the website, each
exercise is done for 45 seconds
per side (left and right).
Standing pike crunch. Do
this slowly. Stand upright with
feet together. Lift both arms in
the air and bring them down
to waist level where they meet
with one foot, lifted up as high
as you can—without using momentum to swing it upwards
and without pain. Stick with
just one leg for 10 counts and
then switch to lift the opposite
leg in the next segment. This
requires a crunch at the torso,
and work from your core in order to maintain balance as you
lift that single leg up and teeter
on one foot.
Captain Morgan diagonal
pass. Do this slowly. This exercise is great for improving
your balance. Bring the left
knee up high in front to waist
level and hold it there. Pass a
medicine ball or dumbbell or
any weighted object from the
upper right side of your body
high above your head, diagonally across your body, down to
the lower left side of your body
outside the side of your left
hip. Use controlled motions
and keep the ball or object relatively close to your body. Do
all repetitions on just one side
of the body for six counts, and
then switch to the opposite
side. If you don’t have a ball
or dumbbell or any weighted
object like a book, just pretend
you are holding one.
Jumping oblique twist. Do
this quickly. This one raises
your heart rate and calorie
burn. With your hands folded
in front of you at shoulder level,
jump on your feet while twisting your torso left and right.
The feet will alternately be directed 45 degrees left and right
while you twist at the same
time, keeping the shoulders
facing straight forward. Do this
for 50 counts.
Torso rotations. Do this
slowly. Stand with feet about
shoulder length apart. While
keeping your torso steady, rotate
your body around it clockwise
and then counterclockwise for
one count. Keep your legs and
back straight while you do this
for six counts. You might feel a
bit silly doing this but it works
the entire core very well. While
you are rounding your body
forward, your back muscles are
working; when you lean backwards, the front of your core
engages in order to keep you
from toppling over.
High knee chops. Do this
quickly. Start with feet about
shoulder length apart and your
hands clasped on the upper
right side of your body high
above your head. Simultaneously lifting your left knee to
above waist level, bring both
hands down quickly in a chopping motion, diagonally across
your body, towards the side of
your left hip. Return to the
starting position. Do this for
20 counts and repeat on the
other side. Do not round your
back as you crunch your abs
forward. Drive your knee and
hands firmly together with
each repetition.
Waist pinchers. Do this
slowly. Start with your left arm
up on your side, and the left
foot’s toes pointing out. Then
bring the left knee up as high as
you can on your left side, at the
same time bring your left arm
down on your side with the left
knee almost touching the left
hip. Do this for 12 counts and
repeat on the other side.
Try to find five minutes in
your day for these abdominal
exercises that can strengthen
your core without requiring you
to lie on the floor.
Follow us @lopezlinkph on Twitter and Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/lopezlinkonline
out eye problems should be examined at least every two years;
however, those with existing eye
problems or those who were
born prematurely, have developmental delays or are cross-eyed
should be checked more often.
Adults, on the other hand,
should undergo a comprehensive eye exam yearly.
Dr. Cruz notes: “As you age,
your risk of developing eye diseases also increases. More so if
you have a family history of any
eye disease, wear eyeglasses or
contacts, take medications that
can affect eyesight (like steroids) or smoke.
“Those with chronic diseases
like hypertension and diabetes
are strongly recommended to
have their eyes checked more
frequently,” he adds.
Make eye exams a part of
your commitment to your overall health. For overseas Filipino
worker (OFW) families, Asian
Eye has an OFW Family Eye
Care program that offers comprehensive eye exams at discounted rates. For more info,
call 898-2020.
Sports & Wellness
calendar
FEBRUARY
13: Power of Two partner
yoga (Life Yoga, BGC,
Taguig), 10am. Contact
886-7500 or sales@
lifeyogacenter.com
14: COEXIST, 2.2K/4.4K
(UP Diliman, QC), 5am.
Fee: P300-P400. Register
at http://goo.gl/forms/ezS0DSsXxE
20: Kundalini Yoga
(yoga+ Makati, Cambridge
Centre, Salcedo Village),
10am and 2pm. Contact
869-6420
20: 1st Las Piñas Fun
Run, 3K (Zapote Bridge,
Las Piñas), 5:30am. Fee:
P300. Contact 09085889184 or villarsipagkmc1@gmail.com
Interactive
Sudoku
Maglaro tayo ng Sudoku, ang bagong libangan ng bayan!
