embedding sustainability management

Manila Water sees its workforce as the most important resource of the company. Manila Water considers its employees as builders of a bright and hopeful future for the communities it serves. The company’s holistic approach to talent management—from the point of recruitment to development, ensures that it brings in, develops, and engages talents with the required competencies to fulfill its mission to build a sustainable future. Fundamental to this belief is the assurance that the company does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, cultural differences or any other form of bias.

Manila Water considers each employee as a corporate resource, and it believes that effective leadership is critical for people to excellently perform their roles in the company with the highest degree of integrity and competence. With the continued growth and transformation of the business, cultivating leaders who are future-ready is a must.

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

In 2018, Manila Water Talent Management facilitated 162 external and internal training programs, consisting of group-initiated programs, talent management programs, and those under the Manila Water University to a total of 1,137 trained employees.

The Manila Water University (MWU) is the corporate learning institution of Manila Water. It houses a wide array of training and development programs, which can be instructor-led and/or online. The programs under MWU are all competency-based, targeted to develop Manila Water talents by enhancing their leadership, technical, and functional skills. In turn, MWU supports career development, and its various programs complement the company’s efforts to prepare its leaders to assume critical roles in the organization.

In 1999–just two years after the company entered into the East Zone Concession agreement, the Manila Water Cadetship Training Program was instituted, making it the longest running development program of the company. Now on its 24th batch, the Cadetship Training Program is a six-month program that provides qualified fresh graduates the opportunities for specialized training and work experience, honing them towards excellence in business and technical skills.

PROMOTING WORK-LIFE BALANCE

To ensure a positive working environment, Manila Water makes sure that work-life balance is fostered for its employees. In today’s fast-paced society, Manila Water sees to it that the workplace acknowledges and considers the realities of people not only as employees, but as homemakers, parents, and members of their respective communities. In 2016, the company launched a telecommuting initiative, providing the employees more flexible time and work arrangements to encourage productivity and efficiency. Six work hubs were constructed across the East Zone in the company’s various facilities, concurrently serving as contingency sites to ensure fast business recovery in case of natural disasters and calamities.

Various employee programs are in place to foster unity and camaraderie. These programs include employee volunteerism, sports and wellness, and other various employee engagement programs. The company also conducts numerous corporate recognition programs to recognize outstanding employee performance and work ethic. These recognition programs are the Huwarang Manggagawa Awards for rank and file employees, the President’s Pride due to Performance Awards for middle managers, and the Chairman’s Circle Awards for senior managers. To acknowledge employees’ continued service to the company, retirement readiness programs are offered to facilitate the easy transition of retiring employees to their next phase in life.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
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Manila Water values the rights of its employees to participate in the formulation and review of policies concerning the rights and welfare of the workforce. The company supports the employees’ freedom of association and complies with the existing laws in this regard. In 2018, 177 employees were covered by the collective bargaining agreement, comprising 13.6 percent of the total employees of the Manila Concession.