the official company newsletter of maynilad water …€¦ · putatan water treatment plant team...

VOLUME 9 | ISSUE 2 | APRIL–JUNE 2018

R I P P L E S

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

T H E O F F I C I A L C O M P A N Y N E W S L E T T E R O F M A Y N I L A D W A T E R S E R V I C E S , I N C .

THE EXPERIENCE WE REALLY WANT OUR CUSTOMERS TO HAVE

WMD LAUNCHES SEPTHINK TANK INNOVATION PROGRAM

MAYNILAD AWARDED UK’S INVESTORS IN PEOPLE STANDARD ACCREDITATION

DON’T LET THE RAIN RUIN YOUR FAMILY DAY!

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R I P P L E SRipples is the official publication of Maynilad Water Services, Inc. for Maynilad employees and friends. Ripples welcomes contributions, letters, photos, and artwork for publication. However, these materials become Ripples property and are subject to editorial changes. Send contributions to the Corporate Communications Department,G/F Maynilad Bldg., MWSS Compound, Katipunan Road, Balara, Quezon City; Tel. Nos. 981-3451 to 52; Email: [email protected] and [email protected].

JENNIFER R. CASIPIT-RUFOEditor in Chief

LALAINE DIXIE L. TIANGCOManaging Editor

MADELEINE R. ZAIDEREGINALD M. INDONAssociate Editors

JECELYN M. LEOBRERAWriter

GRACE A. LAXACirculation Manager

RYAN B. JAMORA SHERWIN DC. MENDOZAANN MARGARETT L. MARIGONDON-CARANTOTERESITA C. MONTANOMIRLA M. DE LEONELIZABETH S. DAVIDLOLIT M. LOTANOLAN C. CLEMENTECorrespondents

MIKHAIL D. SANCHEZKRISTIAN ROSS S. AQUINOIllustrators

One very early morning, I stood at a takeout counter waiting for my order of coffee and a whole box of sugar-glazed doughnuts. I had yet to eat breakfast, and the delicious smells wafting out from the kitchen made me salivate like one of Pavlov’s dogs at the sound of a bell.

As I waited patiently, one of the kitchen staff peeked out of the window at me. She was smiling as she gave me one freshly baked doughnut that just came out of the oven and said, “For you, ma’am, while waiting.”

I was so surprised that I stared at that doughnut for a full five seconds before I remembered my manners and said thank you.

Suffice to say, that experience made me keep going back to that same doughnut shop. Out of loyalty, I shun its more famous competitor, preferring that brand because I could never forget that one pleasant experience I had with them. Besides, they have a great product.

To create brand affinity, it is important to give positive experiences to customers. This means going beyond what is expected. If they call to ask a question about our service, don’t just give a routine answer—find out the broader reason for the call so a more thorough feedback can be provided. If a customer applies for a connection, don’t wait for a follow-up; proactively give updates.

Maynilad has rolled out a CX Roadmap that seeks to improve our customers’ end-to-end journey with us. This was developed following exhaustive market surveys, which helped us to determine customer sentiment toward our brand and what will make them shift from mere consumers to loyal followers.

We all have a role in making sure that the aspirations of this roadmap are attained. Let’s start doing it now—starting with that irate customer we like to avoid.

Cheers!

WANT TO MAKE OUR CUSTOMERS HAPPY?

EDITOR’S NOTE WHAT’S INSIDE

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6


LEVELING UP CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THROUGH WMS AND ACC

FEATURES

NEWS

While we are able to deliver what customers expect, it is how we deliver that defines their overall experience of our brand.

As CX becomes top priority, Maynilad taps technology to enhance service delivery to customers.

12 Maynilad awarded UK’s Investors in People standard

accreditation | ₱ 743M for new pumping stations and

reservoirs in 2018 13 New Central Laboratory built | 290km

of old pipes for replacement this year 14 4th WWD

Awards honors 18 water champions | Castillo shares

Maynilad’s IT/OT integration story 15 ITS launches

Microsoft Office 365 16 CSR programs receive int’l plum |

150 schools refurbished for Brigada Eskwela 2018

17 Partnership forged for Tullahan River rehab | Maynilad

community partner named Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneur

COVER STORY

RIPPLES I THE OFFICIAL COMPANY NEWSLETTER OF MAYNILAD WATER SERVICES, INC.APRIL–JUNE 2018 2

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HOW EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION DICTATES CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

WMD LAUNCHES SEPTHINK TANK INNOVATION PROGRAM

IN FOCUS:CENTRAL CONTROL ROOM

STARS OF MAYNILAD

TUBEE & CO.YOUR PAGE

MEN AND WOMEN OF MAYNILAD

HEAD FOR THE WEST

WASTEWATER EXPRESSED

DOC RIC SAYS

COLUMNS

REGULARS

The close connection between employee and customer satisfaction was discussed in detail during this year’s CXRO-HR Conference.