Ayusin lamang ang mga numero simula 1 hanggang 9 para
ang bawat numero ay minsan lang magagamit sa bawat row,
column at kahon.
 Very



Easy
Easy
Medium
Hard
Answer to DEC.-JAN. puzzle
Solution, tips and
computer program
available at
www.sudoku.com
ABS-CBN on top!
ABS-CBN remains the
most-watched TV network in the country in
January after the station
garnered an average audience share of 43% from
combined urban and rural homes vs. GMA 7’s
36%, according to recent
data from Kantar Media.
ABS-CBN kept a
strong hold on the prime
time block, hitting an
average audience share
of 48% nationwide versus its rival’s 33%. The
station’s afternoon block
also garnered a 42% nationwide rating versus
GMA’s 37%.
Kantar Media uses a
nationwide panel size of 2,609
urban and rural homes that represent 100% of the total Philippine TV viewing population,
while AGB Nielsen reportedly
has 1,980 homes based solely in
urban areas that represent only
57% of the Philippine TV viewing population.
Still topping the list of mostwatched programs during the
previous month is “FPJ’s Ang
Probinsyano” with an average
national TV rating of 39.8% followed by “Pangako Sa ’Yo” with
31.4% which tied at second with
weekend top-raters “Maalaala
A REUNION OF LAA WINNERS
from page 5
Customer Focus
Kicking off the presentations were the winners in the
Customer Focus category: First
Balfour project director John
Porter on Meeting a Critical
Challenge: The 115-KV Burgos Overhead Transmission
Line and Substation, and ABSCBNmobile Digital Access
head Ralph Menorca on ABSCBNmobile and iWant TV:
Shaping the Future of Content
Creation and Customer Experience.
Business Management
In Business Management,
commercial analyst Corinne
Ablaza and business development analyst Karlo Abril shared
the EDC experience in the 49MW Geothermal Power Plant
Transfer from Northern Negros
to Southern Negros, and Survival of the FiT-test: Securing
the Burgos Wind Farm Feed-
Mo Kaya” and “Wansapanataym.”
“Dance Kids” maintained its good
showing (29.8%) at third place.
Prime time newscast “TV Patrol” remains the only news program in the Top 10 programs in
January, landing in fourth spot
with an average national TV rating of 28.7%.
Two new programs also debuted strongly in January. “Pilipinas Got Talent Season 5” averaged a rating of 26.6%, while “Be
My Lady” earned 18.3%, almost
10 points higher than its competition. “Rated K” (24.3%) and
“Home Sweetie Home” (24.1%)
Operations Management
Two more Burgos Wind
Farm-related campaigns—
Success ang Access: Securing
Burgos Rights-of-Way the
Right Way, Right Away! presented by business development manager Arnold Lopez
and Defusing the 150-MW
Time Bomb: On Risking it
All to Complete the Burgos
Substation presented by engineering design supervisor
Rexie
Abad-Valenciano—
shared the spotlight in the
Operations
Management
category.
Corporate Image
EDC corporate finance
manager Liza Po took charge
of presenting the Grand
Slam Deal of the Year: Securing the Internationally Acclaimed Project Financing for
the 150-MW Burgos Wind
Project, the lone winner in
Corporate Image Building.
FPH’s Ria Silvino thanks the Lopez family, on behalf of her fellow Unsung
Heroes, for the recognition given to them
11
Eats
Celebrate
love@EL
Center!
in-Tariff Ahead of Competition, respectively.
HR Focus
Lopezlink February 2016
In HR Focus, the story
behind Seven Unions Negotiating as One: The Unprecedented Unified CBA Story of
EDC was discussed by senior
manager for HR operations
and administration Jose Noel
Luna.
Public Responsibility
The journey of Failon
Ngayon’s Padyak: The Pedicab Project—The Wheels of
New Hope and New Beginnings for 200 Pedicab Drivers in Tacloban and Leyte
was shared by “Failon Ngayon” head writer Gerald Oro,
while “TV Patrol” segment
producer Joven Nunag tackled the physically demanding but rewarding journey
of their team in E-TV Patrol:
Patrol ng Edukasyon.
