Franklin Baker Team: James A. Zabala and Robert Jay E. Pujeda

In November 2019, Paring Oil Mill Operation continuously encountered unplanned stoppages due to the accumulation of paring foots inside the tank which resulted to low volume, low oil recovery, low GMP scores and the need to deploy six (6) workers during cleaning just to manually remove the accumulated paring foots inside the tank. Robert Jay Pujeda (Production Lead man) and James Zabala (POM Operator) together with a cross-functional team composed of members from Production Department and Engineering Department conducted an RCA to identify the root cause and device solutions to the problem. Robert Jay and James suggested that there is a need to agitate the raw oil tank to eliminate the accumulation of paring foots at the bottom of the raw oil tank. With the help of the Engineering Department, the team installed a motorized stirring mechanism as an agitator inside the raw oil tank.

This project increased the volume production and oil recovery in the paring oil mill, eliminated safety risks by eliminating working at heights and confined spaces, increased the GMP scores of the area, and saved on production costs. This project won the PISO (Proposals, Ideas, Suggestions, Opinions) for January 2020, an Operational Excellence Program in the company that aims to promote open channels of communication an idea from all employees to improve work productivity and drive continuous improvement.

Prior to the engagement of James Zabala with Franklin Baker, he worked as a dryer operator under third party manpower provider. He was officially employed with Franklin Baker in February 2018 as Paring Dryer operator. His eagerness to learn and improve his competency in POM Operations made him one of the trusted workers in his area of responsibility in terms of process improvement and problem solving. As a follower of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, James loves to share and spread the word of God to his community. James is a good provider and a family guy who loves to watch movies during his free time with his family.

Robert Jay Pujeda started his career with Franklin Baker in February 2017 as a Paring Oil Mill Operator. Mr. Pujeda has been consistent in terms of performance. He plays a vital role in ensuring efficient Paring Oil Mill Operations with minimal production cost and optimal machine run. RJ is an active volunteer of the Astorga Mountaineering & Ecological Conservation Club which advocates for environmental conservation, ecotourism promotion and humanitarian response. He is also a volunteer of the Municipal Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council as a Calamity Responder since 2013. In 2020, he was one of the Santa Cruz Heritage Tourism Advocate awardee given by the Municipality of Santa Cruz. Currently, he also serves as a Sergeant at Arms in their Purok in Barangay Astorga, Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur.

RJ and James have shown great commitment and dedication to their work as well as in being good members of society. Franklin Baker honors their valuable efforts and unwavering commitment to continuous improvement. May this be a testament that no matter what position you hold at work, you can always make a huge impact to the company and to the community.