Author: Abrown Admin

BY RUFINO T. MAGBANUA |

Upon the invitation of Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Chair Paul G. Dominguez, ABCI President Robertino E. Pizarro attended the annual meeting of PBSP Mindanao on September 8, 2014 at SMX Convention Center in Davao City.

Pizarro was accompanied by Juan Paolo P. Pizarro, plantation Operations Manager of ABERDI.

During the meeting, PBSP launched the Inclusive Agribusiness Program for Mindanao, geared to incorporate stakeholders within the company value chains as suppliers, consumers, employees and distributors to create shared value.

Currently, PBSP is working with various agribusiness companies involved in rubber, coffee, cacao, oil palm, and seaweeds to enhance their inclusive business models and improve income and productivity of farmers in Mindanao.

Pizarro lauded the inclusive agribusiness initiative of the PBSP, saying that the program comes in time as the government seeks to transform Mindanao from the “Land of Promise to the Land of Promises Fulfilled.”

The program has outlined clear strategic imperatives towards harnessing the resources of Mindanao for the common good.

PBSP introduced its current undertaking to advocate inclusive business and to draw support from the organization’s member companies, non-member companies, civil society organizations and government officials.

The program upholds PBSP’s Inclusive Business Imperative (IBI) campaign in Mindanao, aiming to particularly address poverty, job generation and the need for climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Pizarro commended PBSP’s efforts for inclusiveness, equitability and meaningful progress, “one that has enabled countless Filipinos to live more dignified and productive lives.”

“Instead of viewing communities as mere locations for factories or markets for their products, PBSP and its partners sought to develop those communities into partners towards development—whether through PBSP’s flagship program for tuberculosis control, for example, or the construction of public school classrooms through your initiative, or even the sustained promotion of corporate social responsibility in all of your activities,” he said.

The priority industries of PBSP’s inclusive agribusiness program include coffee, cacao, corn, palm oil and rubber.

Meanwhile, Dominguez inked a Memorandum of Understanding with Mindanao Development Authority chair Lualhati Antonino for a collaboration to implement PBSP’s initiatives and programs that aim to achieve inclusive business growth for the Mindanaoans.

BY QUARREN DEL ROSARIO |

ABCI believes in the idea of continuous improvement in the workplace. Since 2012, the company had adopted the Japanese way of promoting productivity and quality of products and services.

Empowering employees to utilize their potentials for improvement in quality and to create an environment of work that stimulates commitment towards excellence are among the goals of Quality Circle and Easy Kaizen. The Quality Circle (QC) is under the Productivity Improvement Program of the company.

There are 8 existing circles with 9 QC projects in the company coming from different departments with their respective circle names and projects such as:

This year there are three circles that are still working on their projects, namely ABCI-Accounting, ABCI-Crushing, BRC-Chalet & Housekeeping and XSCCI-Kitchen and Dining. The circles will present their projects to the management on December 12, 2014.

By Rufino T. Magbanua

For its immense contribution to the housing and real estate development, A Brown Group of Companies has been awarded the rare distinction as one of Mindanao’s top business leaders in ceremonies held last July 26, 2014 at Centrio Ayala Mall in Cagayan de Oro City.

A Brown was among the 14 top business entities and firms in Mindanao selected to receive the prestigious 2014 Business Leaders Awards.

Now on its third year, this recognition dubbed “Celebration of Business Successes in Mindanao” is being spearheaded by Mindanao Business Week Group of Publications in partnership with the City Government of Cagayan de Oro, Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental, Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro, Personnel Management Association of the Philippines, Oro Bankers Club, Ayala Centrio, Veterans Bank, Asian Hills Bank and Steag Estate Power.

Other awardees include: Sumifru Phils Corp for agri-business, Ist Valley Bank for banking and finance; FICCO for cooperative banking; Alrose Group of Companies for food manufacturing and marketing; Royal Mandaya Hotel for hotel industry; Dahilayan Adventure Park for resorts and tourism development; Phoenix Petroleum, mega entrepreneur; Salay Handmade Paper Industries, social entrepreneur; JCA Realty, service entrepreneur; Anakciano Inc (Lechon Manok ni San Pedro, business entrepreneur; Yulo Tee GTY Marketing, trading entrepreneur; Oro Asian Automotive Corp for transport industry and Italpinas for alternative energy.

This annual business awards aims to value and recognize the outstanding achievements of business firms and entrepreneurs that helped propel Mindanao’s economic growth by way of sustained leadership, innovations, creativity, entrepreneurship, application of best practices and people empowerment.

By Quarren Del Rosario

One of the events for September is the 6th Architectural, Construction and Building Exposition 2014 (ARCBEX ’14) on September 5, 6 and 7 at the Limketkai Mall Rotunda, Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City where A Brown Company, Inc. is one of the sponsors/exhibitors. This year’s theme is “Architecture: Practice beyond borders.”