There is now a group that aims to capture and develop ideas on improving wastewater operations, thanks to this new innovation program by WMD.

Through the new CCR, Maynilad now has the capability to monitor and control a growing number of water and wastewater facilities, allowing for speedier resolution of supply concerns.

Bong Anico: Every opportunity counts

Early Payer Rewards Program: “I Lavada You Nanay”

Putatan Water Treatment Plant Team

Don’t let the rain ruin your family day!

Waste as sustainable fuel (Part 2): Harnessing the potential of sewage sludge as biosolids for agricultural applications

Soup of the day

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RIPPLES I THE OFFICIAL COMPANY NEWSLETTER OF MAYNILAD WATER SERVICES, INC. APRIL–JUNE 2018 3

COVER STORY


BUILDING BRAND AFFINITYBy Jennifer C. Rufo

We provide potable water. We respond to concerns raised. We issue bills and accept payments on time. That should be enough, right?

Not really. While we are able to deliver what customers expect, it is how we deliver that defines their overall experience of our brand. Taking on our customers’ perspective is key in determining any internal process gaps that need to be addressed toward the attainment of a truly customer-centric organization.

As a take-off point, Maynilad looked externally—using customer surveys and market research data—as well as internally through the Customer eXperience (CX) Boot Camp sessions that started in 2016. In both

The “Maynilad Next Generation” defined three major pillars: Operational Efficiency, Business Growth, and Organization and People Development. In support of these pillars, CX Program strategies were laid out to address needed improvements in “product”, “process” and “people”.

CXRO consultant Melin Derpo explains, “A good customer experience—which is supported by efficient and innovative processes—leads to reduced rework and inefficiencies, helps build a brand that is supportive of business growth, and results to pride and a general sense of well-being among its employees.”

Essentially, the aim is to satisfy four points that customers say will help them to better appreciate the Maynilad brand—i.e., uninterrupted and good quality water supply, timely and accurate water service advisories, fast response to concerns, and competent employees.

The result is the Customer Lifecycle Four-Year Process Roadmap, which set specific steps and innovations to achieve the desired customer experience (see graphics).

Besides these process interventions, Maynilad also started institutionalizing relationship management for customers so that engagements go from plain account servicing to real customer intimacy and trust born out of fully understanding customer needs and offering solutions that add value to the service.

instances, opportunities for improvement were identified and programs were developed. One major move was the recent creation of a dedicated “Customer Care” department under Customer eXperience and Retail Operations (CXRO).

Customer Care head Guillermo Gabatino says his group will be “in charge of strategic planning and program formulation on customer service with the end in view of providing the best customer experience possible.”

It will likewise oversee the implementation of the Customer Lifecycle Four-Year Process Roadmap, ensuring that all process innovations will be delivered on time.

Brand affinity can only be achieved if we focus on improving overall customer experience.


While we are able to deliver what customers expect, it is how we deliver that defines their

overall experience of our brand.

BUILDING BRAND AFFINITYDESIRED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

APPLICANT CONSUMER BILLED USER COMPLAINANT DELINQUENTCUSTOMER

HOW TO GET THERE

MAYNILAD BRAND AMBASSADORS

• Application at any BA office, 1626 via the App & Online

• Proactive information dissemination on service interruptions

• Proactive investigation / notification

• Maynilad App complainant creation

• Automated reconnection

• Status notifications

• Separate notice of disconnection

• Customer self-service portal

• Status notification

• File in any BA

• Accessible & responsive 1626

• Billing and delinquency notification (enhanced notice of disconnection)

• Payment receipt notifications

• PayMaya or digital payment platforms

• Hassle-free Maynilad permit acquisition

• Proactive status updates on Capex projects

• Customer self-service portal

• Application statusfeedback

Steps have already been taken toward the attainment of improved customer experience. In fact, as early as 2016, Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez called for the creation of an ad hoc CX project organization, comprised of cross-functional committees that will define strategies for building customer engagement and intimacy, forging strategic customer relationships, developing customer service excellence competencies and the passion for service in Maynilad employees, and crafting of a customer service process roadmap based on the changing requirements and expectations of customers.

On top of the CX Steering Committee, a CX Review Committee was also later formed to review all incidences adversely affecting customer experience and treat these as learning opportunities for the Maynilad organization.

