Rockwell Land assistant mall operations manager William GilbuenaRockwell Land Corporation assistant mall operations manager William Gilbuena was once an electrical engineering student eyeing top companies and found Rockwell Land to be “the one” in property development.

 “When I was applying for a facilities engineer position, the HR staff who accommodated me expressed malasakit in a very simple but impactful way: she offered me coffee. Never did I experience that kind of treatment during an interview. It seems subtle, but I joined Rockwell because I felt that the sense of malasakit is genuine,” Gilbuena recalls.

That was in 2012, and he believes the culture of malasakit has continually grown and will continue to characterize the way Rockwell Land treats its customers and other stakeholders.

Starting in his current role in August 2017, Gilbuena was given charge of a group of 15 technicians, operators and engineers. His biggest challenge is communication, so he has committed to practice—that is, to expose himself to different types of conversations. His time in Mapua Institute of Technology did give him an opportunity to interact with different people in different contexts.

different contexts.  “But what really helped me in my current role, more than the contribution of school, was my family. My parents taught me principles out of their sincere care for me to be a good person—that’s where I got most of what I have with me today,” says Gilbuena, who sees a future in building nonprofit organizations.

"I'm dreaming to lead groups of people for a single cause: encourage people to live in a principled way. That sounds deep, but it simply means that I want to do things for life, not material things. The intersection of my dreams and my work in Rockwell is the development of my social skills. For sure, the path to my dreams and when I get there involves people, so I better be good at handling them,” he says.

Rockwell Land assistant horticulture manager Lester Paolo Almazan joined the Rockwell Land Landscape team as horticulturist in 2014. He had been doing in-house landscape implementation for another developer, but was looking for a company that was a cut above the rest and where his contribution would have an impact beyond ordinary.

In 2015, he was assigned to do the décor for Power Plant Mall, which he considered a real challenge.

“Being a horticulturist, you would expect me to focus on taking care of plants and trees—just focus on landscape maintenance. But since the Christmas décor and façade lighting maintenance—both not related to landscape—was assigned to me, I pushed myself to go out of my comfort zone and learn how to handle these additional assignments well. I always set target goals every day leading to the main objective of the project and make sure I have the right people around me to support and help overcome challenges,” Almazan says.

He believes his training and the values he grew up with
when he was still studying reinforced his skills and made him more resilient. He developed malasakit when it comes to work and for whatever he does.

“I just want to do things right and be a better version of myself every time. To provide for my future family and give back to others in need. Rockwell has really given me opportunities to have a meaningful career,” says Almazan, who practices foremost integrity and employee wellness at work.

Gilbuena says integrity is also the Lopez Value that first resonates with him: “I try my best to be the same person at work and at home. This is hard but this is also one of the best ways to allow integrity to manifest.”

Almazan tells LopezLinkreaders: “Always think of ways that will result in the best outcome and will lead others to do their best as well. Make every experience beyond ordinary.”

And from Gilbuena: “You are a masterpiece, so in you are the capabilities to produce valuable work.” (Story/Photos by: Carla Paras-Sison)

Rockwell Land assistant horticulture manager Lester Almazan