This big event is participated by the different suppliers, manufacturers, dealers and distributors of different building materials for building construction.

Photo via Philippine Institute of Architects

By Rizza A. Janea

The recent forum titled “Economic Briefing: Priming Up for the ASEAN Integration” held last July 3, 2014 was a remarkable success. The speakers during the forum, Dr. Bernardo Villegas, Dr. Rolando Dy, Dr. Thomas Aquino and Dr. Graciano Yumul were brilliant as they imparted their knowledge to the audience. The forum also had the best audience. More than the company’s expected guest list of 200 arrived: a total of 100 participants from various universities and more than 150 representatives from various business sectors and government offices. Around 50 managers and supervisors from A Brown Company, Inc. also joined the forum. Chairman Dr. Walter Brown, President Robert Pizarro and Board member Atty. Antonio Soriano were there to support the event.

With the success of the event, a plan to have a quarterly Breakfast Talk or “Kapihan” has been organized and started on July 19, 2014. A small gathering of selected Cagayan de Oro’s top businessmen will take part and discuss business over a cozy breakfast ambiance.

Indeed, it is a heroic act of A Brown to gather the best businessmen, government representatives and intellectual students in Cagayan de Oro to support the city’s industry. The forum initiated by A Brown is just the beginning of a huge lasting success of balanced business relationship, thus, building strong and determined business people that will lift up the city in the future.

By Elroy Z. Uta

First, I need you to pause for a moment. If you’re in your workplace I need you to look around, and if you’re not then I need you to imagine your workplace. Would you agree with me if I say that you have a hero hiding somewhere behind the desk? Now hold that thought for a moment.

Everyday Heroes
“People, who go to work every day, make sacrifices to raise families, and get through life without hurting other people if they can help it-those are the real heroes.”
―Dean Koontz, Winter Moon

If I ask you what your definition of a hero is, most probably your answer might be a person typically revered because of his or her bravery and honourable qualities. Maybe you’ll think about our National Heroes, and the men and women who made this country what it is today. But heroes aren’t merely people who fought and died for our country, or those who saved others from, say, a burning building. Arthur Ashe is the first African American who won the US Open and Wimbledon, and he said, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” In short, a Hero can be just an ordinary person who makes his/her ordinary work extraordinary.

So how does this apply to our workplace?

We need to remember that an organization is a combination of teams spread out across the network we call ”the organizational chart”, and each team or unit is composed of people who possess various roles.

These same people will spend most of their waking hours fulfilling their assigned roles. They give their lives in the organization, often sacrificing their time in the process. For me, they are the unsung heroes who get things done, doing the extra mile, totally underrated and out of the limelight.

In our organization, these heroes are the strongest strand of the fabric that holds our company together. That’s you and me. Without us, our organization may not survive.

Recognizing our everyday heroes

“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
—Helen Keller

As cliché as it may sound, how many organizations do you think have emphasized the words above? How many company vision/mission statements embrace that kind of mantra?

I remember a quote that says, “An organization is only as good as its people.” I believe in that quote. I believe that the success of an organization largely depends upon its people united towards a common goal. And equally important is that people should also be praised, valued, rewarded, and recognized for their contribution.

It’s not rocket science that everyone feels the need to be recognized and to feel a sense of achievement for their work or even for a valiant effort.

That’s why every year, The Brown Group of Companies; hold its Annual Service Awards Ceremony. The Service Awards Program recognizes employees who have their service anniversary and to honour the contributions as well as the sacrifices made by these men and women in our workplace. The success of the Brown group is absolutely dependent upon these kind folks and it’s important that we identify these heroes. Employees need to feel valued and appreciated because they spend more time with their work compared to many other relationships in their lives.

People who feel appreciated are more inclined to contribute as much as they can, because they know that their hard work is being recognized. The more you show your appreciation, the more likely you will end up with hardworking employees who want nothing more than to represent your business in the best way possible.

Heroes in the workplace

Now let’s go back to your workplace. The heroes of our organization are the people you meet every day in the hallway, the person who greets you as you punch your time in the biometric, they are your co-workers, your best buddies, your partners.

These heroic employees pride themselves on knowing that they did their job well and sometimes their only consolation is just the silent thought of accomplishment for making it through a tough deadline.

We know who they are, we know the amount of effort and sacrifice that they put into their job, and so would it be nice if we can show them how much we appreciate what they do? And if we appreciate someone, can we not keep it a secret?

A pat on the back or a thank you note will certainly do. Can you do it now?

By Khristine O. Echeveria

Heroes are people who are admired for their distinguished courage, bravery (deeds) and nobility (qualities).