Meanwhile, the transformation of a Palawan community in Ugong Rock:
From Poverty to Prosperity
was presented by ABS-CBN
Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc.-Bantay Kalikasan
program director Jen Santos.
Completing the set of winners in the Public Responsibility category was First Gas
Power Corporation’s Providing Power after Glenda:
Resiliency of Santa Rita and
San Lorenzo Power Plants.
rounded out the Kapamilya programs in the Top 10.
“It’s Showtime” (16.1%) was
able to regain the lead in the
weekday noontime slot as its
rival show’s rating dropped to
15.2%.
ABS-CBN also fared better
than its competition in other territories such as Balance Luzon
(areas in Luzon outside Mega
Manila) where it scored a national average audience share of
45% versus GMA’s 36%, in the
Visayas with 54% versus the rival’s 26% and in Mindanao with
55% against GMA’s 27%.
LAA codirector Beth Canlas
introduced EDC and First Balfour, whose collaboration on the
overhead transmission line and
substation of the Burgos Wind
Project merited the Special Recognition for Excellence in Synergy.
Also taking another bow were
the five Lopez Group Unsung
Heroes: Adtel Inc.’s Reynaldo
Reyes, FPH’s Farley Cuizon and
Elsa Maria Silvino, SKY Cable
Corporation’s Pablo Fernandez,
and Lopez Holdings Corporation’s Mario Bactol.
Nominate deserving teams
LAA director Ben Liboro, in
his closing message, encouraged employees to nominate
deserving teams and individuals
in the next cycle of the awards
program. He also paid tribute
to the LAA team composed of
program manager Ross Hamo,
Glenda Discutido, Karen Ventura and his codirector Canlas.
Canlas bowed out of the Lopez
Group after 41 years and three
years with the LAA team.
The Winners’ Summit, which
signaled the official close of the
2014 cycle, also saw the soft
launch of the 2015 LAA cycle.
SAVOR love under the stars at
Eugenio Lopez Center this Valentine’s Day!
Whether you’re spending the
day of hearts with your significant other or with your family,
you’ll be in for an enchanting
evening at the center. As the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth sets
the mood with romantic music,
indulge in a delicious buffet dinner while gazing over the sparkling lights of the city below.
For only P1,499 per person,
guests will also receive a longstemmed rose with Valentine
token in addition to sunset cocktails and house wine; immortalize your memories of your date
at the photo booth set up for the
occasion.
What’s more, guests who avail
of the Valentine’s Day promo
will get a chance to win an overnight stay for two at the center!
For reservations and inquiries,
contact Jonalyn Rocreo at tel.
nos. 410-0951 to 54 or 636-0581
or email jcrocreo@fprc.com.ph.
MEMBERS BOND...
from page 5
The group wrapped up the occasion with the annual Christmas
fellowship which included fun
games, exchange gifts, raffles and
entertainment from ABS-CBN
talents. The program was hosted
by Jei-Jei Gertes.
The Comptrollers’ Circle was
organized in 1999 with the support of Lopez Group chairman
emeritus Oscar M. Lopez. Its objective is to maintain high-quality
financial reporting in the Group in
terms of reliability, relevance and
timeliness, and to promote worklife balance among its members.
Various seminars and trainings
are organized regularly to keep
the comptrollers, accountants and
finance personnel updated on the
developments in accounting standards and pronouncements, taxation and other regulatory requirements. The Comptrollers’ Circle
core team includes Jingle Hernandez, Lanie Caimol, Gertes,
Gemma Roque and Aldrin Cerrado.
12
Lopezlink February 2016
What’s new
By Zeny Orfano-Gonzales
from ABS-CBN Publishing this February
Kathryn, Pia captivate in
‘Metro’
Reintroduce yourself to Kathryn Bernardo as she steps
into womanhood in her most mature and romantic shoot
yet. See Kathryn version 2.0 as Metro collaborates with
photographer Mark Nicdao to reveal their ultimate fantasy
role for Kathryn—strong, sexy and all woman. Know more
about Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach and understand
why she is truly “confidently beautiful with a heart.” Dress
up for the ultimate date night with Resort 2016’s bright
tropical prints and pale pink ensembles. Don’t know where
to go for Valentine’s? Metro has got you covered on where
to go and how to make sure your February 14 is a success.
