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Transcription

SHELL
WORLD
PHILIPPINES
ISSUE 2 2008
SSSC-Manila:
World-class shared
service hub page20
06 Breaking New Grounds
09 The Energy Challenge
14 When Roads Spell Growth
16 The Change Manager
18 Project Better World
34 D&I: Changed by the Exchange
Welcome
ISSUE 2 2008
We live in an ever-changing world. How well we adapt to the
changes happening around us determines how deftly we can
ride the wave of the future, the tide that takes us to greater
heights and leads us to new frontiers.
Editor-in-Chief
Sankie G. Simbulan
Many of the stories in this second issue of Shell World
Philippines are tales about change:
Managing Editors
Jun Jay G. Jimenez
Jocelyn Diana-Diga
Our cover feature showcases Shell Shared Service Centre
(SSSC)-Manila’s transformation from a small work force of
less than fifty personnel only four years ago, to a powerhouse
of more than a thousand staff today, and still growing! As they
celebrate their fourth anniversary this month, be inspired by
the Centre’s success story on page 20.
Writers
Jun Jay G. Jimenez
Jocelyn Diana-Diga
Cover Photo
Walter Villa
To contact the SWP Team:
Mailing Address
Shell World Philippines
14/F Shell House
156 Valero St., Salcedo Village
Makati City 1227
E-Mail
[email protected]
Website
www.shell.com.ph
Shell World Philippines is published quarterly for the
employees of the Shell companies in the Philippines and
for interested readers outside the business. Opinions
expressed do not necessarily reflect the official views of
any Shell company.
The following expressions are inherent to Shell businesses
in the Philippines: SciP (Shell companies in the Philippines),
which encompasses its companies in the country; and
Pilipinas Shell (Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation). The
specific names of other Shell companies will be duly
mentioned in the article.
Breaking New Grounds on page 6 tells us the story of Andrea Palma, the first female Aviation
Refueller in the Philippines and in Asia. The entry of a woman in this traditionally male dominated
profession has forever changed the landscape of Shell Aviation Philippines.
Our feature on The Change Manager, in the person of Paulo Gavino, lends insight into the daunting
task of preparing the Shell Philippines Organisation for the implementation of the Downstream-One
programme, possibly the biggest change to happen in the history of Shell and for years to come. On
page 16, we learn about the crucial role of a Change Manager in helping staff to accept change and
successfully transition to the new ways of thinking and doing.
When Roads Spell Growth on page 14 demonstrates how affordable and reliable roads built through
Shell’s innovative Instapave Solution have transformed rural areas into more developed, robust centers
of growth.
In The Lad Who Put Science to Heart, International English Speaking Union champion Gian Karlo
Dapul stresses the value of scientific research in propelling our country to progress. Read an excerpt
of his winning speech on page 37.
The Energy Challenge on page 9 talks about global climate change and the energy industry’s role in
providing more, secure and responsible energy.
On page 18, our feature on Project Better World shows how staff volunteerism has helped change
lives for the better.
In Changed by the Exchange, good friend and fellow colleague Mich Cruz from the Communications
Department talks about Diversity and Inclusion through the eyes of a Rotary International Group
Study Exchange Program participant. Read about her enriching experience on page 34.
Change is inevitable. It is a part and parcel of life, especially for an organisation as dynamic and
pioneering as Shell. Let us welcome and embrace change, but without losing sight of who we are and
the principles we stand for. As we travel this road of constant changes, let us pack with us Shell’s timehonoured values of honesty, integrity and respect for people, always remembering to give cheer to
those we encounter along the way. For, after all, the joy is as much in the journeying, as in the
journey’s end.
Thank you and we hope you enjoy reading this issue!
Shell World Philippines is published by the Communications
Department for the Shell companies in the Philippines.
Sankie G. Simbulan
Business and Corporate Communications Manager
2 SHELL WORLD PHILIPPINES
18
PROJECT BETTER WORLD
Encouraging volunteerism among Shell
staff in the Philippines to uplift the lives of
people in the communities
Dear Colleagues,
Editorial Advisors
Roberto S. Kanapi
Mylene M. Santos
Contributors
Rosalyn Bade
Mich Cruz
Sai Culanag
Zelina De Vera
Christine Del Valle
Clara Antonette Eser
Sundee Guevarra
Atty. Jigs Macatangay
Dr. Tito A. Reyes
Kaye Rosario
John Benedict Salvador
Mina Tan
SHELL
WORLD
PHILIPPINES
CONTENTS
SHELL
WORLD
PHILIPPINES
04
TWO VIEWS OF THE
ENERGY FUTURE
There is no doubt that the world’s energy
system in 2100 will be radically different
from what we have today. But how will
the transition between today and
tomorrow play out? Royal Dutch
Shell plc Chief Executive Jeroen van
der Veer shares his views
06
BREAKING NEW GROUNDS
Get to know the first woman aviation
refueller in Asia as she shares the triumphs
and travails of breaking into a maledominated profession
SHELL
SHARED SERVICE
CENTRE-MANILA:
Delivering world-class
services to Shell businesses
Celebrating their fourth anniversary this
July, the SSSC-Manila team shows the
world how efficient delivery of services,
and operational and compliance
excellence have earned them the
admiration and trust of customers across
the different Shell businesses and
functions worldwide
20
09
THE ENERGY CHALLENGE
London Science Museum’s Chris Rapley
ponders on climate change and the global
effort to use and produce energy as
efficiently as possible
11, 26
COUNTRY ROUND-UP
A mix of stories about events and
activities in Shell businesses and social
development initiatives
14
WHEN ROADS SPELL GROWTH
The Shell Instapave Solution sparks
growth in the countryside through a
new, cost-efficient technology for paving
durable, all-weather roads
16
DOWNSTREAM-ONE FEATURE:
THE CHANGE MANAGER
Downstream-One Change Manager for
the Philippines Paulo Gavino talks about
his challenging role of spearheading the
Downstream-One Philippines team on the
aspect of change management
24
CHEMICALS THAT MAKE
WASHING COOL
Shell’s NEODOL chemicals have been key
to the development of laundry detergents
that work at lower temperatures – helping
to reduce the energy used for this universal
household routine
32
ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE
FEATURE: eBAY, TAXIS,
PAPERCLIPS – THEY COULD ALL
LOSE YOU YOUR JOB
Observing the Shell Code of Conduct in
the workplace and the practicalities of
doing business in an ethical way
34
D&I FEATURE: CHANGED BY
THE EXCHANGE
Government and Media Relations
Manager Mich Cruz shares her
enriching experience as a participant to
the Rotary International Group Study
Exchange Program
36
36
THE LAD WHO PUTS SCIENCE
TO HEART
‘Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus’ International English Speaking Union
champ Gian Karlo Dapul tells us about
his intriguing and winning speech that
promotes scientific research as a way to
advance in a competitive world
38
LIFE MATTERS’ SUMMER TO
REMEMBER
Learning while having fun is possible with
Shell Life Matters’ colorful and enriching
activities for adults and kids
SHELL WORLD PHILIPPINES 3
FEATURE
Blueprints will not be easy. But it offers the
world the best chance of reaching a sustainable
energy future unscathed, so we should explore
this route with the same ingenuity and
persistence that put humans on the moon and
created the digital age.”
I
ndeed, the distant future looks bright, but much depends on
how we get there. There are two possible routes. Let’s call the
first scenario Scramble. Like an off-road rally through a
mountainous desert, it promises excitement and fierce
competition. However, the unintended consequence of
“more haste” will often be “less speed,” and many will crash
along the way.
TWO ENERGY
FUTURES
JEROEN VAN DER VEER ON
SHELL’S NEW ENERGY SCENARIOS TO 2050,
SCRAMBLE AND BLUEPRINTS.
By 2100, the world’s energy system will be
radically different from today’s. Renewable
energy like solar, wind, hydroelectricity, and
biofuels will make up a large share of the
energy mix, and nuclear energy, too, will
have a place. Humans will have found ways
of dealing with air pollution and greenhouse
gas emissions. New technologies will have
reduced the amount of energy needed to
power buildings and vehicles.
The alternative scenario can be called Blueprints, which
resembles a cautious ride, with some false starts, on a road that is
still under construction. Whether we arrive safely at our
destination depends on the discipline of the drivers and the
ingenuity of all those involved in the construction effort.
Technological innovation provides the excitement.
Regardless of which route we choose, the world’s current
predicament limits our room to maneuver. We are experiencing
a step-change in the growth rate of energy demand due to rising
population and economic development. After 2015, easily
accessible supplies of oil and gas probably will no longer keep up
with demand.
As a result, we will have no choice but to add other sources of
energy – renewables, yes, but also more nuclear power and
unconventional fossil fuels such as oil sands. Using more energy
inevitably means emitting more CO2 at a time when climate
change has become a critical global issue.
In the Scramble scenario, nations rush to secure energy resources
for themselves, fearing that energy security is a zero-sum game,
with clear winners and losers. The use of local coal and
homegrown biofuels increases fast. Taking the path of least
resistance, policymakers pay little attention to curbing energy
consumption – until supplies run short. Likewise, despite much
rhetoric, greenhouse gas emissions are not seriously addressed
until major shocks trigger political reactions. Since these
responses are overdue, they are severe and lead to energy price
spikes and volatility.
The Blueprints scenario is less painful, even if the start is more
disorderly. Numerous coalitions emerge to take on the challenges
of economic development, energy security, and environmental
pollution through cross-border cooperation. Much innovation
occurs at the local level, as major cities develop links with
industry to reduce local emissions. National governments
introduce efficiency standards, taxes, and other policy
instruments to improve the environmental performance of
buildings, vehicles, and transport fuels.
Moreover, as calls for
harmonization increase,
policies converge across
the globe. Cap-and-trade
mechanisms that put a
price on industrial CO2
emissions
gain
international acceptance.
Rising CO2 prices in turn
accelerate
innovation,
spawning breakthroughs.
A growing number of cars
are powered by electricity
and hydrogen, while industrial facilities are
fitted with technology to capture CO2 and
store it underground.
Against the backdrop of these two equally
plausible scenarios, we will know only in a few
years whether December’s Bali declaration on
climate change was just rhetoric or the start of
a global effort to counter it. Much will depend
on how attitudes evolve in China, the European
Union, India, and the United States.
Shell traditionally uses its scenarios to prepare
for the future without expressing a preference
for one over another. But, faced with the need
to manage climate risk for our investors and
our descendants, we believe the Blueprints
outcomes provide the best balance between
economy, energy, and environment. For a
second opinion, we appealed to climate
change calculations made at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. These calculations
indicate that a Blueprints world with CO2
capture and storage results in the least amount
of climate change, provided emissions of
other major manmade greenhouse gases are
similarly reduced.
But the Blueprints scenario will be realized only
if policymakers agree on a global approach to
emissions trading and actively promote energy
efficiency and new technology in four sectors:
heat and power generation, industry, transport,
and buildings.
This will require hard work, and time is short.
For example, Blueprints assumes CO2 is captured
at 90% of all coal- and gas-fired power plants in
developed countries by 2050, plus at least 50%
of those in non-OECD countries. Today, none
capture CO2. Because CO2 capture and storage
adds costs and yields no revenues, government
support is needed to make it happen quickly on a
scale large enough to affect global emissions. At
the least, companies should earn carbon credits
for the CO2 they capture and store.
Blueprints will not be easy. But it offers the
world the best chance of reaching a sustainable
energy future unscathed, so we should explore
this route with the same ingenuity and
persistence that put humans on the moon and
created the digital age.
The world faces a long voyage before it reaches
a low-carbon energy system. Companies can
suggest possible routes to get there, but
governments are in the driver’s seat. And
governments will determine whether we
should prepare for bitter competition or a
true team effort. SWP
Jeroen van der Veer, Chief Executive of Royal
Dutch Shell plc, is Energy Community leader of
the World Economic Forum energy industry
partnership in 2007-2008 and chaired this
year’s Energy Summit in Davos. He also chairs
the Energy and Climate Change working group
of the European Round Table of Industrialists.
FEATURE
BREAKING
NEW GROUNDS
I am ready to deliver what is expected of me in
this job and I am looking forward to learning
more and mastering the art of refueling.”
THE TALE OF THE FIRST WOMAN
AVIATION REFUELLER IN ASIA
By JUN JAY G. JIMENEZ
Photos by JOHN YU
A
s a child, did you ever wonder
how planes reached the skies?
Your curiosity probably led
you to discover that a special
fuel propels airplanes to
conquer the heavens.
Some of the airplanes that we see blazing
a trail on the horizon are powered by
Shell Aviation Philippines, supplying 19
million liters of aviation fuel per month
to over 60 aircrafts in three major
airports in the country. Mighty as the
huge airplanes that taxi the runway,
Shell is the second largest supplier of
JET A-1 aviation fuel in the country today. Moving into the
future, the Shell Aviation Philippines team is full of determination
to reach the summit of success by breaking new grounds.
At the operations level, for instance, changes have been taking place
with the entry of women workers to what was once an all-male
cluster, further strengthening Shell’s commitment to Diversity and
Inclusion, which enables people from different backgrounds,
geographies and cultures to work together in an inclusive style that
results in better teamwork.
The decision to start hiring women refuellers came to Ernesto
Antonio, Aviation Operations Manager for the Philippines and
Guam, when he once visited Shell Aviation in Australia and
witnessed how women there refueled aircrafts with much efficiency.
After some consultations with Shell authorities, Antonio was given
the go signal to start the hunt for women refuellers back home.
