(L-R) Dimpy Jazmines, Gerbs de Castro, TJ Isla and Anthony PeñalosaFor Dimpy Jazmines, Employer Brand manager of Sky Cable Corporation, being part of the Walk the Talk (WTT) core team carries with it singular responsibilities.

“It’s a very clear message to employees that their company, as part of the Lopez Group, invests in their health and wellness. The WTT core team has to foster this environment in which importance is clearly given to these things. We care for the employees’ health and want to do something about it. It’s not a guarantee that they will be safe from medical emergencies like heart attacks, but by increasing awareness, we hope our fellow employees catch the wellness bug,” says Jazmines, a University of the Philippines (UP) broadcasting major who joined Sky Cable Human Resources (HR) in 2014 after working in branding and internal communications for two telecommunications companies.

Germaine de Castro, HR officer at Energy Development Corporation (EDC), says WTT gives participants the opportunity to enhance camaraderie by cutting across different departments and companies. 

Healthier workforce
“Every WTT event lets us be with other people whom we don’t usually interact with. We have this chance to be together outside of work to enjoy an energizing activity, with people who share our interest in fitness, sports and wellness in general. It helps us become a healthier workforce in a spirit of fun and camaraderie. First timers invariably enjoy the walk so much, they say ‘Ang saya pala. Kailan ang susunod?’ (It’s really fun. When’s the next one?),” says De Castro, a business administration alumnus of De La Salle-College of St. Benilde who joined EDC’s Human Resource Management Group in 2008 after handling training as well as employee engagement for an information technology company and a bank.

TJ Isla, Employee and Labor Relations head of ABS-CBN Corporation, calls WTT “a family bonding activity while keeping healthy and being a friend to the environment” and says attendance is not its only measure of success.

A way to live values
“WTT aims to produce health and wellness ambassadors and environment advocates among our kapamilya. And we want to see this translated into the work setting, that is, armed with a positive attitude and an overall wellness vibe. WTT is a way to live our values. It shows that we put a premium on the well-being of all our kapamilya,” says Isla, a UP philosophy major who joined ABS-CBN straight out of college in 2001 as a contractual HR employee, and has since majored in HR development at the UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Anthony Peñalosa, senior manager II at Rockwell Land Corporation, organizes the warm-up exercise team for the monthly WTT, courtesy of Rockwell Land Corporation and the Sports and Recreation Team, which he handles.

“Promoting fitness and wellness is a major part of what I do in Rockwell. We have our own sports activities and promote exercises like ‘Wenga’ which is an original fitness exercise of Rockwell Club, and tai chi for the elderly for free from October to December,” says Peñalosa, a management graduate of St. Joseph’s College who trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for seven years and for a time served as mixed martial arts consultant and referee for Universal Reality Combat Championship. He notes that WTT has been able to sustain the number of participants month-to-month.

Doubly successful
For this, Jazmines thanks all Lopez Group kapamilya for “believing in the importance of health and camaraderie in the Group,” adding that WTT is made doubly successful by family members and friends of Lopez Group employees who have made it a habit to join the monthly walks.

De Castro says: “The Walk the Talk population has been constantly increasing the past few years, and because of this, I would like to give my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have been supporting this OMLinitiated project. The mere act of waking up early and contributing a few hours of your weekend time for one Saturday a month to be with other Lopez Group employees and their dependents is a clear indicator of how much you believe in the significance of this wellness undertaking. Mabuhay ka, kapamilya!”

Isla urges all kapamilya: “Continue to support WTT and all our health and wellness initiatives. Think health and choose wellness every day!”

Peñalosa shares a quote: “Every step towards your dream today is a step away from your regret tomorrow.”

Motivated by the steady growth in the number of participants, the WTT core team promises to keep the monthly meet fun and exciting and to explore new and better venues where they can all really “walk the talk.” (By Carla Paras-Sison)