Some headway is being made in the area of process improvements, as CXRO partners with Information Technology Services to tap available technologies that can enhance customer-facing processes

Perhaps the more crucial and difficult step in ensuring the cultural shift to a customer-centric organization is in the people aspect. As Derpo points out, “The program that eventually will and should concretize this in the minds of the employees, as well as put it in the hearts of each and every Maynilad personnel, is the HR-led ‘Maynilad Brand Ambassador’ program. This program will be tied up with the ‘Maynilad Way,’ and should be able to concretize behavioral manifestations of the desired ‘walking, talking’ Maynilad Brand Ambassador who lives the corporate values and culture.”

Ultimately, if we are to improve customer sentiment toward Maynilad and even inspire brand loyalty, the improvement should first come from within the organization. And that is how we can really give the experience our customers want.

(see article on page 6). Particularly, the move from the legacy system “CSIS” to Workflow Management System (WMS) is seen to promote enhanced efficiencies, leading to better service delivery.

According to Information Systems head Emmanuel Diloy, WMS uses an upgraded software version of CSIS and has a lot of new functionalities, among them the ability to track the status of a service application or complaint. This will enable front liners to determine if the application or complaint is being acted upon, as well as identify the person responsible for ensuring case closure.

“On top of the functionality up-grades, the processes employed in WMS are already streamlined and standardized. This means that all Business Areas will follow the same procedures and will be measured using the same parameters for all of their operational processes,” Diloy adds.


FEATURES

LEVELING UP CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THROUGH WMS AND ACC

By Lalaine Dixie L. Tiangco

Customer Experience or CX has become a priority of companies over the past few years. This is believed to be an integral part of success not only in getting customers but in keeping them positive and loyal toward the brand.

“We in Maynilad are not new to this. Customer eXperience and Retail Operations (CXRO) has been continuously finding ways on how to

further improve customer experience—of course, through our partner-enabler Information Technology,” said CXRO head Christopher Lichauco.

In fact, CXRO and Information Technology Services (ITS) are launching two major projects this year that are expected to become fully operational by 2019. These are the Workflow Management System

(WMS) and Automated Customer Communication (ACC) projects.

“WMS and ACC are designed not only to improve customer experience of our external customers but to also make the process better for the internal customers of the company—its employees,” said Chief Information Officer and ITS head Dr. Francisco Castillo.

The WMS and ACC projects are tapping technologies to help Maynilad—particularly its front liner personnel—to give the best service possible to its customers.


MULTIPLE CHANNELS

PROMPT RESPONSE TO SUPPLY CONCERNS

WMS was initially launched during the second quarter of 2018. From the project name itself, WMS is designed to enhance and develop customer-facing processes. This will eventually replace the Customer Service Information System (CSIS) that is currently in use.

For Phase 1 of the project, enhanced processes on the following will be implemented:

• New Water Service Connection Application

• New Sewer Service Connection Application

• Massive Water Service Connection Application

• Change of Owner Application

• Miscellaneous Application

Phase 2 of the project, to be rolled out in 2019, will cover the following processes:

• Customer Requests/Inquiries

• Bill-related Concerns

• Meter-related Concerns

• Sewer-related Concerns

• Water Availability Concerns

• Illegalities

• Street Hazards

• Water Quality Concerns

With these additional and improved processes, employees can now work more efficiently.

Meanwhile, through WMS, multiple channels for service applications will now be available to our customers. In particular, customers can now go to any Business Area (BA) office—whichever is more convenient and accessible to them—when applying for a new service connection.

Talking about convenience, if customers have no time to visit our BA, they can also apply via call, our

The other project of the CXRO-ITS tandem, which also taps assistance from the Geographic Information System (GIS) department, is the ACC Project.

ACC aims to improve customer experience by providing prompt response to supply concerns and being proactive in informing our customers about the water service interruption affecting their area.

This will be done through the use of the Maynilad Web Map, which

A screen grab of the ACC, which will utilize the Maynilad Web Map to identify areas with water supply concerns.

digital channels, or even through our Zone Specialists. This is also the company’s way of further empowering the Zone Specialists.

This is just the beginning, as WMS will be expanding further in 2019 to cover more processes. Included in the planned additional functionali-ties of WMS would be the automatic sending of notifications via SMS and/or electronic mail to customers about their new service applications and complaints. This way, customers will always be updated on the status of their application and concerns, which will help to lessen follow-up inquiries and complaints.

was developed internally by our GIS Team. Besides containing all relevant customer data, the map will bear real-time information regarding water service interruptions in the West Zone. This will help Maynilad to provide immediate and accurate information to our customers, as the Maynilad Web Map will serve as the single source of information of our Central Control Room (CCR), Supply and Pressure Management (SPM), BA Technical Teams, and Contact Center.

