Attitude and spiritual values key to Asiawide Refreshments Corp. employees

MANILA, Philippines - Asiawide Refreshments Corp. (ARC), the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of RC Cola, continues to strengthen its organization with a running in-house seminar on attitude change and spiritual values for its employees.

In its latest seminar called “Empowering Decisions to Change” conducted by the Evangelion Foundation at the Robbinsdale Residences in Quezon City, about 40 regular and probationary staff from ARC plants nationwide had the opportunity to take part in special activities including sharing personal experiences that shaped their character.

The purpose of the seminar is to align individual and company values for the effective operation of its growing business. It is also part of the company’s commitment to the personal and professional development of its workers.

Upholding good values is one among the three visions of ARC. To fulfill this, the company has implemented various organizational development (OD) programs. The seminar on “Empowering Decisions to Change” is just the first of two parts of an OD program scheduled by the ARC Human Resources Department (HRD) this year. A follow-up seminar focusing on spirituality in the workplace will be conducted next year for employees again by the Evangelion Foundation.

Raul Villapana, ARC’s assistant vice president for HRD, believes the company owes its success not only to the quality of its products but also to the quality of its people. To ensure that employees are competent, which is a key to having an efficient organizational structure, Villapana says ARC invests heavily in OD programs and training.

ARC Training team led by (second from left) vice president for HR Raul Villapana

The year, the company’s HRD began a holistic approach to developing the organization and workforce, including leaders. It continues to conduct basic supervisory course for supervisors, basic managerial course for managers and advanced managerial course for higher managers.

The advance course includes training on transformational leaders. Villapana explains that ARC wants such leaders or people who can transform their team to become leaders so the company can continue to build the management team and not leave behind talented people on the bottom of the career ladder.

Between 2004 and 2005, ARC started its sales management training program. Under the program, ARC hires college graduates with a couple of years of selling experience of any consumer product and improves his or her skills over the years. The ongoing program has produced district sales managers who are college graduates.

“With the training program that we have, hopefully, the leadership pipeline will continue to flow and we’ll continue to have the pool of talent that we need,” Villapana says.

“We are conscious of productivity in ARC,” Villapana says. “If we get the right person for the right position, we continue to develop him in technical skills, attitude, love of family, love of work and love of God to make him very productive.”

The spirituality seminar is just one of the few programs promoting love of God among workers. ARC also holds first Friday Mass in all plants and yearly spiritual retreat. The number of one-day retreat will be doubled starting 2010.

While the companywide sports fest is the HRD’s physical fitness program, there are also employee recreation programs such as table tennis, chess and dart tournaments per plant. The annual summer outing and Christmas party per plant are also part of the recreation programs.

ARC’s recent training highlights the importance of teamwork in meeting challenges and achieving goals for the company.

Another way workers’ families become part of ARC is through livelihood programs. Last November, ARC started soap-making, candle-making and rug-making courses for wives of employees to help earn additional income for the family. Such programs not only motivate workers but also promote loyalty even among workers’ families to the company.

ARC has a continuous culture enhancement, recognition and communications program. The company confers the Asiawide Idol Award for model employees. Its Diskarteng Asiawide Award recognizes great deeds that exemplify great values. There are also Perfect Attendance Awards, a newsletter issued thrice a year, birthday treats for monthly birthday celebrants, and bulletin boards upgraded regularly. After every birthday treat, employees in each plant have a chance to voice their suggestions and comments to executives.

Villapana says, “Our year-round employee activities lead to enhancing teamwork in the entire organization.”

More importantly, the OD programs will help HRD take on ARC’s bigger challenge next year of getting the people needed for its growing soft drinks business.