Today, Shell Aviation Philippines is proud of its latest jewel. She is a
woman doing a man’s job and she is making strides to master her
craft. Our woman of the hour is Andrea Agno Palma.
In the beginning, all Andrea wanted was to land a simple office
job in Shell. But as fate would have it, she would earn the
distinction of becoming the first and only full-pledged female
Aviation refueller in the Philippines and in Asia. Before she
knew it, she found herself in training and then in the airfield,
refueling the magnificent aircrafts she gazed at only from a
distance as a child.
The hunt for a “Tiger Lily”
A couple of months passed without a woman showing interest
for the aviation refueller position despite the numerous
advertisements posted around the airport facility. Despite the
dismal result of his attempt to hire a woman refueller, Ernesto
Antonio did not give up his plan. He sought the help of Janot
Barretto, Shell Pandacan Social Performance Head, to look for
candidates for the vacancy. Through the Joblink Programme in
Shell Pandacan implemented by Pilipinas Shell Foundation,
Inc., the headhunting went on.
Providence intervened to show Andrea the way to realise her
dream of being part of the Shell family. Though she was already
working as a first aider in the emergency response group of a
posh mall in Mandaluyong City, Andrea still applied for the job.
She went through the rigid process of hiring and after much
perseverance, she finally got accepted as aviation refueller. In the
early morning of September 8, 2007, riding her motorbike for
her first day at work, Andrea, still oblivious of what the future
had in store for her, set to make history.
Confronting reality
Andrea loves her job, with the wealth of experience that it offers.
At times, however, the challenges that she faces wear out her spirit.
But the goals tucked in her mind keep her steadily on track. She
once made a promise to herself to go all out in being a good
example to others through her work, and she intends to keep that
promise despite the odds.
“When I found out that I was the only woman refueller in the
team, I felt nervous. I knew that people around me had
expectations,” relates Andrea of her first day on the job, where
she joined a team of 12 all-male refuellers from Shell Aviation
Philippines. The job offered no bed of roses for Andrea and
from the beginning, she was aware that challenges would come
her way.
Refueling aircrafts is a tough job. At the very least, it requires
stamina for hoisting heavy hoses as well as good navigation skills.
“A good refueller should know how to park a refueling truck well,”
Andrea points out. She explains that there is a proper way of parking
to make refueling aircrafts easier.
“A refueller must position his or her truck at the right spot to
easily connect the hose to the aircraft. The heaviest hose is about
7 kilos, and with pressure, it can weigh as much as 10 kilos. You
must be able to secure the hose on the aircraft’s gas tank in two
minutes, otherwise you will be forced to bring the hose down
and do it all over again,” she shares.
Aside from strength, refueling aircrafts also requires learning
certain techniques which a refueller can only develop through
years of experience. It involves proper positioning for safety and to
prevent body pains.
FEATURE
THE ENERGY
CHALLENGE
“I still have a lot to learn to polish my refueling
skills,” Andrea admits. “There are theories that I
need to study and skills that I need to acquire. I
know in due time, I will be able to master these.”
Every morning, Andrea checks her schedule to find
out the number and types of aircrafts she will be
refueling. “On the average, I refuel 4 to 5 aircrafts
in a day,” she says.
But on particularly busy days, she refuels about 10
airplanes. “There was a time when I had my monthly
period and it happened that I was also scheduled to
refuel more than the usual number of aircrafts. I
remember my whole body was shaking while I was
refueling because my physical condition made me
very weak,” she narrates. Over time, Andrea has
learned to cope with that difficulty as she has gotten
used to the demands of the job.
With her congenial nature, it comes as no
surprise that Andrea has already gained friends
among mechanics and drivers working at the
airport tarmac, ready to help her whenever she
encounters a problem while refueling. Her fellow
refuellers also give her tips on how to do the job
well. Though there is the occasional friction with
co-workers because of their individual differences,
Andrea says, “The challenge is to bond with
everyone here at work. I want to see the work
environment more open to changes. For me, all
I ask is to be respected and accepted as a co-equal
to inspire me to do my job better.”
Despite her natural limitations, Andrea considers
herself no different from her colleagues and does
not expect any special treatment in the workplace
or entitlements just because she is a woman in a
predominantly male line of work.
“We talked about everything, even girls!” says
Andrea with a raucous laugh.
She recalled how hard it was for her to see her
dad on his deathbed. “It was a painful experience.
He was always there when I was growing up. He
taught me to be dedicated in whatever I chose to
do and to be honest always. When I first started
at this job, I could feel my dad’s presence, as if he
was guiding me. But now, I feel that I am on my
own. Perhaps he has let go of me, seeing that I
can stand on my own two feet now,” muses
Andrea, who declares she has grown more
responsible in her father’s absence.
Andrea supports the family now and it brings her
great joy to take care of her mother. “I will give to
her whatever I can. We are much closer now. She
is my ally and my best buddy!” she says with a
bright smile.
A breath of fresh air
With Shell Aviation Philippines aiming to soar
even higher in the coming years, having more
Andreas in the team will be a driving force to
really make a difference in the workplace.
“With Andrea in the team, I see it has brought
healthy competition. I have been with Shell
Aviation for 26 years and the entry of women in
our team can only spark competitiveness and
growth among staff,” declares Antonio, assuring
his team that a promotion in rank will always be
based on merit and not on gender.
“I told my team that they do not have to worry.
It does not matter whether you are male or
female, one will be promoted based on excellent
performance,” he adds.
“I am ready to deliver what is expected of me in
this job and I am looking forward to learning
more and mastering the art of refueling,” says
Andrea with dogged determination.
Anywhere in the world, the business environment
is transforming rapidly. Developments are
continually unfolding and, in this globalised
environment, change is inevitable.
A peek into her life
Growing up, Andrea was her father’s favorite child. “I
was very close to my dad and he had a strong influence
on me,” recounts Andrea. She narrated with deep
fondness the times she spent with her late father who
succumbed to lung cancer in 2006.
While some changes unfold uncertainties before
our eyes, isn’t it happiness to welcome, support,
and work with someone who is as promising and
determined as Andrea? With her entry into Shell
Aviation Philippines, it can only be a welcome
change. SWP
– London Science
Museum’s Chris Rapley
A GLOBAL EFFORT TO MAKE THE
WAY WE USE AND PRODUCE
ENERGY AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE
IS ESSENTIAL TO SLOWING
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE.
grow in the future. There is simply no silver bullet
to climate change.
In a world where the supplies of gas, oil and
coal are increasingly uncertain, other forms
of energy such as nuclear, 2nd and 3rd
generation biofuels, wind and wave will all
have to be deployed.
The one that will make the most difference if the
technological obstacles are cracked will be solar.
If we could capture even a percentage of the solar
e spoke to Chris Rapley, the power that the earth is bathed in every day that
director of London’s Science would make a huge impact.
Museum, about climate
change, population growth You have mentioned population
and the part the energy fluctuation as a consideration in the
industries have to play in tackling one of mankind’s climate change debate. Can you
greatest challenges: the supply of clean, secure and elaborate upon this?
sustainable energy for our future.
It turns out that there are many, many more
children being born today than people actually
What can mankind do to tackle the want. This is simply because they do not have
need for more energy while
access to education or have the wherewithal for
reducing C02 emissions?
them to decide the size of their family.
There is no single technological, social or
leadership solution because our demand for We know from the campaigns that the United
energy continues to grow and will continue to Nations have run how much it costs to provide
W
Professor Chris Rapley, CBE
CBE, is the Director of the Science Museum in London. He has
held many high-profile positions in the scientific world prior to this. He was Director of the British
Antarctic Survey, following a period as Executive Director of the International GeosphereBiosphere Programme at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. He was also a
Professor of Remote Sensing Science at University College London for a period of time.
His interests are in climate change and earth system science, as well as a more
general interest in the organisation, leadership and communication of science.
On the 29th of January 2008 it was announced that Professor Rapley CBE, had been
awarded the 2008 Edinburgh Medal for his work on climate and climate change.
To find out more about Chris, visit the Science Museum’s website at www.
sciencemuseum.org.uk
FEATURE
SHELL: MEETING TODAY AND TOMORROW’S ENERGY CHALLENGE
Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project
The trailblazing Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power project in Northeastern Palawan represents the
largest and most significant industrial investment in the history of the Philippines. It heralds the birth of
the country’s natural gas industry through the supply of clean, environment-friendly fuel slated to
provide 2,700 MW of power to Luzon for a period of 20 years starting January 2002. This meets 30%
of Luzon’s power generation requirements. The upstream component of the Malampaya Project, costing
US $ 2 billion, was developed and is currently being operated by Shell Philippines Exploration B.V.
(SPEX) together with its joint venture partners.
Sakhalin I Project
Aerial view of the Molikpaq gas
production platform surrounded
by ice waters in Sakhalin, Russia.
On Sakhalin I, Shell uses a fixed
drilling and production platform
called Molikpaq, which can
operate only for a good number
of months in a year because of
ice loading. Sensors are installed
on the platform to gather data on
ice activity. A number of motel
tests are carried out on various
platform designs and with this
intelligence, various types of ice
loads can be predicted. Shell also
has a weather advisory center to
help track the ice.
all of those factors that allow population rates
to decline very rapidly and completely
naturally without any coercion and without
any unpleasantness.
Athabasca Oil Sands Project
Employee handling oil from Muskeg River Mine, the
Athabasca Oil Sands Project, which is the first, fully
integrated oil sand project in 25 years that will produce
up to 155,000 barrels of bitumen per day. Its aim is to
supply ten percent of Canada’s oil needs or produce
enough oil and oil related products to power the
equivalent of one in three cars in Alberta.
I happen to know that Shell
in particular is a company
that generally recognises that
there is a serious problem and
is generally committed to
trying to find a way forward
to do something about it.”
The carbon emissions that would be saved by
those people not existing because they are
not born in the first place would lead to
savings in giga-tonnes of carbon that cost a
thousand times less than any of the other
technology solutions like. All of the solutions,
such as wind, solar and nuclear power, that
people are talking about at the moment have
trillion dollar bills to save you giga-tonnes of
emission by 2050.
Do you think we have reached
the
“tipping
point”
where
consumers are willing to pay
more for cleaner energy?
I think we might be teetering on it. If people
have an issue explained to them and they are
convinced that there is a problem and what they
are being asked to do is fair, and others are taking
on their fair share, then by and large they will
willingly do it. This is why an international
agreement is so critical.
What about the energy industry,
what part do they have to play?
I’m pleased that the oil companies are out there
trying to find more supplies of oil and gas. This
gives us time to figure out how to de-carbonise
the energy supply. I happen to know that Shell in
particular is a company that generally recognises
that there is a serious problem and is generally
committed to trying to find a way forward to do
something about it.
Clearly the oil companies with their huge
turnover, their huge capacity for financing new
technologies, their huge reserves of talent and
their capacity to organise that talent will play a
crucial role.
You must have seen Al Gore’s film
“An Inconvenient Truth” on this
subject. What did you think of it?
I worked with Al Gore when he was in the
UK and I was hugely impressed. He is a very
gifted communicator and orator. I have
heard him dissect and deconstruct “An
Inconvenient Truth” and explain why the
rhythm is the way it is, why the chapters are
the way they are and so on. In particular he
refers to the hope and despair budgets and
he points out that one of the ironies of
climate change is that it is such a big issue
and so daunting that the more effectively
you communicate, the more likely you are
to drive people into despair and paralysis.
Therefore, he is very careful in “An
Inconvenient Truth” to lay the story down
in layers and chapters and revive people at
the appropriate moment so that they leave
the room fired up to do something about it
and are not completely crushed.
I definitely recommend seeing the film if you
have not already done so. You can find more
information about it on his web site www.
climatecrisis.net.
Are you optimistic about our
ability to find a solution to the
energy challenge?
The human capacity to solve this is out there,
it just needs to be marshalled and that just is
not happening at the moment -not sufficiently,
anyway. So that leaves me marginally on the
side of optimism. SWP
COUNTRY
ROUND-UP
Biggest bus company in VisMin signs
supply agreement with Shell
Pilipinas
Shell
Petroleum
Corporation (PSPC) and the
Yanson Group of Companies signed
a five-year supply agreement for
Diesoline B1 on May 2, 2008 at the
L’Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City.
Under the Yanson Group of
Companies are the bus lines Vallacar
Transit, Inc. (Ceres Liners), Rural
Transit Mindanao, Inc., and
Bachelor Express, Inc., which
operate 1,700 bus units in 10
branches and terminals located in
Visayas and Mindanao.
With the agreement, Shell will
supply a significant volume of
diesoline annually to an account that
is considered the biggest land
transportation bus entity in the Philippines in terms reliability,” said Commercial Fuels Regional
of fleet size. PSPC Commercial Fuels Account Manager Richard Tiansay. “Discovery of the
Manager Sai Culanag, Jr. manages the account.
customer’s real needs was made possible by
professional sales and marketing teams.”
During the signing ceremony, PSPC Chairman
and President Edgar Chua said, “I am sure that Signing the supply agreement were
our relationship can go only from strength to (seated, l-r) Herculio M. Zerna, Vallacar
strength. We want you to be very competitive and Transit, Inc. VP Finance; Ricardo B.
profitable when you use our products. Thank you Yanson, Vallacar Transit, Inc. President;
for the trust and confidence that you have given us Edgar O. Chua, Pilipinas Shell Chairman
in supplying your requirements.”
and President; Richard C. Tiansay.