Through ACC, employees will also experience a more convenient way of gathering information regarding water service interruptions since the affected areas will be represented by heat maps.

In 2019, ACC will level up further, as it will fully automate the current semi-automated text and e-mail blasts we send out regarding water service interruptions. Basically, this means that once new water service interruptions are uploaded in the Maynilad Web Map, it will automatically send advisories—via email or SMS—to affected customers enrolled in our TxTubig facility.

The Maynilad Information Systems Team, headed by Emmanuel Diloy, is set to conduct train-the-trainer trainings on select users of ACC and WMS. Those who will undergo the training will serve as the trainers in their respective division/department.

Through these new facilities, internal and external customers can expect continuous improvements in service delivery as Maynilad aims for an elevated customer experience.


FEATURES

How employee satisfaction dictates customer experience

10th CXRO-HR Conference:

Enabling employees

Creating a culture that

delights

By Jill Ann P. Casia

Employee experience and customer experience, although seen by most as the two ends of the spectrum, is essentially interrelated. The service-profit chain model explicitly establishes the close connection of employee satisfaction to productivity, to customer satisfaction and loyalty, and ultimately to profitability.

The theme of the 10th CXRO-HR Conference is anchored on this model. Aptly titled “Higit sa Tubig: Exceptional Customer Experience as a Result of Outstanding Employee Experience”, this conference held last April 23 at the Core Values Hall of Maynilad’s Head Office was attended by some 230 CXRO and HR Employees, as well as invited guests from the different Maynilad divisions.

Four seasoned presenters were invited to speak on the theme’s main topics. Genick Generoso (Freelance Consultant) and Isabel Bernal (VP of Culture, TaskUs Philippines) talked about their journey toward creating outstanding employee experience programs. Meanwhile, Martin De Castro (Director of Corporate F&B for Special Projects, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts) and Roberto Almazora (SVP, MPower) expounded on the impact of employee satisfaction to customer experience.

The speakers pounded on the need to create a company culture that enables its people to continuously thrive. The talks peered into the new service paradigm of investing in people and in technology to ensure outstanding employee and customer experience.

Generoso shared the IBM story, noting that the strength of a brand only matters when people start to feel that the organization genuinely cares for them. He stressed that employees are humans—a resource capable of endless self-renewal. When they are treated with respect and dignity, their experience with the company becomes a delightful one.

For her part, Bernal said that to create a culture that delivers the world’s best employee experience is to enable amazing people to do amazing work. An organization must enable its employees through autonomy with accountability; ensure mastery through self-development; and increase motivation through shared purpose. She concluded her presentation by highlighting that amazing employees coupled with innovative technology creates the world’s best customer experience.

Picking up from best practices in Shangri-La, De Castro noted that the Maynilad Service Culture should be driven by a language called WOWism—an acronym that stands for “Watchfulness” (in reading the customer, focusing on the person and answering all questions), “Openness” (to learning, coaching and embracing the culture), and “Willingness” (to continue practicing to perfect while having fun and trusting yourself).

He stressed that a motivated service provider delights customers, and delighted customers enhance company growth. Hence, Maynilad is “selling not the water but the water experience.”

Almazora spoke about his organization’s struggles through the changing power industry and how it succeeded by using a customer-driven approach. He pointed out that a values-led organizational culture—where employees understand how they contribute to the vision and mission, and are empowered to make and embrace changes—will be better able to address customer requirements, creating opportunities to delight them.


A major highlight of the conference is the giving of awards to employees for service excellence. Recipients this year are the following:

OUTSTANDING HR PROFESSIONAL

Rhesa Angelie M. PerezHR Manager, OrganizationDevelopment

OUTSTANDING PEOPLE MANAGER AWARDS

• Bienvenido R. RoqueCentral Warehouse Operations Head, Supply Chain Management (SCM)

• Sherwin P. Bacanto Putatan Water Treatment Plant 2 Head, Water Supply Operations

• Louiejhon A. PrincesaService Connections Head, Wastewater Management

• Edison C. MalahitoWater Sources and Facilities Head, Program Management Division (PMD)

• Christopher R. GaonNRW Manager, Central NRW Management

• Harold R. Lopez, Technical Management Head, Customer Experience and Retail Operations (CXRO)

OUTSTANDING INTERNAL TRAINERS

• Karmina M. AlejandroCM Manager, Commercial and Marketing (C&M) - Highest Evaluation Rating

This year’s Best Business Area is the Novaliches-Valenzuela BA.

