Messages for the 28th TOWER Awards

Joyce Michelle Socorro L. Ambray, District Governor RY 2022-2023

Rotarians empower the multitude through their respective expertise to address community needs while helping others discover opportunities and interests in the professions. This is the essence of Vocational Service as part of Rotary’s guiding principles and Avenues of Service. Indeed, the products of the most difficult of jobs are often the least appreciated gains in society. Hence, the recognition of non-supervisory blue-collar and white-collar workers, who are deemed the backbones of our republic, is a most noble undertaking by your club, the First Rotary Club in Asia, which speaks well of how your members, who are captains of industry value the kind of productivity that drives our economy.

On the occasion of The Outstanding Workers of the Republic (TOWER) Awards 2023, I congratulate Chairman Past President Jesus “Susing” Pineda Jr., the entire TOWER Awards Team and the entire club under the abled stewardship of President Herminio “Hermie” Esguerra, together with the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) and the unwavering support of San Miguel Corporation and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) for uplifting the morale of our workers and their strides in innovation and productivity.

It is time to celebrate the role of the Rotary Club of Manila in Vocational Service. It is time to underscore the importance of selfless service. It is time to IMAGINE ROTARY.

Herminio S. Esguerra, President, Rotary Club of Manila

As we come together today to celebrate the 28th The Outstanding Workers of the Republic (TOWER) Awards, we pay tribute to non-supervisory blue and white-collar workers for their invaluable contributions to our nation's economic progress. This year, the TOWER Awards once again shines a spotlight on those who have demonstrated exceptional innovation and dedication to their work, propelling their respective companies to new heights of efficiency, productivity, and overall performance.

TOWER Awards is a legacy project of the Rotary Club of Manila (RCM) that was founded in 1975 during the time of Former Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Blas F. Ople, with the support of Former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. Its main goal is to recognize the contribution of workers to economic development while uplifting Filipino workers’ morale, enhancing career opportunities, and promoting industrial peace.

We extend our sincere gratitude to DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma for his unwavering support to this project. We appreciate how he collaborated with DOLE and the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) to continue the TOWER Awards when he was a member of RCM. We also thank our esteemed sponsors and Board of Judges for making this event possible. Kudos as well to the entire TOWER Awards 2023 Committee headed by Chairman/Centennial President Susing Pineda for their hard work and dedication in organizing this event.

This event marks an important milestone in recognizing Filipino workers' contribution towards economic development — one that should be celebrated with pride. We are elated that this special occasion is graced by the presence of everyone’s pride, His Excellency President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. President Marcos will deliver a keynote speech and will stay on to present the awards during the Awarding Ceremony.

Let us take this opportunity to spread awareness on how hard work can create a thriving community where passion and innovation are celebrated every day. Once again, thank you for joining us in honoring these exceptional individuals at the 28th TOWER Awards! Together, let us continue building a stronger Republic by valuing excellence among Filipino workers — one outstanding worker at a time. Mabuhay ang manggagawang Pilipino!

Sincerely,

Bienvenido E. Laguesma, Secretary, Department of Labor and Employment

On behalf of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), let me convey my warmest and heartfelt greetings to our committed, dedicated, innovative, and resilient members of the workforce of the country. We are together with the Rotary Club of Manila (RCM) and the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) in searching for and recognizing The Outstanding Workers of the Republic (TOWER) Awardees. Through the years, starting in 1975, this noble and enduring endeavor has recognized countless talents, achievements, and innovations of individuals and teams to showcase the invaluable contributions of workers who unselfishly perform excellently and efficiently not just for their respective companies but to the nation as well.

The DOLE commends RCM and PMAP for this significant and continuing partnership for the mutual benefit of the awardees and their employers. We look forward to a stronger and better collaboration in the coming years to ensure a workplace that cultivates, nurtures, and breeds work excellence and innovation.

Our sincerest congratulations to all the 2023 TOWER Awardees! May your achievements be an inspiration for others to emulate and the work ethics and standards you have set be the norm in every working area of the country. Mabuhay ang TOWER Awardees! Mabuhay ang manggagawang Pilipino!

Ma. Elizabeth Nasol, DPM, President, People Management Association of the Philippines

The People Management Association of the Philippines is grateful for the valuable and constant partnership with the Rotary Club of Manila for The Outstanding Workers of the Republic Award (TOWER). As a professional association that values and prioritizes People First Practices, the development and welfare of the labor force, we are one with Rotary Club of Manila in this endeavor that recognizes outstanding talents, their achievements, and innovations of non-supervisory employees. Laborers and workers are the true backbones of the world. It is with great pleasure that we commend the labor force that continues to raise the bar of excellence and contributes significantly to their companies, pouring their souls onto their respective jobs.

Congratulations to the outstanding innovators of 2023! Mabuhay ang mga manggagawang Pinoy!

