Managing a workplace in flux
How to deal with beneficial and constructive, as well as disruptive, even divisive, issues at work was discussed at the recent What Works at Work Summit organized by the Philippine Daily Inquirer as a prelude to the awarding of the Best Employers 2025.
The summit, held at the Hilton Manila and attended mostly by human resources (HR) unit heads of some of the Philippines’ top companies, was divided into six sessions that discussed “Creating Safe Spaces for Work—Redesigning Safe, Inclusive Workspaces,” “Bridging the Generational Gap–Engaging Multigenerational Workforce”, “Attracting and Retaining Top Talent: Employee Retention Strategies”, “Attracting and Retaining Top Talent: Branding and Reputation,” “Leadership in the Age of Disruption: Leading through Change and Uncertainty” and “Wellness and Well-being: Enhancing Mental Health, Pay and Happiness in the Workplace.”
Assistant Secretary Paul Vincent Añover of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole), representing Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, said the summit was “not just an opportunity to discuss policies but also to discuss issues that affect Filipino workers.” He talked about “The Future of Work: Adapting to a Rapidly Changing Landscape.”
Añover stressed the need to protect workers and their rights and to ensure that they were prepared for the future.
He underscored the importance of “enterprise-based” training and education, for a real-world approach in preparing students for work. Education and training, he said, should be aligned with industry requirements. Partnerships between schools and employers should be strengthened.
Dole, he added, was prioritizing support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the backbone of the Philippine economy, so they could meet labor standards.
In his opening remarks, Rudyard Arbolado, Inquirer president and chief executive officer, said the summit would give participants the opportunity to learn about trends and practices that defined new workplaces and to offer a vision of future work environments.
Isabel Sagun, chief HR officer of Ayala Land, which had the top spot in the Best Employers 2025 list, said the company was committed to building a culture of lifelong learning and a workforce of lifelong learners.
Keynoting the session on “Leadership in the Age of Disruption: Leading through Change and Uncertainty,” she acknowledged that “change is inevitable” but the possibilities were limitless. Continuous learning would ease the pain of dealing with change.
Panelists in the session moderated by television personality RJ Ledesma were Ardee Jireh Adrales, a partner at KPMG (R. G. Manabat & Co.), and Xavier Paolo Reyes, head of marketing of Franklin Convey Philippines.
Spending for the mental health of workers, stressed Dr. Regina Hechanova Alampay, a professor at the Department of Psychology of the Ateneo de Manila University, was a good investment. She pointed out that mental health issues, just like physical problems, could lead to absenteeism, accidents and reduced productivity.
She and panelists Rozana G. Pecson, chief HR officer of Insular Life, and Dr. Fabi Cariño, award-winning HR and training professional, noted that there was still a lot of stigma attached to mental issues, hence people were reluctant to discuss them. Anna Cristina Tuazon, an Inquirer columnist, moderated the discussion.
Jonathan Yabut, a winner of The Apprentice Asia and motivational speaker, pointed out that multigenerational work forces did not have to be a problem but could be a source of new and creative ideas, knowledge transfer and additional motivation. Employers, as well as employees themselves, would just have to know each generation’s “vocabulary” and motivations to communicate for a harmonious environment.
Panelists in the discussions moderated by Ledesma were Patricia Mendoza, assistant vice president and head of corporate digital marketing of Robinsons Land Corporation, and Jesus Gregorio Noriega III, former HR head of PLDT Global Corporation.
Professor Richelle Baria keynoted the session on Creating Safe Spaces for Work”. With the Inquirer’s Tek Samaniego as moderator, panelists were Cleo Albiso, managing director of Megaworld Hotels and Resorts, and Joey Roi Bondoc, director of Colliers Philippines.
Keynoting the session on “Attracting and Retaining Talent: Branding and Reputation” was Merlee Jayme, chair of The Misfits Camp.
Yu Ming Chin, founder and executive director of Viventis Asia, led the panel discussion on “Attracting and Retaining Talent: Employee Retention Strategies” as keynote speaker.
In the evening, the 300 recipients of Best Employer 2025 honors, as compiled by the Inquirer and the German market research firm Statista, the world’s leading data and business intelligence portal, were awarded in simple ceremonies at the same venue.
Arbolado said the ceremonies “honor and celebrate exceptional achievements” by employers. The awardees, he said, shared many things in common such as aligning their own goal with those of individual employees, showing genuine care for their workers and equipping them (employees) with the right tools to fulfill their roles effectively and efficiently.
The awardees were mindful of their having a multi-generational workforce, the need for employees to achieve work-life balance and adopting technologies that would enhance and improve productivity. They represented a rirch resource of insights and best practices.
Niels Terfehr, vice president of Statista, said the data-driven annual survey “captured the genuine voice of employees”. Their feedback reflected what truly mattered to the workforce.
The Best Employer 2025 ranked companies and government agencies
according to their employees’ perception of their performance as employers.
Thousands of employees were asked to rate either their own company or other companies within their own industry that they could confidently recommend to friends or family.
The survey sought to find out from the employees themselves if a company lived up to the public persona it cultivated. The annual project recognizes that employees are in the best position to know if their employers abide by the duties and responsibilities of good corporate citizenship.
The annual Philippines’ Best Employer project seeks to find out how well employers are perceived by their own people. It gives employees the chance to rate the companies they work for based on their personal experiences.
This focus on the employees’ opinions and beliefs makes the annual undertaking stand out, as it provides a definitive list of who really are the best out there, based on their own people’s assessment, among the thousands of companies in the Philippines that have at least 250 employees.
Statista pre-researched an initial list of over 2,000 eligible employers via industry lists, employer databases, and desk research. Nominees for Best Employer were listed according to the industries they represented. There were 28 industries covered by the Best Employer search.
The Inquirer’s What Works at Work Summit was supported by AXA, BDO, DITO Telecommunity, InLife, Robinsons Land Corp.
Industry partners: Philippine Chamber of Commerce Industry, Philippine Franchise Association, Philippine Retailers Association, Management Association of the Philippines, People Management Association of the Philippines
