Lopez Achievement Awards TrophyThe Lopez Achievement Awards (LAA) recognize exceptional achievements that contribute to the Group’s business objectives and exemplify its core values. For this 2011 cycle, no awards were handed out in two of the six categories, Business Management and Human Resource Focus.

In all, 14 semifinalists were culled from 40 nominations. Eleven winners were chosen. ABS-CBN, EDC, DZMM and AFI were this year’s winningest organizations with two awards each.

Corporate Communications head Bong Osorio has made it his job to push teams in ABSCBN to putSpecial Awardee Gina Lopez of AFI together their best work and submit these for consideration every time LAA’s nomination season rolls around.

“It always feels good to be part of an affair that showcases the worth of Lopez Group companies,” Osorio stated after the LAA awarding ceremony.

Asked which quality bound LAA winners past and present, Osorio cited “excellence, because otherwise you will not be given this much-coveted award. We all aim to be a winner, to be number one. In order to be such, you have to be excellent.”

For Manuel Paete, vice president for the Leyte Geothermal Production Field, the Save our Steam Team’s victory was all the sweeter because team members from different disciplines came together for the project that saves EDC millions of pesos a year.

“To recover the steam leakage of 17 megawatts, we’ll need to drill the equivalent of three new geothermal wells,” Paete noted. “Each well would cost about P200 million.”

Aside from being honored with an LAA, Paete relishes the idea that his team’s outstanding achievement will benefit not just their department but also EDC. “We are empowered to help the Filipino people in providing energy. That is fulfilling,” he added.

Under Peter Musngi, DZMM has been on a winning streak, picking up awards left and right. But for the ABSCBN Manila Radio Division head, an LAA trophy is in a class of its own. This is because the whole process, including the interviews and screenings that they undergo, ensures that “only the best teams will win,” Musngi asserted.

“There’s also a certain sense of achievement and fulfillment because it’s from the Lopez Group,” he added. “The LAA ceremony is always very nicely put together, and top management is there to give away the awards.”

This year’s panel of judges was composed of Dr. Miflora Gatchalian of the International Academy for Quality, First Philippine Holdings Corporation (FPH) VP and Securities Transfer Services Inc. GM Ricky Yatco, First Philippine Industrial Park president Hector Dimacali, First Philec Corporation managing director for Electric Utilities Ariel Ong, Lopez Holdings Corporation consultant Boo Chanco, FPH VP Ramon Pagdagdagan, Lopez Holdings VP Pinky R.A. Diokno, and HR Council chairperson and Lopez Museum executive director Cedie Lopez Vargas.

The Texas Instruments Bump Building Expansion Project Management Team of First Balfour Inc., awardee for Customer Focus	The EDC Global Reporting Initiative Team, awardee for Corporate Image Building
The PGPP Hybrid Project Team of Green Core Geothermal Inc., awardee for Operations Management	Steam Saviors of EDC, awardee for Operations Management
The DZMM Radyo Patrol Sais Trenta Team, awardee for Corporate Image Building	The DZMM Teaching Learning Caring Team, awardee for Public Responsibility
ABS-CBN Regional Network Group, awardee for Public Responsibility	The Krusada Team of ABS-CBN, awardee for Public Responsibility
Task Force 499 of Sky Cable Corporation, awardee for Customer Focus	The QESH and External Affairs Department of First Gas Power Corporation, awardee for Corporate Image Building

And the winners are:

Customer Focus

1. Task Force 499, Sky Cable Corporation: Plan 499 Winning the Hearts of the Filipino Family and Changing the Cable TV Landscape

2. Texas Instruments Bump Building Expansion Project Management Team, First Balfour Inc.: Performing Above and Beyond Customer Expectations

Operations Management

3. PGPP Hybrid Project Team, Green Core Geothermal Inc.: Successful Retrofitting of a Non-Performing LVRP into the SGE System of PGPP-1 Unit-1

4. Steam Saviors, Energy Development Corporation (EDC): S.O.S.—Save our Steam (Saving Steam to Increase Generation)

Corporate Image Building

5. QESH and External Affairs Department, First Gas Power Corporation: Sowing the Seed of Environmental Stewardship in Batangas

6. DZMM Radyo Patrol Sais Trenta, ABS-CBN Corporation: DZMM SilveRadyo

7. EDC Global Reporting Initiative Team, EDC: Measuring EDC’s Triple Bottom-line Impact

Public Responsibility

8. ABS-CBN Regional Network Group, ABS-CBN Corporation: Choose Philippines: Sharing More than Just Discoveries

9. DZMM Teaching Learning Caring, ABS-CBN Corporation: DZMM Teaching Learning Caring

10. Krusada, ABS-CBN Corporation: International Recognition and National Impact through Social Awareness

11. BayaniJuan Calauan, ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI): Rebuilding the Philippines… One Community at a Time, Top Awardee

Special Award

Gina Lopez, ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. managing director