Jesus M. Pineda Jr., Centennial President, Chairman, 2023 TOWER Awards

Today we celebrate the recognition of six outstanding blue-collar workers of the Republic. We honor these great Filipinos for their hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence, and they truly deserve this honor. The Tower Award is a flagship project of the Rotary Club of Manila, a legacy project since 1975, to create an environment that encourages blue collar industries to improve employment, livelihood and training opportunities thru creative productivity and innovative re-tooling and upscaling of workers. Likewise, we believe that the Blue collar workers are as valuable as any profession, and that they deserve the same respect and recognition, and that there is dignity in labor. As blue-collar workers, they play a vital role in keeping our economy running and our Communities thriving. Their skills, expertise and work ethic are essential to the success of many industries, and their contributions are invaluable to our society.

Congratulations to all outstanding blue-collar workers of the Republic for their great achievements and their significant Impact to society. Maraming salamat po.

Reynaldo M. Gener, DPM, Executive Director, PMAP

People Management of the Philippines (PMAP) is proud to once again collaborate with the Rotary Club of Manila (RCM) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for this year’s The Outstanding Workers of the Republic (TOWER) Award. We support the Rotary Club of Manila in this rigorous national journey of finding the outstanding innovators and inventors in their pursuit of improving organizational productivity and efficiency. It is but fitting to honor our nation's builders during the month of May which is the month dedicated to our esteemed Filipino Workers.

I’d like to thank the whole Awards team of both PMAP and RCM, our Board of Judges, our nominees, our awardees for being here today with us. Special accolade goes to our respected Sec. Bienvenido Laguesma who has been the major driving force in the revival and continuing quest for the TOWER awards and uplifting the dignity of labor.

Congratulations to these talented individuals and teams who continue to challenge themselves in order to contribute significantly to their respective companies - the 2023 TOWER Awardees! Mabuhay ang mga manggagawang Pilipino!

Alejandro H. Tengco, Chairman and CEO, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR)

Greetings! It is my honor and privilege to address the esteemed men and women of the Philippine labor force. The strength of a company or an organization rests on the capabilities of its workforce. They are the driving force of the company in helping the latter attain optimum operational performance, produce quality results, achieve targets and even surpass them. Thus, more than being the most critical asset, manpower is also a partner in ensuring the success of a company or organization.

The valuable contributions of our workforce also help boost the country’s economic growth. Increased productivity translates into better working conditions, higher wages and profitability rates, and even job creation. This means that the efforts of each and every worker determine better career opportunities for all as well as promote industrial peace.

Allow me to take this opportunity to commend the efforts of the country’s workforce. Undeniably, your hard work, efforts, and dedication propel the nation’s economic development. Let this serve as a reminder that no role is small in an organization – each function is essential to set the gears of the company running and bring it to its intended destination.

I would also like to laud the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP), the Rotary Club of Manila, and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for instituting this esteemed platform which recognizes the exceptional and outstanding innovations of our labor force. This platform inspires creativity and gives premium to ingenuity which benefits labor and capital alike.

In the same vein, there is likewise a need to acknowledge the initiatives of employers and the indispensable role the private sector plays in fueling economic development. While much of our laws are directed towards uplifting the state of labor – in espousing workers’ welfare and promoting full and equal employment opportunities – the government likewise rewards initiatives of employers in hurling in needed investments which create more jobs for the people and encourage more trade. With TOWER Awards, companies and organizations are recognized for espousing a culture and an environment where the rights and needs of workers are prioritized. This platform celebrates the efforts of employers in creating spaces for growth and development of its people. This, I believe, is a strong showing of support to their personnel complement, and a testament as to how the company or organization considers its people as the main driver of their success and achievements.

I would like to congratulate the 2023 Tower Awardees! May this be just the start of a newfound appreciation for the work that you do and may your achievements be an inspiration for the rest of the labor force to continue to persevere knowing that the fruits of their labor are reaped not only by their own families, but by the hundreds of Filipino communities and households who stand to benefit from our country’s vigorous trade and industry. May the good Lord bless you! Mabuhay po ang manggagawang Pilipino

Ramon S. Ang, President and Chief Executive Officer, San Miguel Corporation

If there is anything that I am proudest of today, it’s that we, as Filipinos, have been able to power through what has been this generation's greatest public health crisis. During the pandemic, we saw, time and again, how our frontliners' courage and sacrifices carried us forward — and that indeed, the Filipino worker is the lifeblood of our nation.

As president of San Miguel, I was honored to witness the determination and commitment every person in our company poured into the job daily. The Outstanding Workers of the Republic (TOWER) Awardees that we honor represent the very best of who we are as a people: innovative, adaptable, hardworking, at may malasakit. I can only hope that you grow your tribe, and that we find more people like you.

With this recognition, comes the realization that each of us has the power to transform communities, uplift our countrymen, and bring about the changes we seek. The new realities we face require leadership from every citizen and a sense of urgency to create better for future generations. As a nation, we should allow ourselves to dream of more for our people – to understand that we have the capacity to surpass every expectation we hold for ourselves.

The partnership between the Rotary Club of Manila (RCM), People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is an example of how private and public organizations can work together to create opportunities for growth and learning for our workers; develop programs that will have a lasting impact not just on individuals, but also their communities; and create an environment where innovation and excellence is the norm, rather than the exception.

Together we can do better for ourselves and our country. Maraming salamat po, at mabuhay po kayong lahat