RSF, RTE and HR consultant Cor Suarez with Outstanding HR Professional awardee Rhesa Angelie Perez.

Outstanding employees honored

HR AWARDS

CONTEST WINNERS

CXRO AWARDS

• Jecelyn M. LeobreraCM Officer, C&M - Most Number of Trainer Hours

• Roldan Q. PinedaCommercial Management Head, CXRO - Most Number of Employees Trained

• Jim G. AgustinCommercial Management Head, CXRO

• Silver James E. AlmazanZone Management Head, CXRO

• Mark Francis L. CheungLogistics Specialist, SCM

• Bryan Y. Dela CruzCommercial Management Head, CXRO

• Cristopher O. GanalPM Officer, PMD

• Janice A. MalundasZone Management Head, CXRO

• Archie P. RaveloMaster Data Management Head, SCM

• Andrew N. TrapaniZone Management Head, CXRO

BEST EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

• Mae Liza S. VelasquezRelationship Manager, CXRO

BEST BUSINESS AREA

Novaliches-Valenzuela Business Area

BEST CXRO RANK AND FILE

Nephtali A. Anico Zone Specialist, Cavite Business Area (BA)

BEST CXRO OFFICER

Charles Glendon G. ReyesZone Officer, North Caloocan BA

BEST CXRO MANAGER

Roldan Q. PinedaCommercial Management Head, Tondo BA

• Jenneyfer A. RuedaOperations Support and Affected Utilities Head, CXRO

• Sheena Marie R. Flores IT Officer, Information Technology Services

BEST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

• Bob Chaervin S. CastrenceWM Engineer, WMD

• Oliver Glenn S. OmacZone Specialist, CXRO


FEATURES

WMD launches SepThink Tank innovation program

By Jamille Kriza V. Miranda

Maynilad has been building a culture of innovation within the organization through trainings and initiatives related to design thinking and creativity, as well as through recognition programs such as the Think Maynilad Innofest.

In line with this, the Wastewater Management Division (WMD) officially launched last April 27 its own innovation program dubbed SepThink Tank This program was initiated to institutionalize innovation within the division.

INSPIRING INNOVATION THROUGH TALKS

SepThink Tank aims to kindle the interest of engineers and non-engineers alike to tap their creativity through the conduct of “Wastewater Innovation Talks (WIT)”. Here, speakers who have experience in the innovation process will be invited to inspire, motivate and challenge.

The first WIT featured a talk from Engr. Aisa Mijeno, co-founder of SALt Lamp. She is known for having developed a lighting device that operates using saltwater and galvanic cell, which she distributes to remote communities in our country.

WMD is privileged to have such an esteemed speaker grace its first Innovation Talks. Back in 2015, Mijeno was invited to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit for an interview about her innovation with former U.S. President Barack Obama and Alibaba CEO Jack Ma.

It was indeed an insightful talk, as Mijeno shared points essential for innovation, as well as her first-hand experience on the challenges faced along the way. According to Mijeno, innovation is an integration of basic human need, human-centered design, efficiency and sustainability. “Failures should not be feared, as they are opportunities for learning and innovation,” she said.

CAPTURE AND CELEBRATE INNOVATIONS

Aside from the Innovation Talks, there is now also a SepThink Tank core team comprised of representatives from the different WMD departments. Their goal is to capture and develop any ideas from employees that may be tapped to help enhance current services and processes in wastewater.

SepThink Tank will facilitate the dialogue for exchange of ideas, without any judgment that may restrict ideation. Any innovation is welcome and will be given support until its fruition. In fact, several innovations born out of this process are already being utilized in solving the day-to-day problems encoun-tered in operations.

WMD envisions that SepThink Tank will further inspire creativity, encourage more experimentation, and move ideas forward. Any idea will be appreciated, whether big or small, brand new or an improvement of an existing process or product. Let it not be forgotten that every innovation starts with one simple idea.

SALt Lamp co-founder Aisa Mijeno shares her innovation story during the Wastewater Innovation Talks.

The SepThink Tank core team, tasked to capture and develop ideas that can enhance current services and processes in wastewater.


FEATURESIN FOCUS

Maynilad has several facilities that are vital to its operations. This section puts the spotlight on each of these facilities for better appreciation on how these are managed, as well as on their role in providing quality services to West Zone customers.

CENTRAL CONTROL ROOM

By Dianarra Gonzales

With the increasing demand of water distribution and the expansion of wastewater operations, it is vital for Maynilad to have an overview of its entire network on real-time basis.