All about
love, life in
‘Working
Mom’
Denise Laurel, who
banners
Working
Mom’s Valentine special with son Alejandro, talks about her
showbiz career and
love life. Four power
couples dish about
keeping the spark alive
in their relationship,
while chef Kalel
Chan
shares
recipes for a romantic breakfast
in bed. We also
celebrate love
in other aspects
of life—ways to
increase work
productivity, celebrity tips on being #confidentlybeautiful and ways to creatively display
family memories.
‘StarStudio’: 20 years of
Echo
StarStudio kicks off the love month with a feature on Jericho Rosales as he celebrates two decades in showbiz. Get
hooked on the journey of Pia Wurtzbach to being the new
Miss Universe. StarStudio also takes a peek at Liza Soberano’s beach-inspired surprise party. Getting ready for your
Valentine’s Day date? Read Alex Gonzaga’s dating advice
which includes tips on dressing up for the big day.
Get the newest issues of your favorite magazines at leading
bookstores and magazine stands nationwide. To download, users on Android devices must download the Zinio app from the
Android Market. The app is also available through the iPad App
Store. PC and Mac users can access Zinio at zinio.com. You may
also subscribe to your favorite ABS-CBN Publishing magazines
or purchase current and back issues by logging on to http://store.
abs-cbn.com/categories/Magazines/Current-Issues/.
Rockwell Power Plant Finds By Angelica Rodriguez
Your guide to the perfect Valentine’s Day
VALENTINE’S Day used to be a holiday exclusively for couples
but in this day and age, it’s for everyone! Forget about cheesy love
songs and couple shirts—take advantage of this holiday to celebrate everyone you care about. Here are five great ways to show
your love for the special people in your life:
Thomas Sabo
Va l e n t i n e ’s
Day calls for
something
sparkly! Select something
meaningful for this
special occasion from Thom-
Editorial Advisory Board
Executive Editor
Mike Lopez / Boo Chanco
Carla Paras-Sison
Contributing Editors
Yiessa Borbon (Lopez Holdings)
Estela de la Paz (First Gen) Kane Choa (ABS-CBN)
Zeny Orfano-Gonzales (ABS-CBN Publishing)
Dimpy Jazmines (Wellness)
Gerbs de Castro (Wellness)
Circulation
Editorial and Layout
Hazel Velasco (FPHC)
Arlene Torres (SkyCable)
Vienn Tionglico (Rockwell)
Dulce Baybay (LGFI)
Toni Nieva (EDC)
Jei-Jei Gertes (Third Gen Holdings)
Raquel dela Paz, 449-2463
Mousetrap Publishing
LopezLink is published by Lopez Holdings Corp. PR Group
4/F Benpres Bldg., Ortigas, Pasig City
Tel. no. (63-2) 633-3388
For feedback, email CPSison@lopez-holdings.ph
Follow us on Twitter: @lopezlinkph
Available online at www.Lopezlink.ph
as Sabo’s wide array of charms,
pendants and more. Check out
Thomas Sabo, R2 Level.
Perfumerie
Perfumes are classic gifts for a
reason. Find your signature scent
to impress your date or one that
matches their personality to a tee.
Whatever that may be, you’re sure
to get the perfect bottle at Perfumerie, R1 Level.
Rustan’s Flower Shop
Mamou Too!
Show your parents how much you
love them by taking them to an indulgent dinner. Treat them to the
mouth-watering steaks and pastas
that Mamou Too! is known for. Dine at Mamou Too!, R1 Level.
Massimo Dutti
Don’t forget the guys on this holiday. Choose from Massimo Dutti’s selection of watches, cufflinks,
wallets, neckties and more. Massimo Dutti is at the R1 Level.
Flowers will never go
out of style in the
season of love.
There’s nothing more romantic than getting
a single red rose on Valentine’s
Day. Better yet, get a bouquet
for your mom or daisies in different colors for your friends!
Head to Rustan’s Flower Shop at
the P1 Level for blooms of all colors and sizes.
Last but most definitely not
the least, don’t forget to get
yourself a little treat and be
your own best Valentine on
February 14!