BI personnel told: Be like Team Gilas

MANILA, Philippines - Bureau of Immigration officer-in-charge Siegfred Mison challenged the 2,000 personnel of the agency to emulate the teamwork and passion of the Smart Gilas basketball team during BI’s 73rd anniversary yesterday.

In his speech, Mison commended the performance of Smart Gilas, saying that the team members, despite the challenge of facing taller opponents, managed to snag a silver medal during the recently concluded 27th FIBA Asia Championship.

Mison said that like the basketball team, BI officials and employees should abide by three work principles: “Teamwork, I-work (integrity-work) and heart work.”

“The Philippine team won simply because they had a bigger heart than their rivals. Even in defeat in the championship game, the team displayed heart work as they played for the pride of our country and countrymen. As public servants, it would be good for us to emulate the heart work shown by the Philippine team in the recently concluded championship Asia. As public servants, let us not aim only to satisfy but to even delight the people we swore to serve,” Mison said.

On teamwork, Mison reminded the BI personnel that each unit of the bureau is “interconnected” and that the success of one division becomes the success of the agency.