Witnessing the ceremony were (standing,
“Becoming the preferred fuels partner of Vallacar l-r) Ed Capati, CF Account Manager; Sai
Transit, Inc., and its affiliates is indeed a significant A. Culanag, Jr.; Amando Lacsamana, Shell
step towards the goal of winning this account. Bacolod Terminal Manager; Chito Flores,
Having fuel depots in key locations across Southern Shell Bacolod Operations Supervisor;
Philippines, we matched the geographic cover of Marvie Labayen, LPG Account Manager. [Jun
our customers and leveraged our strength on supply Jay Jimenez and Sai Culanag]
Having fuel depots in key
locations across Southern
Philippines, we matched
the geographic cover
of our customers and
leveraged our strength on
supply reliability.”
Source: Shell World UK, Shelley Hoppes
CNG bus operators sign supply deal with Shell
It is rare to find a partnership
where all stakeholders come out as
winners and this is one such example.”
Department of Energy (DoE) accredited bus operators
HM Transport and KL CNG Bus Transport Corp. recently
signed a supply agreement with Pilipinas Shell Petroleum
Corporation for the supply of compressed natural gas
(CNG) to power its public transport vehicles. Both
transport companies
are part of the Philippine
government’s Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Public
Transport (NGVPPT), which aims to lessen the impact of
pollution and promote the use of clean energy for a safer
and healthier environment.
Under the agreement, Diwal Corporation, retailer of the
first CNG daughter station located in the northbound lane
of the South Luzon Tollway in Biñan, Laguna, will supply
CNG and refuel the CNG-powered buses. Shell Fleet Card
will be used as payment for CNG transactions in the
daughter station.
Signing the CNG supply agreement were Pilipinas Shell
Chairman and President Edgar Chua (seated, 2nd from
right), Diwal Corporation President Rudy Jamora (seated,
2nd from left), HM Transport President Homer Mercado
(seated, far right), and KL CNG Bus Transport Corporation
President Charlie Lim (seated, middle). Witnessing the
deal were CNG Project Manager-Philippines Richard
Behag (seated, far left), (standing, l-r) Pilipinas Shell
Regional Manager-Metro Manila Oying Yam, Retail
Finance Manager Philippines & NPI Carmi Uy, Shell
Fleet Card Account Manager Jan-Jan Zaide, Vice President
for Communications Roberto Kanapi, Retail Territory
Manager-Laguna Ricci Juan, Retail Pricing Manager Raffy
Capinpin, and Legal Counsels Atty. Jig Fado, Atty. Raul
Quiroz and Atty. Erwin Orocio.
Shell pioneered natural gas development in the country by
putting up the first CNG mother-daughter station in the
country after the discovery and exploration of the Malampaya
Deep Water Gas-to-Power project in Northwest Palawan.
CNG is extracted from the Shell-operated Malampaya gas
fields, transported via a pipeline to a mother station in
Tabangao, Batangas, where it is compressed and transported to
the pilot Shell CNG refilling station in Mamplasan, Biñan,
Laguna. [Jo Diana-Diga]
Shellane is
San Miguel
Foods’ First
Choice
Process Knowledge Workshop sparks the journey
A successful two-week Process Knowledge Workshop (PKW) for Shell
Philippines and Indonesia ran from June 2-13, 2008 at the Sofitel Philippine
Plaza. The event, which was participated in by over 500 participants, was
organised by the Downstream-One Philippines Organisation.
activity on managing people during a time of change was moderated by Mind Gym, a
consultancy that helps organisations all over the world to implement change and boost
learning and development. The Mind Gym activity helped the PKW participants learn about
different character profiles and the best approaches to get change done.
Over 150 sessions were held for the duration of this key event designed to transfer
process knowledge and solutions from the global team to the local downstream
business teams in preparation for Go Live on July 1, 2009, when the DownstreamOne Programme will be fully implemented for both the Philippines and Indonesia.
The programme is part of the Downstream strategy to reduce complexity and increase
efficiency, leading to satisfied
customers
and
improved
competitiveness.
At the end of the two-week intensive workshop, Shell business heads from the Philippines
and Indonesia gave a presentation of their action plans during the PKW Read Out
session. Each business head presented the level of readiness of their respective businesses,
in relation to the Downstream-One journey. The presentation showed action plans and
issues as well as target dates of completion under three segments, namely: business
readiness, people readiness, and
process design readiness. The close
out session allowed the businesses
and functions to collectively review
and understand the changes as well as
the challenges ahead.
During the opening plenary,
Shell companies in the
Philippines (SciP) Country
Chairman Edgar Chua stressed
the importance of moving from
an attitude of mere compliance
to that of commitment, and the
need for business alignment and
integration to ensure a successful
Go Live for both countries.
One of the highlights of the
PKW was the plenary session on
Preparing for Implementation
opened by Change Manager for
the Philippines Paulo Gavino
and Change Manager for
Indonesia Anna Soenardi.
During this session, a lecture and
Overall, the Philippine team’s
confidence in achieving milestones
for the Downstream-One Journey is
scaling up well as they move towards
Go Live. Christophe Boulanger,
Streamline Accountable Executive
Lead, cited that the Philippine team
is one of the best teams that he has
seen so far while working for the
programme’s completion.
“I am impressed by the quality of the
presentation and ownership of the
General Managers of their respective
businesses,” said Boulanger. [Sankie
Simbulan and Jun Jay Jimenez]
Shellane, Pilipinas Shell’s LPG brand, entered into a
partnership with San Miguel Foods, Inc. (SMFI)’s
Poultry Business, for the LPG supply of SMFI’s
contract growers nationwide. A clear customer value
proposition, with emphasis on the effect of proper
heating technologies on chicken live weight and
grower profitability, made the benefits of using LPG
and tying up with Shellane apparent to SMFI.
Through this partnership, SMFI, which dominates
the country’s chicken industry with a 40% market
share, will be endorsing Shellane to serve the
heating requirements of their 1000+ strong contract
grower network.
Signing the agreement are Dewey Tan (AVP and
Live Operations Manager and Shell
LPG
Philippines General manager Bernard Ong and
SMFI Poultry Business Vice President and General
Manager Tatish Palabyab together with (far left,
seated) SMPFI National CGO Manager Rico
Zavalla and Shell LPG B2B2C Team Leader Rose
Chu-Dizon. Also witnessing the signing are
(standing, l-r) SMFI South Luzon CGO Head Dr.
Bertie Cepeda, Central Luzon CGO Head Dr. Art
Santos, North Luzon CGO Head Mr. Noel Pineda,
Shell LPG Account Manager–Metro Manila David
Plaza, Shell LPG Account Manager – Commercial
North Valerimae Batenga, Shell LPG Account
Manager – Northern Luzon Rene Gamba, Shell
LPG Business Development and Marketing
Manager Andy Mendiola , and Shell LPG Technical
Manager John Macoy.
“This partnership with Shellane not only benefits both
companies but our contract growers as well. It is rare to
find a partnership where all stakeholders come out as
winners and this is one such example. I hope both
companies can help each other out more in the future,”
Palabyab said on behalf of SMFI. [Zelina De Vera]
FEATURE
The INSTAPAVE SYSTEM
WHEN R ADS
SPELL GROWTH
Slurry Seal
Fog Seal
Layer of Stone Chips
Layer of Tack Coat
SHELL INSTAPAVE HELPS SPARK DEVELOPMENT
IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
Base with Prime Seal Emulsion
The Macarascas-Sabang Road today
G
ood roads mean good business.
Building sturdy, all-weather
roads is a potent factor for
stimulating investment activity,
much needed in developing
areas. Reliable roads usher in multifarious
economic benefits such as employment,
livelihood and generally an improved way of life
for residents of a community.
In the Philippines, building road infrastructure is
among the priority projects of government,
which aims to energise the agricultural and
industrial potential of rural areas as a way of
intensifying economic reforms in the countryside.
But reality bites. Building road networks is costly
and requires bulkier government coffers to carry
out such large-scale development projects.
On the other hand, limited resources can only
inspire creativity. In today’s world of innovations,
finding practical solutions that help pave the way
for progress is not impossible at all, especially if it
is a cost-effective road project that will yield a lot
of gains.
Shell believes that road rehabilitation need not
be a costly venture. With the invention of the
Instapave Solution, Shell demonstrates how
Instapave at work
making roads can be considerably cheaper and
easier. Shell Instapave (short for Instant
Pavement) is a cold-applied emulsion-based
road surfacing technology designed for
upgrading low and medium volume gravel roads
into durable, all-weather paved roads. Developed
by a technical team of Filipinos led by then Shell
Philippines Bitumen Technical Adviser Mary
Ann de Chavez, former Marketing Manager
Cris de Castro, and Key Account Manager Bitumen Ed Dalisay, this innovative road
technology has been piloted in South America,
India, Africa, and in some parts of Asia.
While Instapave can cost more than gravelling
initially, it is cheaper over the life cycle. It is also
much simpler and quicker to lay, since it can be
transported in drums and mixed on site, unlike
typical roads that are mixed in a plant, transported
over long distances and need several weeks to
harden. The Shell Instapave road can be ready for
traffic within about 30 minutes of application of
the road’s final layer. And, since it is fully mobile, it
is perfect for even the remotest areas.
Paving the roads to progress
The journey of Instapave in the Philippines
started two years ago. In 2006, Puerto Princesa,
Palawan, saw the transformation of Barangay
Sta. Lourdes and the
Macarascas-Sabang
road into a stretch of
well-paved infrastructure through
In s t a p a v e , w h i c h
brought convenience
and comfort to
thousands of motorists
plying the area, and a
remarkably improved
quality of life in the
local communities.
Instapave has proven
that quality need not
carry a hefty price tag.
The product is costefficient compared to
asphalt and concrete
for paving roads. Because of its affordability,
local governments can now be encouraged to
embark on essential road rehabilitation projects.
Paved roads mean a way out of poverty. It means
rural children will have easier access to schools,
farmers will reach wider markets and families
will have improved access to healthcare. Superb
road conditions also boost tourism and create
jobs in the countryside’s formerly hard to reach
but promising destinations.
Aside from being an economical alternative for
paving roads, Instapave also yields
environmental and health benefits. Because it
does not need the asphalt batching plant used
to mix material for concrete or asphalt roads,
Instapave produces less carbon dioxide and is
therefore gentler on the environment. Designed
for light to medium traffic roads that are mostly
found in rural areas, Instapave also reduces the
health risks that a dust road brings on rural
folks. Considering all the benefits that Instapave
offers, the quality of life in rural communities
can only leap to a higher ground.
Realising Mindanao’s promise
The Instapave experience in Palawan made a
reverberating success that spread through the farflung areas of Mindanao, which has long been
regarded as a land of promise, blessed with rich
natural resources.
The Mindanao region is vastly agricultural
and building a network of farm-to-market
roads is essential to realise its economic
potential. In Tago, a fourth class municipality
in Agusan del Sur, Instapave was the solution
for the locality’s long-time problem of
unpaved and broken roads.
Tago was the first pilot area in Mindanao for
Instapave. The optimism of its local chief
executive to use Instapave for a 2.2-kilometer
stretch in a poblacion (town) in his area was
encouraging for the Instapave team.
Mayor Hermenegildo Pimentel of Tago, Agusan
del Sur, was looking for a durable and cost-efficient
paving solution for the roads in his municipality,
which Instapave delivered. The road paving was
accomplished at the least possible cost and at the
shortest period, giving the municipality huge
savings. With the success of the maiden project in
Tago using the Instapave solution, Mayor Pimentel
was convinced that Instapave could deliver the
same quality and efficiency in other road projects
in his municipality.
The municipality of Tago spent only Php 3.5
million for paving the road in the poblacion
instead of Php 8 million for using ordinary
asphalt or Php 20 million for using concrete for
this road project.
“Instapave really works wonders and saves us a lot
of money and I hope more areas in the country
will also benefit from this new product by
Pilipinas Shell,” Mayor Pimentel said.
Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) Region,
Western and Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas,
and Mindanao. With the support of the DPWH,
the team is equipped for a bustling business
journey to rehabilitate road networks all over
the country.
The team is also launching the Shell Bitumen
Technology Center in Tabangao, Batangas in
September 2008. The Technology Center is a
world-class facility and the first in the Philippines
that will serve as the central hub of mix-design
engineering and emulsifier/polymer-based
product development.
“We are a trailblazer in the solutions-selling
segment and we will continue to grow and
dominate this market segment in the years
to come,” says Bitumen Business Manager
Randy Luis B. Anastacio.
Looking at the end-user impact of the business,
Instapave Manager Mike Son says, “Local
governments should take advantage of this
opportunity to make the lives of their
constituents better and at the same time help
in the reduction of carbon dioxide footprint.”
With some 78% of roads in the Philippines
still unpaved, there are vast kilometres of roads
in the countryside waiting to experience the
wonders of Instapave. The Instapave team is
hopeful, vibrant, and full of energy, ready to
pave the way for prosperity and growth in the
farthest reaches of the country. (With reports
from Michael David Son) SWP
In the last quarter of 2007, the Department
of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
– Bureau of Research and Standards,
awarded a conditional approval to Shell
Instapave. This milestone is a vital step
towards Shell Instapave passing the
national standard application, which
allows national and local government
units and their affiliate agencies to use
the
system
in
their
respective
infrastructure projects in the country.
Road map to success
Instapave’s debut in the Philippines was met
with much enthusiasm by local government
units and contractors and continues to face
bright prospects, with a wide expanse of
potential markets to explore and conquer.
