MANILA, Philippines - Behind GE’s global success is the company’s strong commitment placed on empowering and motivating its human resources through activities that advocate personal development and growth.
GE recently gathered 50 of its employees from different departments for the “Up Close and Personal” seminar, a forum-type discussion organized every two months by the GE Women’s Network Philippines Hub, which is aimed at imparting new knowledge and nurturing life’s skills.
Women’s Network invited celebrity mother Pia Arroyo-Magalona to lead and facilitate the session. The widow of a nationalistic artist, a mother to eight children and a grandmother of three, Pia is an advocate of change herself. She founded the Francis Magalona Foundation (FMF) as a tribute to her late husband who defined the true spirit of the Filipino people through his music. She is also a determined and active proponent of the fight against cancer having suffered the loss of Francis to the disease.
In 2009, she co-founded OneCore with best-selling author and The Love Institute’s Pia Acevedo. The only success center in the country today, the said organization’s mission is to educate 18 to 30 year olds about real life lessons, ones that are not taught in school, and the right values needed to live a good life. It is an avenue for self-learning and personal development through skills-building workshop and one-on-one coaching.
During the group discussion, Pia generously shared her life journey as a fighter who continues to radiate strength, courage and faith gleaned from the struggles of being a young widow and a single parent. The discussion also offered participants, which included GE officers and employees, bits of advice that will help them make better decisions and become effective and productive members of a company and the society in general.
The event was GE’s way of providing its employees intangible incentives that aim to encourage a healthy work atmosphere, build self-worth and create a comfortable venue where they can share and learn from each other’s experiences and expertise.
GE in the Philippines dates back to more than 100 years when in 1890, its predecessor, Thomas Houston Electric Company, installed the first electric streetlights on Real Street in Manila. From that point forward, GE steadily strengthened its commitment to the country, and in October 1935 incorporated GE Philippines, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary, engaged in a broad range of manufacturing, trading and service businesses. GE Infrastructure is a leading presence in the areas of energy (power generation, transmission and distribution), transport (aircraft engines), and water and process technologies. ASEAN-wide, GE’s key businesses help fuel development in areas like healthcare, business solutions, finance, and media. Today, GE has more than 1,000 employees in the Philippines.