Anybody can actually be a hero. One doesn’t have to die for the nation to be one, or shoot the ball on the last second for the win; just by merely having a willing heart and being able to make even a small difference in other people’s lives, already makes one a hero.

We often do not recognize or appreciate the little things other people have done. Like the unsung heroes of our everyday life. Our parents, our friends, our siblings or even our colleagues, who just happen to run the “extra-extra” mile just so the team could achieve its goal.

We have a number of employees/colleagues who are often left unrecognized for genuine acts of concern and substantial efforts for the company. Though they do not require recognition for such acts, yet, they deserve true gratitude. I believe it’s not a matter of “Nah, they’re being paid for it!” but, it’s really about valuing the heroism these employees do possess. It’s unfortunate for anybody to overlook the efficiency, dependability and reliability of its asset, and our people are our companies’ asset. So…

Kudos to all Organizational Heroes! Same goes to all the Service Awardees. The 5, 10, 15 and 20 years of unparalleled dedication you have given to the company are such a noteworthy act. I pray that as pillars of the organization, we would continue striving to be models and heroes. Even if unsung, what matters more is the heart of a hero that remains in us.

I am a HERO. Won’t you agree?

By Quarren M. Del Rosario

On July 31, 2014 Brown Group of Companies honored heroes in the workplace as it celebrated its 16^th Annual Employees’ Service Awards Ceremony in XSCCI Convention Hall. The event upholds the theme, “Commemorating employees’ dedicated service and honouring milestone anniversaries.”

This year’s ceremony was filled with excitement as the awardees came in their best formal attires and delivered their speeches. Employees from all departments as well as the awardees’ family members were also invited to support and witness the event.

Brown Group of Companies’ Chairman, Dr. Walter B. Brown attended the said event to give his inspirational message to the employees especially to the awardees.

Eighteen awardees received a plaque of recognition and cash gifts in return to their showed dedicated service to the company. Among the awardees this year is Brown Group of Companies’ President, Mr. Robertino E. Pizarro, who celebrates his 20^th year of service.

The new hires and other selected employees also presented their tribute to the awardees.

All the awardees went to Teakwood Hills last July 16, 2014 for their pre-awarding pictorials where they all had the chance to strike a pose with one of the country’s best photographer, Mr. Mike Sia.

List of Awardees:

Sapphire Awardees – 5 Years In Service

Gladys C. Alba (ABCI)
Mark Anthony C. Villaluz (ABCI)
Laidee C. Hera (ABERDI)
Froilan A. Fayre (ABERDI)
Luisito Jaime J. Sacol (ABERDI)
Tanya Hannah May C. Japitana (XSCCI)
Arnaldo P. Montano (XSCCI)
El Roy Z. Uta (XSCCI)
Elsie P. Dagooc (BRC)
Virgilio R. Moranta (BRC)
Claudio C. Reyes (BRC)
Eric N. Enduria (BRC)
Romeo B. Lamento (BRC)

Diamond Awardees – 10 Years In Service

Joylyn F. Magadan (ABCI)
Rose May G. Simbajon (ABCI)

Ruby Awardees – 15 Years In Service

Sheree Ann I. Cagasan (ABCI)
Ma. Cheryll D. Mabunay (XSCCI)
Pepito G. Sajol (XSCCI)

Emerald Awardees – 20 Years In Service

Robertino E. Pizarro (ABCI)

As we end the summer season and start the third quarter of 2014, we are glad to celebrate the birthdays of the pillars of this company, Dr. Walter Brown and Mrs. Annabelle Brown. To mark these occasions, two separate activities were held.

For Dr. Brown, a rosary and thanksgiving mass were offered at Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel that was mostly attended by the employees and executives of the Brown group of companies. It was a time to quietly reflect all that has been achieved in the past months as well as a chance to offer our personal intentions. Then as a community, we joyously shared the snacks given after the mass. Our fellow employees from ABCI – Butuan and ABERDI Mill also held their own separate Rosary offered for the birthday celebration of our beloved Chairman.

On the other hand, Ma’am Annabelle was serenaded by a group of talented Brown Group employees as an advance birthday celebration. As the photos clearly show, she was caught by surprise. Songs like “Iingatan Ka“ and “Wind Beneath My Wings” resonated in the bar lounge. A short program followed and thoughtful birthday wishes from our fellow employees delighted Mrs. Brown. Of course, the celebration will not end without some insightful message from our dear Chairman. As always, his speeches were passionate and heartwarming.

Congratulations to all who made these preparations possible. On behalf of the entire team of the Brown Group of Companies, we wish our dear Dr. and Mrs. Walter Brown a very happy birthday. May your life be filled with happiness, success and good health.