This year, the Instapave team started with a
robust campaign to promote Instapave as
the most economical and quality solution
to giving road networks in the country a
new face. To beef up the business, Shell
acquired slurry machines which are used to
apply the slurry mixture on the road
surface. These machines were commissioned
to Shell’s partner applicators in North and
Central Luzon, MIMAROPA (Mindoro,
The Shell Instapa
ve
Team
FEATURE
THE CHANGE
MANAGER
Ultimately, our objective is for the change to be so
deeply inculcated in the organisation that people no
longer feel that they need our guidance. That’s when I
can say that change management has been effective.”
DOWNSTREAM-ONE CHANGE MANAGER
PAULO GAVINO TALKS ABOUT HIS ROLE
AS AN AGENT OF CHANGE
By CHRISTINE DEL VALLE
Photo by EDISON SIA
Change Management is the people aspect of change. In managing change, the focus lies in three
key areas: Communications, Organisation Design and Training.
W
hether we realise it or not, managing change is the
ultimate key to any successful business undertaking.
Along with the thrill of a new set-up, shifting process
dimensions, developing new business frameworks, and
deploying all these mechanisms to internal and external
audiences comes the more challenging role of ensuring that a planned and
consistent approach is in place to enable leaders and staff to smoothly navigate
through the change journey and easily adapt to the new ways of working.
Downstream-One Change Manager for the Philippines Paulo Gavino
tackles his most challenging role to date as he spearheads the DownstreamOne Philippines team on the aspect of change management. The
Downstream-One programme is considered to be of significant scale and
scope, and possibly the biggest change to happen in the history of Shell and
for several years to come. For Gavino, being part of the team that will help
prepare the Shell Philippines organisation through this colossal change
journey towards Go Live on July 1, 2009 is challenging indeed. In this new
role, Gavino takes stock of his 14 years of experience in Shell, where he has
performed various roles, including Retail Territory Manager, Equipment
Development Head for Retail Engineering, Fleet Card and Commercial
Road Transport Project Team Lead, Fleet Card Sales Manager, Human
Resources Account Manager for Retail and Downstream Learning Manager.
Gavino talks to SWP and shares his thoughts about his current job and the
tasks at hand.
SWP: What were the key challenges you faced when
you accepted this new role?
Gavino: In the beginning, the task ahead seemed daunting -- implementing
a high profile programme with multiple stakeholders and global stakes. But I
am not alone. It is a source of pride and comfort to be part of the DownstreamOne Philippines organisation, a group of dedicated and talented professionals,
committed to make the Philippines Go Live a success. Global and regional
resources have also been mobilised to make this happen.
At the end of the day, it’s all about the people. When I look at the level
of commitment that people have to make the programme work, the level
of support that every department is willing to give to the programme,
and the level of influence that the Philippine Downstream Coordinating
Team (DCT) has, I feel very confident that Downstream-One will
achieve everything that it was designed to achieve.
SWP: What is Change Management?
Gavino: We in the Change Team are like the project managers for the
people aspect of change. In implementing a new business programme,
especially one as major as Downstream-One, managing stress is
important. You see we have a business to run, and along the way we’re
changing the way it works. It’s like fixing a boat while you’re at sea, or
repairing a plane while in flight. This can be very stressful--for people
to be “business as usual” while taking on even more project tasks. But
stress can also be positive, because it keeps us from getting lax. So the
key is to manage people’s stress levels, making sure that there is always
enough of it to keep people on their toes, but not too much that they
begin to burn out.
In terms of specific lessons, on the aspect of communications, we need
to balance telling with listening. When it comes to resourcing staff, we
need to get the best people for the job and optimise team structure and
responsibilities. We need to work in an integrated manner, and gel
together early to get alignment spot on.
SWP: Why do you think change is necessary?
Gavino: They say, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. We say, ‘it’ may be working
now but is it doing sufficiently well and will it do so in the future?
Real engagement is based on self-directed learning - where people own
the realisation on the case for change. We will not only “cascade” new
information but more importantly be clear on what we want our people
to think, feel and do as a result of any communication.
The globalisation of our processes and systems is an investment for the future
and we need to focus our energies on how we can make the DownstreamOne strategy work. Mistakes hurt our business and they prevent us from
being competitive in the market so we need to correct these mistakes and in
order to do that, we must change our present way of doing things.
Employees need to know why the change is necessary. If they can’t
envision the “burning platform” of why change is necessary, it will be
difficult for them to welcome it. Identifying “burning” change issues
will help stakeholders be more willing to accept change and adapt to
the new ways of thinking and doing.
SWP: What was the experience of other countries in
change management? What can we learn from them?
Gavino: There are many rich lessons on change management that we can
learn from the other countries that have gone live. We have, in particular,
our Change Manager for the East and our colleagues from Singapore
(the most recent country to go live and the best implementation so far)
to thank for generously sharing their experience with us and helping us
through our own journey towards Go Live on July 1, 2009. But the
lessons and tools must be taken in the proper context with local
consideration in mind so that the approach is fit for our purpose. In
other words, we must not copy blindly.
SWP: What can Shell employees expect from
Change Management?
Gavino: Some people may think we are still in the early stages of the
journey. But we are keen on engaging Shell employees as often as we can.
We will try to help free up key people from existing responsibilities so they
can concentrate on the new effort.
SWP: Change management seems to be such a
complex process as you will definitely be
confronted with multiple issues. How do you intend
to address them?
Gavino: We will have to deal with each and every key issue with speed
and escalate if need be - particularly if it involves staff.
SWP: How will you effectively communicate the
changes across the Shell companies in the Philippines?
Gavino: We will use every existing communications channel and
opportunity that we have -- staff engagements, e-mails, leaders “walking
the talk”, etc. We have a communications plan that has been running
and which will last even until several months after Go Live.
SWP: How will you propagate this change and make
it work?
Gavino: Going live next year is not the end game. It will take years to
get the changes to sink in - with our staff and with our customers/
vendors. After Go Live, whatever changes the programme team has put
in place must all be well-integrated into the Shell businesses and
functions’ new ways of doing things. This will be the only way to make
the changes stick!
SWP: What are the vast benefits of this new system
for Shell?
Gavino: Shell companies abroad that have already undergone deployment
are logging excellent stuff about early success stories and this is making our
job easier in painting a bright picture of the future for Shell Philippines
staff. Good examples include ‘Australia Lubricants set up new customer
accounts within a drastically reduced timeframe (from six weeks down to
seven days)’, ‘Significant reductions in small order lubes deliveries in Latin
America resulting in $43,000 savings’, ‘2-hour waiting time in Hong Kong
Lubes warehouses down to 30 minutes’, ‘Retail Operator Platform Change
producing record quarterly Mystery Motorist Program scores in Hong
Kong’, and the list goes on. I expect soon, the Philippines will be adding a
whole lot more to this list of successes as a benefit of Downstream-One .
SWP: How will you know if effective change
management has been achieved?
Gavino: Ultimately, our objective is for the change to be so deeply
inculcated in the organisation that people no longer feel that they need
our guidance. That’s when I can say that change management has been
effective. Go Live won’t be the end game. It will take some time to get
the changes to sink in with our staff and with our customers and vendors.
Nobody said that Downstream-One is a sprint; this is a marathon and
we’re in it for the long haul. When folks grow less afraid of change, learn
the specific steps needed to make any large adjustment to new
circumstances, and know how to work well together to keep leaping
into a better future—that’s a good indication that we have done our job
as change managers. I don’t just mean us in the Change Team, but every
single person in the entire global organisation of Shell. After all, each of
us is an agent of change. SWP
The Downstream-One Programme is part of the Downstream
strategy to reduce complexity and increase efficiency, leading
to satisfied customers and improved competitiveness.
For Shell this means having simple, common processes and operational
excellence, through which we are able to deliver ‘exceptional basics.’
For our customers this means a more reliable and efficient service from
Shell, making it easier to do business with us.
For our people Downstream-One means more time and resources to work
with our customers to create and deliver value – today and in the future.
In the end we will have a simpler, more efficient and more profitable
Downstream business.
FEATURE
PROJECT
BETTER WORLD
PBW aims to take in
more and more volunteers
in its goal to improve
the country and the
lives of its people.”
GLOBAL IMPROVEMENT THROUGH
EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT
By JOHN BENEDICT SALVADOR
O
n April 2, 2008, Project Better
World (PBW) Philippines joined
the Global Team in celebrating
PBW’s 10th anniversary. This
year’s thrust is to encourage more
and more Shell employees and contractors to
volunteer their time in activities spearheaded by
PBW and its partners here and abroad.
PBW in the Philippines is now on its fifth year.
Since it first started, the local organisation has
already reached out to numerous marginalised
Filipinos, involving a growing number of Shell
employees and contractors in the process.
That’s a feat for something that started out
from someone’s small idea.
Early beginnings
Fresh from working in Shell International
Exploration and Production in The Hague,
Netherlands, Xavier Nivera
wanted to explore how to create
a local arm of Shell’s PBW.
Nivera was greatly inspired to
see PBW in action abroad and
wanted to bring the
movement to the Philippines
as a way of encouraging
volunteerism among Shell
Philippines staff and making
them part of a global
movement to create a better
world for all mankind.
PBW is a voluntary organisation run by Shell
employees and contractors with the primary
mission of building awareness and understanding
of sustainable development throughout Shell, and
creating a cultural shift in the organisation toward
a sustainable future. This is done by offering the
Shell community opportunities to promote
sustainability in tangible projects, at their locations
and around the globe, and thereby to contribute
to a better world.
Through the help of former Malampaya
production technologist Tom Morris, a small
group of employees was introduced to a non18 SHELL WORLD PHILIPPINES
Overall, there is a positive feeling from staff who take part in PBW. Despite busy schedules and
tight deadlines, volunteers ensure their active participation in the activities organised by the PBW
Team. Here are just some responses from staff on how their PBW experience has affected them
and their jobs:
“It has helped me to achieve work-life balance.”
- Nina Fleta, SPEX Operations
Improvements Engineer
government organisation called Hands-on
Manila (HOM). HOM is the local partner of
Child Hope, an international organisation that
caters to the welfare of children.
PBW Philippines tied up with HOM, with
Shell volunteers participating in youthoriented and environment-related projects
spearheaded
by
non-government
organisations. Communication was kept
informal and ideas were shared through email or occasional lunch meetings. Early
volunteers preferred that the volunteer
initiative start slow by keeping involvement
as low-key and informal as possible. Needless
to say, the news spread, the pool of volunteers
increased and it became natural for Shell
employees to get together and brainstorm on
projects in the spirit of volunteerism.
Now, PBW Philippines has a membership of
more than a hundred employees and
contractors from the different Shell companies
in the Philippines. It does not end there. PBW
aims to take in more and more volunteers in its
goal to improve the country and the lives of its
people. PBW continues to come up with
activities and projects to encourage employee
volunteerism while engaging, leveraging and
strengthening relationships with the local
stakeholders in staying aligned with the idea
of sustainable development.
Joining forces
Since its inception, PBW Philippines has
networked with different volunteer, nonprofit and non-government organisations
(NGOs) with the aim of getting Shell
employees to lend their time, talent and
resources to noteworthy endeavours and
contribute to a better Philippines. Some of
these organisations are:
“It adds another dimension to my life in Shell,
aside from work. It also makes me feel good
that the company reaches out and really puts
action behind its words.”
- Simone Rodriguez, SPEX Graduate
Subsea Engineer
“It gives me the opportunity to make a positive
contribution to society and the environment,
which is a different sense of accomplishment
from what I’ve gained in SPEX.”
- Rhea Navarro, SPEX Production
Services Engineer
• Hands-on Manila (HOM) – a non-government
organisation that is the local partner of Child
Hope, an international organisation that caters
to the welfare of children. HOM provides a
monthly newsletter of NGO activities and also
assists in finding suitable projects for any group
of volunteers with a particular request.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Philippines –
a national organisation of the WWF network
since 1997. The organisation’s conservation
program places strong marine emphasis in the
conservation of species and habitats, and
utilises highly integrative and participatory
approaches to find solutions that work for the
environment and for the people that live in
and depend on it.
• Tuloy sa Don Bosco Foundation, Inc. – a
non-profit organisation that houses street
children, runaways, and abandoned youth and
provides them with education in the hope of
ending the cycle of poverty in the country.
• Coral Watch Institute– an environmental
organisation that is funded by the University of
Queensland to check on coral health in various
locations around the world.
“It helps put my life in perspective,
reminding me that there is a world outside
of my workplace that I can also make a
positive impact on. It gives me a tangible
way to take action on non-work issues
such as environmental awareness and
pollution control.”
- Kara Galicia, SPEX Process Engineer
“I make a living as Sustainable Development
Assistant but beyond my day job, I find employee
volunteerism more fulfilling for there are no KPIs
nor business pressures, just pure love.
- Grace C. Diamante, SPEX Sustainable
Development Assistant and former
PBW Country Lead
In the past, PBW Philippines has also partnered
with the Manila Zoo, Museo Pambata and
Habitat for Humanity. This year, PBW
Philippines has added new partners in their quest
for youth and environmental protection and
other sustainable initiatives while keeping those
they have already made solid ties with. The new
partners are:
• Cancer Warriors Foundation – a volunteer
network of young people committed to advance
the fight against childhood cancers and to assist
in the treatment and care of poor and
disadvantaged kids stricken with cancer.
• Alitaptap – a group of volunteers whose
mission is to promote literacy through the art
of storytelling.
The year is slated with different opportunities
where Shell staff can volunteer their extra time.
The idea is to provide activities that cut through
the different interests of Shell staff, covering a
wide array of volunteer events such as tree
planting, coastal clean up, art therapy sessions,
storytelling, lectures about the environment and
workshops for kids.