The Maynilad Central Control Room (CCR) was created in 2017 as a response to the challenge of improving operational efficiency and attaining customer satisfaction.

Located in the Balara Head Office—with a back-up facility in the Maynilad Arroceros Compound—CCR is a shared facility between Wa-ter Supply Operations (WSO) and Wastewater Management Division (WMD). The Central Control and Monitoring (CCM) section of WSO uses it to monitor the production of all treatment plants, pumping stations and booster stations. Meanwhile, the Operations Control and Monitoring (OCM) section of WMD uses it to monitor and control the operations of conveyance facilities.

The Central Control Room allows Maynilad’s WSO and WMD engineers to remotely monitor and control facilities in real time, for faster response to operational issues.

WSO CONTROL AND MONITORING

As of May 2018, Maynilad has 33 water pumping stations, 30 inline boosters, and three active deep wells. Of these, 26 facilities have already been integrated in the CCR, with 11 operating on remote-auto mode and the remaining 15 on remote-manual mode. Through the SCADA system, information on the status of pumping stations, reservoirs and inline boosters can be obtained and viewed in the CCR.

“Now, we are able to monitor, analyze and control our process in a standardized way on a real-time basis, no matter who is running the plant, and react quickly to any changes or adjustments in the network,” says CCM head Kerwin Aganon.

CCM also monitors low pressure alarms, reservoir levels, valve manipulation activities, and data management.

WSO head Ronaldo Padua says that having the CCR is a major breakthrough for Maynilad,

“Although, we are still in the transition period, CCM has already made significant contributions to our daily operations. Just recently, this facility was a big help when we had the raw water allocation problem at La Mesa Portal. CCM provided data for better management of our net-work, with its dynamic pool of engineers manning the Control Room, 24/7.”

WASTEWATER OPERATIONS CONTROL AND MONITORING

WMD currently operates 21 sewage and septage treatment facilities and 63 sewage pumping stations. Majority of these facilities are unmanned and operated by roving engineers. Thirteen major pumping stations in the Quezon City area are already connected to the CCR, while 15 Sewage Treatment Plants will be connected by the end of 2018.

With the status of these facilities now available in the CCR, any fault, alarm or event can be addressed immediately as data is received on a real-time basis. WMD could swiftly respond to process or equipment troubleshooting of wastewater facilities.

“With the operation of the CCR, we are able to have 24/7 real-time monitoring and remote control, thus ensuring that all of our facilities operate at optimum condition and ready to convey and treat wastewater generated by our customers. After all, it is our duty to ensure that all wastewater will be treated prior to discharge to bodies of water. This is in line with Maynilad’s goal of environmental protection and ensuring community health,” said OCM head Ian Andres.

As Maynilad facilitates service coverage expansion and sustains the service levels that customers expect, the CCR will play a vital role in the company’s bid to enhance customerexperience.


Maynilad awarded UK’s Investors in People standard accreditation

₱743M for new pumping stations and reservoirs in 2018

RSF (center) leads Maynilad’s Top Management Team in receiving the Investors in People Standard Accreditation plaque from IiP-Philippines President Janet Webster.

Maynilad earned its Investors in People (IiP) standard accreditation, which confirms that its people management is benchmarked against international standards and best practices.

The IiP is a globally recognized institution that sets the mark for people management excellence, defining what makes organizations a great employer that leads and supports people for sustainable growth. It has over 10,000 accredited organizations in 78 countries around the world.

Maynilad’s leadership and management effectiveness were assessed against the IiP Standard’s nine indicators, namely: Leading and inspiring people, living the organization’s values and behaviors, empowering and involving people, managing performance, recognizing and rewarding high performance, structuring work, building capability, delivering continuous improvement, and creating sustainable success.

Maynilad is set to invest ₱743 million this year to build new pumping stations and reservoirs (PSRs) that will boost water pressure for some 87,000 customers and connect one million more to Maynilad’s network.

The new facilities, which will be constructed in Valenzuela and Muntinlupa, will have a combined water storage capacity of 75 million liters, allowing Maynilad to store more water for better supply management in the areas to be served.

Both PSRs will be equipped with high-efficiency pumps that can increase water pressure from the current 7 psi (pounds per square inch) to 16 psi for 22,000 households in Barangays Maysan and Gen. T. de Leon in Valenzuela, and Imus in Cavite. It will

In the independent survey of IiP, Maynilad scored significantly high on all of these indicators—even surpass-ing the industry average.

