Winners in outstanding people management
The PMAP (People Management of the Philippines) has awarded the city mayor of Cebu, lawyer Michael L Rama, as the Most Outstanding People Manager for the public sector, along with Civil Service Commission Chairman Francisco T. Duque III (of the National Office Category and Ms. Elizabeth L. Alonso of the Bulacan Public Service Employment Office (for the career service category). Mayor Rama was lauded for his transparent, inclusive and developmental leadership of the City of Cebu. In a ceremony held in the Grand Pacific Ballroom of the Waterfront Hotel, Lahug, this city and attended by more than 1,500 HR executives and practitioners all over the Philippines, the organization praised Rama for his consultative, innovative and strategic leadership.
The winners were selected through a very rigid and thorough search and selection process conducted by a committee of experts and later on, confirmed through interview and on-site validation by a committee composed of secretary Sonny Coloma, as chairman, and with lawyer Teresita R. Manzala, chair of the Professional Regulation Commission and former Supreme Court administrator lawyer Ismael G. Khan Jr. as members. Also selected by the judges as the People Manager for the private sector is Ramon Segismundo, personnel director of MERALCO. The criteria include performance, integrity and impact on the people they serve. It took PMAP more than five months to complete the search, screening and judging.
The other winner from Cebu is APO Cement Corporation, CEMEX, based in Tinaan, Naga, as Employer of the Year for its exemplary caring for the health and safety of its employees, Apo Cement has been found to embody the values of leadership, collaboration and integrity in all its operations, Its personnel director, lawyer Maria Victoria Ongkiko Eala almost won the People Manager of the Year for the private sector but she was beaten by a few points by the Meralco top HR executive. These recognitions are PMAP's contribution to the overall efforts of the Philippine government to encourage good people management practices by positive reinforcement like these awards.
PMAP, the country's premier HR organization confers this award every year during its annual conference usually held in the third week of every September. This is an advocacy of the country's people managers and HR professionals to promote competence, integrity and professionalism. This year's president is this writer, who is the first ever Cebuano to have ever been elected as national president, led the awarding ceremony attended by the hundreds of people coming from the awardee firms. In his acceptance speech, Rama credited the career personnel in the city government, as well as the barangay officials and families of the individual awardees.
This year's winners are the real creme of the creme, who have achieved quantum leaps in their achievements. They are very inspiring and always care for and develop their people. Mayor Michael Rama was a former HR manager of COACO (Cebu Oxygen and Acetylene Company) of the Aboitiz Group. He brought into the public service a rich reservoir of wisdom in leading and managing people. He awed the audience with the compelling message of his acceptance speech. Cemex's lawyer Eala also impressed the HR professionals with her commendable performance. Indeed, these winners are the true inspiration for all people managers in the country.
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