VALUABLE
INSIGHTS
With these in mind, PBW Philippines strives to
further energise the spirit of employee
volunteerism in Shell. Knowing full well that
volunteerism has a significant impact not just to
the communities where volunteers serve but to the
volunteers themselves, the PBW Team aims to
involve more and more Shell staff in the years to
come. As a company that prides itself in being a
steward for sustainable development, ingraining
PBW within the Shell business can only add value
to the way we do things.
[To learn more about PBW in the Philippines, visit
the site at: http://sww.shell.com/pbw. From
there, you can check the Philippine Team under
the National Teams tab.]
Moving forward
Locally, PBW volunteers actively take part in
sponsored
projects
across
different
communities. The PBW Philippines Team
also hopes to drive involvement in the globally
sponsored projects like Voluntary Service
Overseas (VSO), Earthwatch, and United
Nations Volunteers (UNV). Ultimately, PBW
Philippines wants Filipino staff to take part
in the global programmes, be enriched by
their international volunteer experience, and
encourage others to do the same.
In VSO, volunteers aim to share their
expertise with the local community on
Information Technology, Management and
Finance. The overseas assignment duration
typically lasts from two months to a year.
Earthwatch gives international volunteers
two weeks of hands-on contribution to
different environmental and biodiversity
projects and, in turn, promotes environmental
sustainability. PBW also recently partnered
with the United Nations to further expand
volunteer avenues for Shell staff. All these
partnerships are designed to allow Shell
employees to contribute their professional
skills in making a real difference within a
given time period. SWP
COVER STORY
Hiring the right people is a key factor in
driving successful operations in the Centre.”
Noel Paraso and members of
his SSSC-Manila Finance
Management Team
SHELL SHARED SERVICE CENTRE-MANILA:
Delivering world-class services to Shell businesses
By JOCELYN DIANA-DIGA
Photos by WALTER VILLA, JOHN YU & RITCHIE DIGA
SSSC-Manila General Manager Noel Paraso and Service Delivery Manager Alberti
“Abe” Sarmiento share the Centre’s milestones as they celebrate their fourth anniversary
and prepare for the future
T
he advent of Information Technology
(IT)-enabled services and modern
infrastructure has allowed companies
to leap boundaries. Providing
instantaneous services to customers
spread across continents is now possible and
geographical barriers are a thing of the past.
Nowadays, multinational companies operate
their own business processes in offshore sites
rather than hire local service providers. Thus,
business process outsourcing (BPO) was borne
not only because of cost arbitrage but also as a
new business strategy for the future.
Shared services are the biggest BPO sub-sector
to hit the Philippines after contact centres or
customer interaction centres which proliferate
in Metro Manila and in other major provinces
in the country. Shell Shared Service Centre
(SSSC)-Manila is one of the offshore-shared
service operations established in the Philippines
to do back office processing in support of Shell’s
global businesses. SSSC-Manila is a 100%
Shell-owned operation that deals with common
activities across various functions, including
Global Finance. Currently, there are six main
Shell Shared Service Centres globally, which are
located in Kuala Lumpur, Glasgow, Chennai,
Guatemala, Krakow, and Manila.
scale financial operations, transactional and
non-transactional processes alike, has bred even
more success.
The start of something big
Back in July 1, 2004, SSSC-Manila started with
a small work force of only 49 personnel to
provide back office finance services for Shell Oil
Products US (SOPUS)/Motiva based in
Houston, Texas. Four years later, the company
now has over a thousand staff and still growing.
Its impressive growth and achievements as an
established shared service centre covering large-
With a good reputation and excellent
performance to boot, the Centre has been tapped
by other Shell businesses across the globe.
Locations now being serviced by SSSC-Manila
include European countries like the United
Kingdom, The Netherlands, and the Nordics, in
addition to countries in Asia Pacific such as
Thailand, Australia and also the Philippines. The
Centre’s efficient delivery of services, and
“Hiring the right people is a key factor in driving
successful operations in the Centre. I’ve been
fortunate that SSSC has driven, focused and
aggressive individuals working with me from
the very start,” states the Centre’s head, SSSCManila General Manager Noel Paraso.
operational and compliance excellence led to
satisfied customers across the different Shell
businesses and functions.
From servicing the Accounts Payable activities
for Shell US Downstream through its US
back office operations four years ago, SSSCManila now also services Shell Exploration
and Production with end-to-end services
such as Requisition-to-Pay, Order-to-Cash
and Record-to-Report. Other services the
Centre offers include Credit Management,
General Accounting, Internal Accounts
Receivable, Master Data Reference, Retailer
Billing, Supply Accounting, HR Services,
and Customer Service for countries in the
US, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
“While we service mainly US and EU, we also
cater to countries like Malaysia, Thailand,
Philippines and Australia. We do Accounts
Payable, Supply Accounting, Contracts and
Procurement, for example. We also have
Record-to-Report processes for customers in
the US and Europe,” describes Service
Delivery Manager Abe Sarmiento of the wide
array of services SSSC-Manila offers to its
global clientele.
Performance-driven talents
SSSC-Manila is the fastest growing shared
service of Shell with a 1,400 strong workforce
at the turn of 2008. With a young staff base at
an average of 27 years old, Abe describes SSSCManila employees as very active and
participative not just in the company’s
operations but even in its many corporate
events and sustainable development activities.
“Staff are very open-minded, highly-skilled, and
highly talented individuals. They always look at
better ways of doing things,” Abe says with pride.
The Centre has a diverse educational mix, of
which majority (75%) are accounting graduates
(with 28% having a Certified Public Accountant
or CPA certification). There are also a number of
engineers, management graduates, and graduates
of other finance disciplines. As for its gender
profile, women dominate the employee
population with an 80/20 female to male staff
ratio. Because they service clients who are mostly
living across the globe, the Centre’s staff are
basically nocturnal, reporting for work from
9pm-6am, with some reporting in mid-shifts.
“Overall, the performance of the Centre is high,
everyone is pumped up in delivering service to
customers. We see staff very much engaged in
their work so we have put not just more
accountability but more
fun in the work, so that
staff and management in
Manila have a deeper
understanding of the
dynamics of working for a
shared service centre,”
adds Abe.
Recognising the importance of work-life
balance for the optimal performance of its staff,
SSSC-Manila has its own recreational facility
with different sports and exercise equipment
catering to the employees’ need to be physically
fit. The young and dynamic population of the
Centre is also encouraged to participate in
socio-civic activities spearheaded by Pilipinas
Shell. Staff generously take time out to build
homes for the underprivileged beneficiaries of
Shell Gawad Kalinga Villages and take part in
other advocacy events such as the Pasig River
rehabilitation marathon, the Pinay in Action
fun run/walk event and other similar outreach
events. Noel highly commends his staff for
participating in these activities, citing that most
of the participants do volunteer work straight
after their shift.
“This is a Centre not only geared up for
performance but a Centre that is caring and
respectful of the rights of individuals and the
environment. We in SSSC take HSSE (Health,
Safety, Security and Environment) practices to
heart,” Noel points out.
As SSSC-Manila celebrates its fourth year
anniversary this July, management and staff look to
this momentous occasion as an opportunity to
commemorate their team’s sustained success in
small and centre-wide gatherings alike.
Fun in the workplace
Different activities such as
teambuilding seminars and
a monthly birthday breakfast for day shift and night
shift employees are just
some of the Centre’s avenues
to promote good camaraderie and cohesiveness within
the team.
COVER STORY
Shell Shared Service Centre-Manila staff may have different jobs servicing
customers across the globe but one thing remains the same – their passion
and dedication for work. Let’s take a look at what they do.
MARDONI ARNAEZ
HR International Transfer Advisor
Sustaining growth
Noel attributes the success of SSSC-Manila
to a dedicated management team and a very
competent local pool of talents, who keep on
surpassing key performance indicators and
global metrics set by Shell and its customers.
These, in turn, continue to create a good
reputation for the Centre worldwide. For
Noel, transparency and open communication
are focus areas and he makes it a point to
openly engage with his management team
and staff. Aside from weekly meetings,
quarterly and town hall meetings are regularly
held to effectively communicate developments
in the business, including issues and
operational concerns.
As a fast growing company, office space now
becomes a challenge for SSSC-Manila. Noel
divulged that the group has already successfully
eyed a relocation site, now that more processes
and transactions are being added to their
growing portfolio.
“How fast this will happen will depend on many
factors such as space and how successful the
migrated processes will be,” Abe emphasised.
Gearing up for change
With a global reorganisation set this July for the
whole SSSC network, changes expected are in
terms of governance and structure of the
business operations. Global Finance will be
grouped into Finance Operations, Finance in
the Business, and Finance Functional
Activities. SSSC-Manila will be part of Finance
Operations. In line with this massive
reorganisation, Noel was recently appointed
as Vice President Service Centre Network
Manager, directly reporting to the EVP for
Finance Operations Ian Robertson, who will
drive the SSSC networks.
“With these developments, we want to poise
ourselves for the change and engage management
and staff even more, not to mention our
customers. We will consistently deliver the
value that is expected of us, consistently engage
our stakeholders and benchmark not only
structurally within our teams but across the
network as well,” says Abe.
SSSC-Manila is working hard to achieve Shell’s
global vision of becoming a world-class Finance
function by 2010. The Centre plans to support
the Global Finance vision by aligning itself with
the finance operations strategies.
Abe disclosed the critical areas for SSSC-Manila
to achieve alignment with Global Finance.
“As part of the SSSC network worldwide, we will
leverage on the learnings of others in migration and
operations. Our focus will be to stabilise processes,
make GSAP (Global System Application and Data
Processing) work for all the processes involved,
support the Services Enterprise Program (SERP)
and install a very robust Business Continuity Plan
(BCP),” says Abe of their battle plan.
Abe Sarmiento
We will consistently deliver the value that
is expected of us, consistently engage
our stakeholders and benchmark
not only structurally within our teams
but across the network as well.”
Part of the plan to achieve the strategy is to
start the onboarding of the Common
Infrastructure Manager (CIM) this July to
make sure that the general infrastructure
works to strengthen the support group,
Finance, IT, and HR. With this well-placed
integration, SSSC-Manila can deliver the
most value to its clientele.
Bright prospects for the future
Noel is delighted that he is able to help
contribute to nation-building through the
shared service centre, as the next biggest BPO
sub-sector
generating
revenues
and
employment for highly skilled Filipinos. He
shares that he has been actively encouraging
other multinational companies and financial
leaders to set up a similar operation like SSSCManila as it provides vast employment
opportunities for Filipinos and contributes to
wealth generation for the country as a whole.
“Being able to emphasise to other companies
that we’ve been successful and that they can be
successful, too, if they follow the Centre’s
formula is a wonderful feeling,” shares Noel.
Maintaining operational excellence, delivering
sustained value, ensuring utmost customer
satisfaction, growing the talent pool, bringing
in more complex and specialised work
processes and controls, and strategically
aligning with the global vision of SSSC are the
slew of challenges faced by Noel, his
management team and staff. As the biggest
shared service centre for Shell, SSSC-Manila is
up for the challenge, optimistic that it can
continue to live up to its vision of being a
world-class network delivering world-class
services to Shell businesses globally. With its
sterling track record and winning attitude,
SSSC-Manila sees these challenges as
opportunities and stepping stones for further
development and growth. For SSSC-Manila,
the future looks bright indeed. SWP
Describe your typical work day?
We usually start with a team meeting to discuss
updates and our progress. I normally engage with
expatriates from and outside the US as part of my
work in the centre’s Human Resources function. My
work also involves a lot of exchanges via e-mail.
What does your job involve?
As part of the HR Service desk for Shell Oil Products, I handle and
coordinate transfers of expatriates going in and coming from the US. I
belong to the Tier 2 group which processes transactions and cases – from
local services and physical transfer to remuneration and repatriation.
Tell us about the challenges.
The job involves a lot of coordination since we have to work around
three different time zones-the Philippines, Kuala Lumpur, and US to
coordinate with my counterparts handling the employees’ transfer. The
good thing about Shell is that we have D&I (Diversity and Inclusion) in
the workplace. Prior training on D&I helped us be adaptable to
language barriers and able to manage cultural differences between the
East and the West.
What motivates you?
Being able to contribute a lot to the HR organisation and to the business as a
whole. It’s basically being one with the business and knowing what you
need to do for the business. Aside from this, I love the travel opportunities
that go with the job.
Before joining Shell, Mardoni worked for a short-term period for a contact
centre while waiting for an opportunity to land an HR job. He has a degree
in Philosophy/Human Resources from San Beda College.
JOEL PATANI
Customer Service Professional
What do you like about your job?
The sense of belonging to a team, the competitive environment
and the people I work with.
What does your job involve?
It involves a lot of challenges. We have to meet our KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), adjust
if there are new processes and maintain the high standards of being world-class customer
service professionals (CSPs). We always ensure that we satisfy our valued customers - by
delivering what we have promised to them.
Biggest accomplishment.
I have won a back-to-back Crystal Award.
What challenges do you face?
Being a top performer of Customer Service Centre-Manila, I feel that people have high
expectations of me. Because of this, I try to sustain the standard I have set and try to be a
good role model to my colleagues.
Joel joined Shell in 2000 first as an apprentice of the Commercial Marine Dept. and later as a
contracted staff. He transferred to the Customer Service Dept. in March 2005. Since then,
Joel’s unmatched combination of stamina and dedication towards work consistently made him
one of the top performers of the Customer Service Centre-Manila Operation. It comes as no
surprise then that Joel is CSC’s Back-to-Back Crystal Awardee. His focus and determination in
delivering quality customer service has not only brought him numerous recognitions and
compliments from Commercial and Retail Customers but has also influenced his fellow CSPs to
reach for excellence.