“We understand the value of ensuring that our people are continuously supported and empowered toward professional advancement. Without

our people, Maynilad would not have achieved its dramatic transformation from bureaucratic utility to customer-focused organization. This IiP accreditation shows our commit-ment to our people as a key pillar of Maynilad’s success,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.

also enable Maynilad to bring surface water to residents in these areas who either rely on deep wells for their supply or have limited-to-no-water access.

“We in Maynilad have made it our mission to improve the living conditions of our customers through better water access. Hence, we keep investing in the infrastructure enhancements needed to connect new customers and boost service levels for existing ones,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.

The new facilities in Valenzuela and Muntinlupa are targeted for completion by the last quarter of 2019. Other new Maynilad PSRs that will start operations this year include those in Bacoor and Imus in Cavite Province.

NEWS


New Central Laboratory built

290km of old pipes for replacement this year

Maynilad is constructing a new building inside La Mesa Compound in Quezon City to house its expanded Central Laboratory, which monitors and tests the quality of water supply within its concession area. The Maynilad Central Lab is equipped with state-of-the-art analytical instruments that allow Maynilad’s chemists to study compounds in the water samples drawn from over 1,000 sampling points throughout the West Zone.

Its new ₱70.4-million facility has the added capability to monitor more compounds that are now part of the new quality parameters set by the Department of Health’s (DOH) updated Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water.

Maynilad is replacing a total of 290 kilometers of old, leaky pipes this year, in line with its program to upgrade the distribution system and reduce water losses. Once completed, this will bring the total length of pipes replaced within Maynilad’s concession area to 2,285 kilometers or 56% of the distribution system that the company inherited 11 years ago following the 2007 re-privatization. For 2018, Maynilad is investing ₱2.1 billion for pipe replacement projects in various portions of its concession area. As of end of March, pipe replacements completed were in Quezon City, Malabon, Manila, and Las Piñas. “We still need to invest in our Non-Revenue Water Reduction Program so we can bring down water losses to the optimal level of 20% by 2027,” said Maynilad president and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.

“Ensuring good water quality is of paramount importance to Maynilad. Hence, we continuously invest in our infrastructure to ensure that the water we deliver to our over 9 million customers is potable,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez. With this expanded facility, Maynilad’s Central Lab can sustain its multiple accreditations. It obtained environmental laboratory accreditation from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in 2015, and was conferred with the ISO 17025:2005 by the Department of Trade and Industry-Philippine Accreditation Bureau. It is also accredited by the DOH as a laboratory for drinking water analysis.

NEWS


NEWS

4th WWD Awards honors 18 water champions

Castillo shares Maynilad’s IT/OT integration story

Maynilad, together with the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), honored 18 water champions at the 4th World Water Day.PH 2018 (WWD.PH) Awards held in Quezon City. The recognition is the culminating event of the week-long celebration of World Water Day.

The WWD.PH honored champions for water and the environment—individuals, institutions and programs that made huge strides in achieving water and environmental sustainability in the Philippines.

“The World Water Day Awards has already recognized 54 Filipino water champions since 2015. We are glad

that, every year, there is always a new individual or group that gets this award, because it means that there is always someone doing something for the environment,” says Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez. Institutions recognized this year for their efforts in protecting lakes and rivers include Better Tunasan River Army, Cabuyao River Protection Advocates (CaRPA), Philippine Coast Guard–Pasig, and the Villar Sipag Foundation.

Also recognized for their water management and environmental conservation efforts are the water

districts of Metro Naga, Silay City and Butuan City; the Manila North Tollways Corporation, Unilever Philippines and Mamamayan para sa Lambat at Dagat Cooperative (private groups); and the local government of Taguig City and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Solid Waste Management Policy Technical Working Group (government). Meanwhile, the ecotourism program of Rizal dubbed “Tanaw de Rizal” was the only project recognized in this year’s awards.

Individual “water champions” this 2018 are Mandy Mariño of San Pablo Laguna, Engr. Reynaldo Rosario of DPWH-NCR, Kagawad Annie Baluyot of Valenzuela City, Lydia Codiñera of Samahang Tubig Maynilad-Tondo, and Engr. Ma. Teresa Combatir of the Philippine Association of Water Districts (PAWD). Maynilad and NWRB mount the WWD.PH Awards annually in partnership with 22 government and private organizations including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Interior and Local Government, DPWH, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, Local Water Utilities Administration, Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, and Laguna Lake Development Authority.

The Mamamayan para sa Lambat at Dagat Cooperative—represented by officers and advisers Ella Guinto, Allan Chua and Vicenta Lazaro (4th to 6th from left)—is one of the awardees in this year’s WWD Awards.PH. With them are Maynilad officials led by President and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez (8th from left), Maynilad COO Randolph Estrellado (2nd from left), NWRB Executive Director Sevillo David Jr. (3rd from left), and DENR OIC-Undersecretary for Manila Bay Concerns and Related Water Concerns Atty. Ipat Luna (7th from left).