ROSALIE GASANGUE
Team Lead, AP Retail and Distribution
SOPUS/Motiva
BARTOLOME SAN MARTIN
Fixed Assets Supervisor
I love the company of the people I work with –
everyone is friendly. It’s like not working at all!
What challenges do you face?
Aside from the job requirements involved in fixed assets
and service level agreements, another major challenge is keeping my team
intact because of a high turnover rate of staff. We are training more staff to
cope with the situation.
How do you address these challenges?
I constantly communicate with my staff, our customers, and my counterparts.
Do you consider your job stressful?
It depends on how you handle stress. For my typical workload of 12-15
hours a day, I don’t mind the long hours because I really enjoy my work.
Bart worked as an Assistant Audit Manager for a local auditing firm prior to
his employment with SSSC-Manila. He graduated with a degree in BS
Accounting from the Philippine School of Business Administration in Manila
and he is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). As Fixed Assets Supervisor
managing Fixed Assets Team 1, his work involves project creation, asset
creation and retirement for SOPUS Motiva.
Describe your typical day.
I mostly work on e-mails because my job entails a lot of
communication with my US counterparts, with the business, and
vendors. My team deals with payments of invoices, obtaining proper
approval, updating the business on their status, and answering queries from vendors. I also
oversee and monitor my staff’s productivity and attendance, and recommend them for
possible recognition.
I like the company of my colleagues because we are growing hand in hand with the
company. It’s good that now we are being recognised as part of global Shell because of the
alignment of all SSSC networks worldwide.
What motivates you?
Our team -- Accounts Payable -- is considered the heart of the accounting operations of the
Shell Oil Products US (SOPUS) business. The people in SSSC-Manila are very focused on
their job, which motivates me even more because my teammates are very dedicated. The
remuneration package is also a motivating factor because it’s very competitive.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
Other people may think that I am a workaholic because I usually stay late in the office, up to
12 noon considering I worked a late night shift. The truth is, it’s really hard to sleep when the
sun is too high.
Rosalie joined SSSC-Manila in September 2004 and currently supervises a team of 19 in the
Accounts Payable Group for SOPUS. Her hardwork and dedication paved the way for her to
assume her current supervisory position after starting with a staff level position when she
joined the centre.
FEATURE
CHEMICALS
THAT MAKE
WASHING COOL
Doing the laundry is part of everyday life
for people across the globe. Shell’s NEODOL
chemicals have been key to the development of
laundry detergents that work at lower
temperatures – helping to reduce the energy used
for this universal household routine.
L
eading detergent manufacturers, or
“soapers”, have been under increasing
pressure from consumers to demonstrate
the environmental credentials of their
products. They have responded by
developing
smarter,
more
complex
formulations that have changed the way many
people do the laundry.
What are surfactants?
the world to as low as 20o C. The concept of a
‘boil’ wash has all but disappeared.
Shell’s range of NEODOL surfactant
intermediates are used by most of the
world’s leading detergent manufacturers, in
some of the best-known brands. A major
advantage of NEODOL grades is their
flexibility and compatibility with other
The most visible change has been the switch laundry detergent ingredients.
from “big box” powders to concentrated
liquid detergents, gels or single dose tablets, “In order for detergents to work at lower
but more important has been the technical wash temperatures, the soapers have had to
ability of these new formulations to work at develop
more
complex
surfactant
lower washing temperatures.
formulations, often using a carefully
balanced blend of components,” says
“In the total life-cycle of a Victoria. “The unique molecular structure
laundry detergent the energy of NEODOL products makes them
used to heat water during the compatible with a wide range of other
washing process has by far ingredients, including those derived from
the greatest environmental vegetable oils. This flexibility allows the
impact, and so lowering the soapers to optimise formulations to achieve
washing temperature has a the desired performance properties. The
significant effect on the same properties would be difficult to achieve
energy efficiency of the by using vegetable-based surfactants alone.”
process,” explains Victoria
Meyer,
Business The move to compact powder or liquid
Development Manager for detergents, which can be up to three times
the Shell Chemicals Higher more concentrated, means formulators can
Olefins and Derivatives use fewer materials overall. And because they
(HODer) business. “Just are physically smaller, they also require less
going from hot to warm packaging and transport to ship them from
water washing can cut energy the manufacturing plant to the retailers,
use by up to half.”
which is an additional energy saving.
As advanced new detergents
have been developed, average
wash
temperatures
have
dropped from around 60o C to
30-40o C, and in some parts of
While the use of low temperature laundry
detergents is well established in mature markets,
the impact could be even more significant in major
developing economies as personal ownership of
washing machines increases. SWP
Surfactants are alcohol-based substances that dissolve and remove dirt
or soil during washing processes. They have a water-loving
(hydrophilic) “head” and a fat-loving (hydrophobic) “tail”. The tail
binds to and mobilises soil particles, and the head carries the soilsurfactant couple away with the wastewater.
What are NEODOL products?
NEODOL products are produced via Shell’s proprietary SHOP (Shell
Higher Olefins Process) and SHF (Shell Hydroformylation) technology.
The SHOP process produces a unique molecular structure, or
‘branching’, that gives formulators more flexibility for optimising the low
temperature performance of detergent formulations.
Did you
know...
Source: Downstream Internal Communication, Katie Deeble
As much as 80% of the
energy needed to wash clothes
is for heating the water.
The Shell Group is the largest
integrated global supplier of
surfactant alcohol ethoxylates.
COUNTRY
ROUND-UP
Experience the highest ever fuels rebate
with the New Shell Citi VISA Credit Card!
Shell and KMS
sign new CBA
Pilipinas Shell, Citibank and Visa collaborate
for the first time to provide motorists with
better rebates with every purchase like never
before. The new Shell-Citi VISA Co-Brand
Fuels Credit Card allows Filipino motorists to
go even further with Shell fuels by saving on
fuel and other Shell purchases.
Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (PSPC)
and the Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa
Shell (KMS) recently signed a new collective
bargaining agreement (CBA), which covers
three (3) years, commencing on January 16,
2008 until January 15, 2011.
KMS was established on January 5, 1970 and
is registered with the Department of Labor
and Employment. KMS currently has 154
members working at various Shell offices,
depots and installations nationwide, except
Tabangao Refinery.
“The signing of the agreement allows us all to
focus on growing the business. I am glad that
the mature relationship between the KMS
and Shell management is maintained and a
high level of professionalism has been
observed throughout the negotiations,” said
Photo shows PSPC Chairman & President Edgar Chua (3rd from left) and KMS Chairman & President Alan Edgar
Peñera (3rd from right) in a handshake together with (l-r) Mario Monsalud, Sebastian Quiniones, Jun Gloria, and
Vivien Serrano.
Pilipinas Shell Vice President for Distribution KMS Chairman and President Alan Edgar Peñera
Sebastian Quiniones.
said, “We at KMS look forward to maintaining
openness with the Shell management and shall
In his speech, PSPC Chairman and maintain professionalism with the objective of
President Edgar Chua highlighted that growing our relationship further.”
Shell and KMS have built a strong
relationship through the years, sharing the The CBA signing ceremony was held on April
same vision of making Shell the most 8, 2008 at the Shell Pandacan Depot canteen.
admired company in the Philippines.
[Jun Jay G. Jimenez]
With the highest ever fuels rebate in the market,
the new Shell Citi VISA Credit Card offers a
5% rebate on Shell fuel purchases, a 0.5%
rebate on non-fuel purchases, a 5% to 10%
discount on change oil services at Shell Helix
Centers and free roadside assistance service
whenever needed.
“People want the freedom to travel by car and we
understand that fuel makes up a good part of
monthly spending, so we have designed the Shell
Citi VISA card to help our customers get more out
of their household budgets. Our relationship with
Citi is vital because it means working with an
established global leader in personal financial
services whose credit card expertise, customer
service and reliability are proven in over 50 countries
worldwide,” said Sammy De Guzman, VP and
General Manager for Retail Sales and Operations
for the Philippines and North Pacific cluster.
Bea Teh-Tan said: “The Shell Citi VISA card
brings unmatched scale, efficiency and
product expertise to our partnership with
Shell so that together we can offer Filipino
consumers a world class credit card with real
purchasing power.”
To apply for the new Shell Citi VISA card,
consumers can call 423-3000, visit www.
Citibank.com.ph or go to participating Shell
stations for an application form.
Expressing Citibank’s pleasure with the new
partnership, Citi Cards Business Director
Philip Morris
renews partnership
with Shell Fleet Card
Sealing the contract signing with a handshake are PMPI Managing Director Chris Nelson
(3rd from left) and Shell Retail General Manager Sammy de Guzman. With them are
(from left) PMPI Finance Director Angela Luk, PMPI Fleet Administrator Rupert Guerra,
PMPI Employee Services and Administration Manager Ting Almendral and Shell Fleet
Card Sales Manager Julius Aguas.
Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing, Inc. (PMPI) and Pilipinas
Shell Petroleum Corporation renewed a long-standing partnership,
following the signing of a nationwide fuel supply agreement on
March 12, 2008 during PMPI’s convention at the Panglao Nature
Island in Bohol.
The agreement also covers Shell’s fleet safety training programs and
roadside assistance to PMPI.
In photo (l-r) Surath Chatterjee, CitiBank Regional Director for Cards Business; Bob Joubert, Visa International Country Manager for the Philippines; Edgar Chua, Pilipinas Shell
Petroleum Corp. Chairman & President, and Mark Jones, Citibank Global Consumer Group Country Business Manager during the launch of the new Shell Citi VISA credit card.
Shell Cebu supports “Save the Buhisan Watershed Project”
This is just the beginning
of your careers as animators.”
The Buhisan Watershed Rehabilitation Project, is part of a fiveyear plan of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP)–
Visayas to realise the country’s Millennium Development Goals
(MDG) for social development. It will help ensure sustainable
water for Cebu and at the same time improve the lives of local
residents.
“The goals of this project are to ensure sustainable water for the city, improve
the quality of life of 498 families in Buhisan, and promote Buhisan as an
eco-tourism destination,” said Engr. Jun Sarmiento, Chairperson of MDG
– Business and Environment Cluster for PBSP - Visayas.
Plans for the development of Buhisan include a nature park, which broke
ground with a tree-planting activity led by Pilipinas Shell Commercial
Fuels
Regional
Manager
Richard Tiansay. The nature
park will feature a picnic
ground, view deck, camp site,
nature center, and a butterfly
sanctuary that will house 300
exotic species of butterflies.
Buhisan Dam is a century-old
public infrastructure that was
built in 1910 and is part of a
631-hectare watershed. It has
a nine-hectare pond and can
provide 5,000 to 10,000 cubic
meters of water. The watershed
is a primary source of water
for thousands of households and is part of the 29,000-hectare central
Cebu protected landscape. [Dr. Tito A. Reyes]
Shell joins worldwide celebration of Earth Day 2008
On April 22, 2008, as the world celebrated the wonders of life on our
planet through the annual Earth Day festivities, Shell gave its share
and joined the different environmental activities and advocacies
conducted by various environmental organisations under the Earth
Day Network-Philippines.
Shell companies in the Philippines joined the campaign to
rehabilitate Pasig River by participating in the 15th Annual Pasig
River Fluvial Parade, spearheaded by the Sagip Pasig Movement, a
community based organisation working towards the rehabilitation
of the Pasig River and other river systems.
Various Shell staff from different businesses along with the Shell
Pandacan community barangay chairmen joined this celebration
in Mexico Plaza, Intramuros, and the parade’s culminating
activity at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
Moreover, Shell partnered with the Philippine Business for
Progress for the Annual Recyclables Collection Event, a oneday collection and buying event for recyclable materials held in
different venues nationwide.
In Pandacan Depot, a the continuing Recyclables Collection Drive
promoted recycling by encouraging staff to bring their recyclables in
exchange for Shell items and goodies. [Clara Antonette Eser]
The next batch of animators
Photo by Eileen G. Mangubat, Cebu Daily News
Shell staff from Shell Keppel, Mandaue Lubes Warehouse, and Shell
Mandaue Installation came together for the launching of “Save the
Buhisan Watershed Project” on April 26, 2008.
Tabangao Refinery
volunteers safeguard
Batangas coastal area
Shell Tabangao Refinery highlighted the Earth
day 2008 celebration with mangrove planting
and coastal clean-up activities at the Shell Gas
Eastern, Inc. coastal area. Mangroves play a
significant role in maintaining the ecological
balance of our coastal ecosystem, provide
natural protection to shorelines to prevent soil
erosion, and act as sanctuaries and breeding
grounds for marine species.
Around 50 volunteers from the Refinery and
contracted staff, including Philippine Air Force
(PAF) personnel and some dependents of Shell
staff, gathered for the event. As an advocate in
creating greater awareness about the urgent need
to conserve and safeguard our natural resources,
and the need to rehabilitate and sustainably
manage the coastal and marine resources, the
Tabangao Refinery group planted around 725
mangrove propagules (plant material used for
plant propagation) and seedlings of the “
Rhizophora” species (red mangrove such as
bakauan lalaki or bakauan bato). The mangroves
were sourced out from the Batangas Coastal
Resources Management Foundation, Inc.
(BCRMF) nursery in Barangay Wawa, Batangas
City, where Shell Refinery General Manager
Rebecca Alivio sits as Vice President.
The mangrove planting and coastal clean-up
activities are part of the Refinery’s integrated
environmental consciousness efforts to help
save the environment. [Atty. Jigs Macatangay]
Twenty-one scholars completed the
Animation Skills Development Course under
the Electronic Sanayan sa Kakayahang
Industriyal (e-SKIL) Program of Pilipinas
Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI), in partnership
with Pilipinas Shell Petroleum CorporationPandacan Installation, and ArtFarm Asia,
Inc.
The course was offered to talented individuals
from Pandacan, Sta. Ana, and Sta. Mesa,
Manila to enhance their skills in sketching
and enable them to work for an animation
studio as clean-up and in-between (clean-up
IB) artists.
For five months, the scholars were trained
in basic character construction, modeling
techniques, line testing, and drawing of
special effects. They graduated on April 18,
2008 at the ArtFarm Asia, Inc. in CreaM
Production Compound, San Juan, Manila.
Guests included former first lady Imelda
Marcos, owner of the CreaM Production
Compound, and Creative Media and Film
Society of the Philippines (CreaM) President
Imee Marcos, partner of ArtFarm Asia, Inc. in
creating and promoting original pinoy
content.
“Your training does not end here. This is just
the beginning of your careers as animators,”
Imee advised the scholars.
Meanwhile, Eduardo Gillo, Cesar Amgao,
Jr., Virginia Cano, and Lea Fee Mico received
special certificates of recognition for their
excellent performance during the training.
The scholars are currently working on “Fly
Aswang”, a first all-Filipino talent anime
production by CreaM Philippines, which
will premier in Hong Kong and Cannes,
France in July 2008. [Kaye Rosario]
The eSKIL Animation batch 4 scholars with PSFI Project Officer Daisy Javier (standing, extreme left), (seated,
l-r) CreaM Philippines President Imee Marcos, Distribution Social Performance Head Janot Barretto, Art
Director Hans Bacher, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, PSFI Program Manager Anthony Gamo, ArtFarm
Asia, Inc. Managing Director Nelson Caliguia, Jr., ArtFarm Asia, Inc. Instructor Jose Lonito Gatdula, and
ArtFarm Asia, Inc. Program Director Nelson Caliguia, Sr.
The aim of this year’s campaign is to encourage
everyone who works for or with Shell to take
personal action and commit to changing
just one thing that will help improve
Shell’s HSSE performance.
The 20th Crystal Awards: A tribute to Shell achievers
Crystal is crystal, and wherever you take it, it will never
fail to shine.
Just like a crystal, all Shell Crystal awardees always shine
with their sterling performance. For their persistence and
dedication to deliver noteworthy results, they were
recognised with a Crystal Award that continuously
motivates them to give their best at work as well as inspire
others to find their place in the Shell community.
Shell staff in Pandacan Depot
spell out their Goal “Zero”
A continuing Safety journey for Shell
All over the world, Shell is known for adhering to
safety in all its operations. Over time, safety has
become almost synonymous to the Shell brand.
Excellent HSSE performance
is our license to operate. Our
safety leadership needs to be
visible and felt. This Safety
Day celebration presents us
with a great opportunity to
demonstrate that leadership.”
In the Philippines, all Shell worksites celebrated this
year’s Safety Day with the theme “Small Changes,
Big Difference”. On this day, all Shell employees
and contractors came together to focus on safety.
“Excellent HSSE performance is our license
to operate. Our safety leadership needs to
be visible and felt. This Safety Day
celebration presents us with a great
opportunity
to
demonstrate
that
leadership,” said Shell companies in the
Philippines Country Chairman Edgar Chua
during the celebration held on June 11, 2008
at Shell House lobby in Makati City.
“On behalf of the Country Coordinating
team, I am asking everyone in Shell to make
one small change that will help improve Shell’s
HSSE performance, a concrete manifestation
of our commitment to safety leadership,”
Chua added.
A 10-minute film showing ensued, which
showcased inspiring stories of individuals and
teams in Shell that have made a big difference
through the small changes they applied. The
short film encouraged everyone to take part in
improving Shell’s performance on Health,
Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) and
direct Shell’s path to the realisation of Goal Zero,
a global safety campaign which helps drive Shell’s
vision of no harm to people - zero deaths, zero
injuries and zero significant incidents.
The ceremony concluded with the
members of the Countr y Coordinating
Team led by Chua posting their personal
pledge cards on the Pledge Zone board to
signify their commitment to promote
safety in Shell, as well as inspire others to
make that small change.
The Shell group-wide Safety campaign for
2008 shifted to personal action. The aim of
this year’s campaign is to encourage everyone
who works for or with Shell to take personal
action and commit to changing just one thing
that will help improve Shell’s HSSE
performance. Last year’s campaign focused
on helping raise awareness on safety and the
understanding of why people break rules.
[Jun Jay G. Jimenez]
Just like a
crystal, all
Shell Crystal
awardees
always shine
with their
sterling
performance.
For their
persistence
and dedication
to deliver
noteworthy
results,
they were
recognised
with a Crystal
Award.
Held on April 4, 2008, this year’s Crystal Awards was a
grand celebration that transformed the ballroom of Edsa
Shangri-La in Mandaluyong into Broadway. Aside from
saluting last year’s top performers with a Crystal award,
those who received global recognition were also
acknowledged for their outstanding implementation of
Shell programs meant to optimise the Shell business.
In the honor roll of Retail group were Charlotte Urieta,
who received Cum Laude honors for resurrecting the
Mindanao area from a negative volume growth zone by
efficiently pushing sales while maintaining the lowest
overdue accounts throughout the year; Stephanie Ann
Cua clinched the Magna Cum Laude distinction for her
passion for excellence which rewarded her a back-to-back
Global Rewards and Recognition award and Crystal
Awards in 2006 and 2007; Summa Cum Laude honors
were conferred to Jennifer Frances Gabaon-Reyes for
overcoming the challenges and achieving a feat as the
only female Territory Manager in Mindanao; and Iris
Escalona, now a five-time Crystal awardee and has the
most number of Crystal awards in the Retail group, for
consistently delivering a sterling performance as a
Territory Manager.
Eight staff from the Distribution group received a Crystal
for their exemplary performance. Fortunato Jimenez,
Carlos Canon, Dante Gandionco, and Ric Sobredilla
received Cum Laude honors, while Joselito Lazaro,
Dionesio Vale, Jr., Jeffrey Devilles, and Valarie Ku-Pineda
copped the Magna Cum Laude honors. Jimenez has been
with Shell for 20 years and won first place in the ARROWS
awards in 2007 while Sobredilla, currently Lapus Depot
Manager, was part of the team that won a B2B Executive
Vice President Award. A highlight of Lazaro’s achievements
was his excellent handling of the Buli bridge temporary
closure with savings of Php5 million per month. Vale, Jr.,
already has four crystal awards under his name for his
exemplary depot management while Devilles, currently
the Depot Manager for Anibong, is also a 2007 ARROWS
awardee and gave substantial support for the construction
of the first ever fuel station in Boracay. Pineda was
recognised for her able management of Pandacan
installation that won first place in the 2007 ARROWS
awards, a grand feat for the Pandacan team and a first in
the history of Pandacan.
The LPG group honored five awardees, namely Paul
Libiano, Clark Publico, Julgin Anthony Villanueva,
David Plaza, and Elma Revillame who received honors
for their remarkable leadership, exemplary initiatives,
and splendid relationship-building with stakeholders.
In the Global Lubes group, Summa Cum Laude honors
went to Nicardo Falcis II for his aggressive cross-selling
with Fuels and Bitumen customers which yielded
remarkable sales and won for Shell one of the biggest
steel accounts in the country. Meanwhile, Domingo
Javier received honors for gaining new accounts as well
as defending the lubes business in the transport, power
and cement sectors. A highlight of his achievements
was earning for Shell 65,000 liters of MIRANT Sual
Power’s requirements.
In the B2B group, the Outstanding Customer Service
Officer award went to Joel Patani who joined Shell in 2005
but already received back-to-back Crystal awards in 2006
and 2007. Manny Castañeda received Summa Cum Laude
honors for raking volumes of sales from new customers in
Manila, Quezon, and Bicol. Sales Team Leader for
Mindanao Carmelo Lauengco was granted Summa Cum
Laude honors for his outstanding sales performance,
highlighted by a five-year exclusive contract with one of
the largest taxi fleets in Davao City. Summa Cum Laude
honors went to Neal Lada for surpassing margin targets in
a highly competitive environment and Ed Dalisay for
conceptualising the Instapave system of road building
which turned into a good practice and eventually became
a Shell global brand being implemented in South America,
India, Africa and in some parts of Asia.
The awards night was a fitting tribute to Shell employees
who have shown persistence, dedication and commitment
to achieve outstanding results for Shell. From now and
beyond, all the Shell men and women who possess a fiery
spirit to face all the odds and challenges of the business
shall harvest the fruits of their labor, which is what the
Crystal Awards is all about. [Jun Jay Jimenez]
BUSINESS ETHICS & COMPLIANCE FEATURE
EBAY, TAXIS, PAPERCLIPS –
THEY COULD ALL LOSE YOU
YOUR JOB
C
onducting ourselves with the highest
regard for integrity and ethical
business conduct is fundamental to
Shell’s core values of honesty, integrity
and respect for people. The Shell
Code of Conduct helps us live the Shell values and
put the Shell General Business Principles into
practice at work. It describes the practicalities of
doing business in an ethical way but some people
are not taking the Code of Conduct seriously.
Suspicious activity on eBay
Earlier this year European Law Enforcement were
involved in an investigation involving the Internet
auction site eBay. They found stolen mobile
phones and accessories were being sold on the site.
On investigation into the case a Shell IP address
was identified. A Shell employee had broken into
a mobile phone supplier’s, stolen mobile phones
and accessories and was then selling them on eBay
whilst at work. It was then found that the person
in question had made over 200,000 Euros in sales
of the phones. The employee was arrested and
their employment with Shell was terminated.
Taxi!
For over a year a manager was found to have
misused a colleague’s taxi account. The
manager was booking taxis to travel to and
from work each day for over a year, with the
fares totalling to over $10,000! Not only
making use of a colleague’s taxi account, but
he was splitting the invoices so no authorisation
was required. But that was not all - the invoices
were to a company of which the manager’s
spouse were the recipient of the funds. On
completion of the investigation, the manager’s
employment with Shell was terminated.
Paperclip assists C10,000 scam
At times money may get a little tight but one
Shell employee facing financial difficulties
thought they had found a clever way to make
some extra money - unfortunately it cost them
their job. The person concerned set up premium
rate telephone lines, linked to a home computer
server. Then using telephones in a Shell office,
speed dialing and redialing the
premium rate lines, an income of
€10,000 a week was being paid into
the employee bank account. And the
clever use of a paper clip made sure the
premium rate lines stayed connected
and were called continuously over the
weekends. The local telephone
company noticed unusual dialing
patterns and was able to trace the
source of the calls to a Shell Office.
Ethics & Compliance Wordsearch
Violation of the Code of Conduct
The policy violated in the eBay and
paperclip cases was Personal Use of IT
and Communications. Most of Shell
companies accept a limited use of Shell
IT and communication facilities for
personal purposes. But the Code of
Conduct clearly states that you do not
use Shell IT to conduct fraud, engage
in gambling or conduct your own
business. The employee misusing the
taxi account violated the conflict of
interest policy. Shell employees must
avoid conflicts of interest between their
private activities and their Shell jobs
and must not make improper use of
their position at Shell to achieve
personal interest or indirect gain.
Speak up and report it
And remember, if you ever have a
concern regarding a potential noncompliant situation don’t keep it to
yourself - speak up and report it. It is
everyone’s responsibility to report a
concern and failure to do so may result
in serious consequences.
For more information on the Code
of Conduct or how to report a
concern
visit
sww.shell.com/
ethicsandcompliance SWP
Source:
Ethics
&
Compliance
communications, Julie Sheppard
sww.shell.com/ethicsandcompliance/
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION FEATURE
CHANGED BY
THE EXCHANGE
It would be futile to compare which culture
is more superior than the other, because what
matters is living responsibly and upholding your
values, regardless of what culture you’re in.”
By MICH CRUZ
GOVERNMENT AND MEDIA RELATIONS
MANAGER MICH CRUZ SHARES HER
ENRICHING EXPERIENCE AS A PARTICIPANT
TO THE ROTARY INTERNATIONAL GROUP
STUDY EXCHANGE PROGRAM
At a Shell station in Rumford, Maine
W
hen it was supposed to be the
height of summer in the
Philippines, I was in Maine
watching snow fall, as if to
create a setting for the array
of differences I would discover between cultures
and the adjustments I had to make in a place that
was thousands of miles away -- from home,
habits and my comfort zone.
I spent a month in the Northern New England
states of Maine, Massachusetts and New
Hampshire in the United States to participate
in Rotary International’s Group Study Exchange
Program. It is a cultural and vocational
immersion program for young professionals,
aimed at fostering world friendship and
understanding. Our team was composed of
individuals from various fields of work: Tet
Atanacio – a legislative staff, K Soriano – a
lawyer, Edel Navarrete – a dietitian, Joanne
Moreno – a pre-school teacher and myself doing
corporate communications for Shell. We were
accompanied by Rotarian Joe Baradi, who owns
and manages Sunny Hill School in Quezon
City. Our team was chosen by the sponsoring
Rotary District 3780 in Quezon City through
an intensive selection process.
In the course of our trip, we were able to
build friendships with our American hosts.
As we got to know one another on a deeper
level, we discovered a lot of differences about
our two cultures.
With host family Ki and Bill Leffler and GSE teammate Joanne Moreno at Kennebunk, Maine
For one month, my teammates and I traveled all
over Northern New England to attend Rotary
Club meetings and present about the Philippines,
ourselves and our respective professions. For
each place that we visited, we stayed with host
families, to assimilate the typical American way
of life.
The first thing that usually surprises them is
that we are able to speak in English. “Your
English is good. Did you study in an
American school?” So every time, we had to
explain that English is a second language in
the Philippines and that we were taught to
read and write in English, too.
The states that we visited aren’t as diverse as the
other states in the US. Many of the Rotarians we
met there have not even been to Asia, more so the
Philippines. So it is not surprising that they had
a lot of questions for us.
“Where is the Philippines? Is it in Hawaii?”
and “Do Filipinos live in trees?” are just
some of the typical barrage of questions we
encountered. Condescending as it may
sound, I also understand that our hosts were
well meaning. It was really just a matter of a
lack of exposure, which was precisely the
objective of the program – to expose
ourselves to other cultures.
One time, in a casual dining restaurant, my host
mom told me, “If there’s anything you don’t
understand in the menu, just ask.” To which my
host dad was quick to respond, “Honey, she’s a
smart lady. She works in Shell.”
Admittedly, working in Shell has been an
advantage for me in interacting with the
Americans who hosted us. Shell’s commitment
to Diversity and Inclusion (D & I) not only
equipped me with an open mind but also
helped me to get past barriers of stereotypes
and misconceptions.
Singing the Philippine national anthem at a
Rotary Club meeting in Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Getting past these barriers, I believe, is the first
step in fostering understanding.
There were the trivial ones – like the issue on
where it is proper to place your napkin while
eating. For them, the napkin should be placed
on the lap, whether it is cloth or paper. While
we Filipinos usually left our paper napkins on
the table.
With host from Topsham, Maine
And then there were the differences in our way
of life.
My teammates and I were asked if it were true
that Filipinos had chauffeurs and maids. I was
honestly caught in a dilemma on how to explain
that it’s not what they think. I didn’t want to lie
and deny that it is a common practice in the
Philippines. But then I was also careful not to
give them the impression that we lived spoiled
by privilege, especially when the reality was our
hosts were far richer than we were. My best
attempt was to explain that this practice is
common among the upper and middle class,
pointing out that the politically correct term for
“maid” is “kasambahay” or “helper”, and that
the helpers are treated like family. But Grace,
our host, said, “They are treated like family, but
they are still your servants.”
I have never thought of it that way until then,
and it was then that I started to challenge my
own set of beliefs and habits. They were also
surprised to learn that we still lived with our
parents even if we were already professionals.
While their children leave home as young as
eighteen, we explained that it is Filipino
custom for children to stay
with their parents until they
get married, and sometimes
even after.
They asked if we didn’t feel
stifled by this arrangement. I
agree with them that there is
something about living on
your own that liberates you
and
trains
you
for
responsibilities. On the other
hand, it is also a Filipino trait
to take care of your parents in
their old age, and to contribute
to household expenses if you
have the means. Our hosts
admired the Filipinos’ strong
family ties that one of them
remarked to her husband,
“Why don’t we move to the Philippines?”
From these exchanges, we began to understand
that there will always be an upside and a
downside to every situation. It would be futile
to compare which culture is more superior
than the other, because what matters is living
responsibly and upholding your values,
regardless of what culture you’re in.
By living with our American hosts, it was also
inevitable that we became attached to them.
Many of them were retirees already who have
not seen their children for years, and so they
treated us like their own.
One host family I particularly grew attached
with was an elderly Jewish couple, named Bill
and Ki Leffler. Being a devout Catholic, I was
apprehensive at first when they invited me to
join their Shabbat services. But because they
treated me well, and I was very fond of the
couple, I decided to go with them.
When Bill blessed our dinner, he said a prayer
thanking God for the gift of family and for the
bonds of loyalty and affection. He asked God
to bless our “family” with health, happiness
and contentment. And as we partook of the
unleavened bread, I realised that some things
are universal.
Even the issues we’re faced with are the same,
evidence of the ever “flattening” world. Like
rising oil prices and energy security, for
instance. Just before I left, the national
average of gasoline was $3.62/gallon, and it
was headlined that Americans are forced to
gas up at states like New Hampshire where
there are lower taxes, in order to save. There is
also much awareness among Americans on
the need to conserve energy.
By the end of our trip, our measure of
success in the program was representing
our country well by being in our best
behaviour and sharing as much as we can
about the Philippines – the good, the bad
and the ugly. Perhaps it was because of
this honesty that, to our delight, we
received a number of pledges of support
for social projects in the Philippines, as
well as plans to make the Philippines
their next vacation destination.
What we did not realise was that all the
while, we were allowing ourselves to be
changed by the cultural experience – by
challenging our biases and opening ourselves
to building diverse and inclusive
relationships. And ultimately, respecting
that despite all our differences, we all are,
after all, people. SWP
FEATURE
THE LAD WHO
PUTS SCIENCE
TO HEART
YOUNG INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC SPEAKING
CHAMP GIAN KARLO DAPUL TALKS ABOUT
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE THE BEST
Gian Karlo by the London Eye, Europe’s
tallest Ferris wheel and a popular tourist
attraction in the UK
W
ith crises aplenty dimming
hopes for a promising
horizon, all is not lost for us
to aspire to be the change we
want to see in our country.
“I discovered it was a big time competition,”
shares Dapul. “Sometime in March, I signed
up for the competition and forgot about it
entirely, until the night before the local leg of
the competition.”
Another Filipino did the Philippines proud by
showing the whole world the truth about Filipino
ingenuity. 16-year old Gian Karlo Rosales Dapul
won First place in the 27th Annual International
Public Speaking Competition conducted by the
English Speaking Union (ESU), an international
charity founded in 1918 with the aim of fostering
international understanding through the English
language. He is one of the many Filipino youth
achievers that Shell has helped support in line
with its thrusts towards youth development.
With the clock ticking fast, Dapul rushed
and holed up in his room for five hours, from
8AM until 1AM (his normal hours of intense
study, according to him) and crammed to
compose his speech.
Dapul won praises not just because of his speech
delivery but with his confident way of
responding to questions from the panel of
judges. He bested 57 participants from 35
countries (including college level students)
during the finals held at the US Embassy in
London last May. This is the second time the
country brought home such an honor. In 2004,
TV host and columnist Patricia Evangelista,
then a college student at the University of the
Philippines, topped the same global speechfest.
With this year’s competition’s theme “New
Horizons, New Frontiers”, Dapul wowed the
judges with his peculiar yet insightful five-minute
speech entitled “Fish Mucus and Foot Fungus”, a
discourse on how scientific research can be an
inspiration for new discoveries that can only
make human life better.
The initial trudge
This young science hero is a member of the
debate society Invictus at the Philippine Science
High School in Quezon City, where he is a
graduating student. He learned about the
competition through a fellow Invictus debater.
Initially, Dapul thought that it was just another
public speaking competition, but when he got
the handbook about ESU, he realised that this
was not just any ordinary contest.
“I wrote my speech in a yellow pad. My ideas
for the speech were in bullet points and I just
worked around that,” recounts Dapul.
The following day, he tagged along his mom,
Rosanna, to the competition at the University
of the Philippines. “I was surprised to learn that
I would be competing with college students.”
On April 8, the day of the competition,
Dapul collected his thoughts well and
delivered his speech about scientific research,
a topic that is close to his heart. Of the 16
competitors, Dapul was one of eight finalists
who vied for the lone slot to represent the
Philippines in the international competition
in London.
For someone who joined the competition just
for the experience, emerging as
top choice to represent the
Philippines came as a pleasant
surprise.
“All the competitors were
good that I was
surprised when I was
declared
champion,” says
Dapul with a
chuckle. “I was
happy to be chosen
and everyone was
happy for me when
the announcement
was made.”
The message I want to get across is what
scientific research can do for our country
... it is the driving force that will expand
our horizons towards tomorrow.”
(Excerpt)
London, here I come!
Excitement filled Dapul to the brim as he
thought of the wonderful opportunity to
travel to a foreign land and meet people of
different nationalities. The whole plane ride
from Manila to UK, Dapul was just thinking:
“Yehey, I get to stay in London!”
On May 6, Dapul arrived for the competition
in the UK together with his dad, Santi. During
his nine-day stay in London, Dapul shared that
he enjoyed the field trips and interactions.
“The most enjoyable part of my experience
was the interaction before and after the
competition. I was with other participants
and stayed in the homes of ESU members. I
gained a lot of friends.”
The international youth competition was
tough with the crème de la crème in public
speaking vying for the top plum. During the
semi-final heats at the ESU headquarters in
Dartmouth House, Dapul was clustered with
speakers from the Netherlands, Pakistan,
India, China and Hong Kong, in addition to
native English speakers from Australia,
England and the United States. Dapul was
the first speaker.
Gian Karlo Dapul and his father Santi paying a courtesy
visit to Shell companies in the Philippines Country
Chairman Edgar Chua (left) at
Shell House, Makati City
‘FISH MUCUS AND
FOOT FUNGUS’
Dapul shared that he answered the questions fielded after his
speech much better in the preliminaries rather than in the finals.
He also had a clear recollection of the events during the
competition, recounting how the audience in London
misunderstood the speech of the speaker from Thailand and the
details of his conversation with the speaker from Pakistan who is
half-Filipino.
Rising above the elite pool of competitors from different
countries all over the world landed Dapul a sweet victory. With
the dedication of a seasoned swordsman, Dapul sharpened his
speech delivery until it reached brilliance, capturing the minds
and hearts of the judges.
In announcing the winner of the ESU competition, Lord
Hunt of Wirral, Chairman of ESU said, “The winner, from
his very first line, hooked all of us to what he was saying.”
“RESEARCH turns our guesses into real knowledge, serving as the
sifting pan of our hypotheses. It challenges what we assume, because,
as they say, if you only learn from what you ASS-UME, you make an
“ass” out of ”u” and “me”.
In the early 1800s, someone warned that the streets of London would
be filled with horse manure due to the uncontrolled use of horsedrawn carriages. Of course, that never happened. Combustion
engines, products of research and invention, replaced horses, and the
manure piled up in Parliament instead.
While on the subject, few people know that the most expensive coffee
in the world is taken from the droppings of the Asian Palm Civet found
in the Philippines and Indonesia. The small mammal excretes the
coffee berries it eats, and forest trackers recycle the fruity feces to
create what is known as Kopi Luwak in Indonesia or Kape Alamid in
our country. Research has led to a synthetic process that simulates the
droppings’ exotic flavor and quality.
A young man’s views
So, who’s had coffee with their breakfast? Well, soon nobody will
have had coffee and breakfast if the looming global food crisis
worsens. Are you all feeling fine? Well, nobody might be fine for long
if some new disease creeps up on us.
In his speech, Dapul highlighted that supporting scientific
research will go a long way in the development of the
Philippines. He aspires to be part of that journey to
promote scientific research as a “driving force that will
expand our horizons towards tomorrow.” As he presses on
to reach for his dreams, Dapul shares that he will always
be guided by what he has learned from his Math teacher
in 6th grade who never failed to remind them that, “To
every question, there is an answer; To every problem,
there is a solution.” This is how he aptly concluded his
speech, which earned the finest honors in the prestigious
public speaking competition.
Health can be enhanced and life can be extended. The nudibranch, a
beautiful, soft-bodied creature unfairly called a “sea slug” — a
favorite among underwater photographers for its marvelous colors
and shapes — has actually been used in tumor research. Samples of
fish mucus have also displayed certain antibacterial properties.
“I want people to look into my speech and understand what I
am trying to say. The message I want to get across is what
scientific research can do for our country,” says Dapul with a
sigh of hope.
And as the Home Shopping Network would say, “Wait! There’s more.”
- Gian Karlo Dapul
Dapul is another breath of inspiration for the Filipino
youth. He puts a premium on hard work as one of the most
important ingredients to attain success.
“I believe that all people are talented. But I would not be
where I am now if it weren’t for hard work,” Dapul
emphasises. Sitting well with his success in London, he
only has encouraging words for the youth: “Working hard
is the only way to develop your talents. Pursue your
passion. If everyone else cannot help you, you only have
yourself to turn to.” SWP
Gian Karlo (with trophy) alongside the competition judges and fellow participants
Photos by ROSALYN BADE, SUNDEE GUEVARRA, MINA TAN
Summer spelled FUN! with the
Life Matters Summer Hub - a lineup of
exciting activities for kids and staff during the
summer season. Life Matters is your ally in
having fun. We are your partners in achieving
work-life balance. From the Life Matters gang,
thank you for sharing with us a
wonderful summer experience!
THERE IS NO EASY OIL. MUCH OF IT IS SCATTERED IN HUNDREDS OF ISOLATED POCKETS. AND BUILDING LOTS OF OIL RIGS IS JUST NOT AN
OPTION, ENVIRONMENTALLY OR ECONOMICALLY. THEN SHELL ENGINEER JAAP VAN BALLEGOOIJEN WATCHED HIS SON DRINK A MILKSHAKE.
SUCKING THE BITS OF FROTH FROM THE CORNERS OF THE GLASS WITH HIS BENDY STRAW. HEY PRESTO, THE SNAKE WELL DRILL WAS BORN. A
DRILL THAT CAN BEND ROUND CORNERS AND SNAKE FROM SIDE TO SIDE TO REACH THOSE SCATTERED POCKETS OF OIL, ALL FROM ONE RIG.
REAL ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR THE REAL WORLD. WWW.SHELL.COM/REALENERGY

shell world - Shell Global

Transcription

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