Information Technology Services (ITS) head, Dr. Francisco Castillo, participated in a roundtable discussion on the benefits of integrating IT and operational technology in achieving business ef-ficiencies. With him are Department of Informa-tion and Communications Technology under-secretary Monchito Ibrahim, National Economic and Development Authority undersecretary for NDO-Policy and Planning Dr. Rosemarie Edillon, and De La Salle University professor Dr. Fran-cisco Magno. This discussion was part of the IoT Asia 2018 event held in Singapore, which seeks to bring global collaboration and partnership opportunities to governments, businesses and communities in Asia.


NEWS

ITS launches Microsoft Office 365The Information Technology Services (ITS), in coordination with its partner agency ClinkIT, held a two-day information session at the Maynilad offices in Balara and Arroceros to mark the company’s migration from its old email system to Microsoft Office 365, which offers more security, larger Inbox capacity, higher reliability and availability.

Some 200 employees attended the sessions, which featured workshops with hand-on activities that allowed participants to experience the new functionalities of Microsoft Office 365. The sessions were kicked off by a ribbon-cutting event led by ITS head Francisco Castillo and Integrated Asset Management head Eric Montes.

According to session participant Archie Ravelo, Master Data Management head of the Supply Chain Management division, Microsoft Office 365 will help to make work processes more efficient.

“Microsoft Office 365 connects you with your team anywhere without the hassle of meet-ups, room reservations and email flooding. Now, you can work and communicate effectively with anyone anytime, share files, hold a video conference, and chat using any device. Accomplishing tasks together is now simpler, time-saving and more fun.”

The four functionalities of Microsoft Office 365 are Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, OneDrive for Business, and Office Online.

These functionalities are accessible to all employees, even via mobile devices within the Maynilad network. —with reports from Elizabeth Dawn Santos

Microsoft Teams is a tool that combines workplace chat, meetings, notes, and attachments. Maynilad end-users can create their own internal group chats, whose members are Maynilad employees.

Skype for Business allows users to converse in real time, and hold face-to-face meetings with screen-sharing among external (non-Maynilad) participants.

OneDrive for Business allows users to have an online external storage for their documents and other important files. The files are made available anytime and anywhere these are needed, for as long as there is internet connection

Office Online puts Word, Excel, PowerPoint and One Note files in the cloud and allows multiple users to view and edit based on given permissions.

ITS head Francisco Castillo and IAM head Eric Montes lead the ribbon-cutting to mark the launch of O365 in Maynilad. With them is ITS Operations head Korina Monoso.

Participants at the two-day information session familiarize themselves with the new functionalities of O365.


NEWS

CSR programs receive int’l plum Maynilad was honored for its community development and education programs during the 10th Annual Global CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Summit and Awards held recently in Lombok, Indonesia.

The company won a Platinum Award under the “Excellence in Provision of Literacy and Education Category” for Daloy Dunong, Maynilad’s educational program for public school students that highlights the importance of water, good hygiene and environmental responsibility.

Maynilad also bagged a Gold Award under the “Best Community Program Category” for its water-for-the-poor programs Samahang Tubig Maynilad (STM) and Pag-asa sa Patubig Partnership (P3). The two initiatives addressed the water and sanitation needs of informal settler

Maynilad sent employee-volunteers to refurbish classrooms and upgrade water and sanitation facilities in 150 public schools throughout its concession area, in support of this year’s Brigada Eskwela program of the Department of Education (DepEd). The water company kicked off its annual Brigada Eskwela participation with the installation of 26 bidets at Malinta Elementary School in Valenzuela City. Maynilad’s employee-volunteers replaced busted faucets and toilet flushes so these will be operational once classes start next month. Maynilad also donated 500 pieces of bottled water for the volunteers, educational signages, and cleaning materials to the school. “We are honored to be part of DepEd’s annual Brigada Eskwela program. Through this initiative, we are able to not only provide a good

communities and gave them access to safe, affordable water.

“We have always believed that having clean water is a basic human right, so we implement these CSR programs to promote access to potable water, health, and resource conservation. We are humbled and grateful for this recognition from the Global CSR Awards,” said President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.

The Global CSR Awards 2018 is Asia’s most prestigious recognition awards program for Corporate Social Responsibility. It recognizes outstanding and innovative programs that demonstrate the company’s leadership, sincerity and commitment in incorporating ethical values, compliance with legal requirements, and respect for individuals, communities and the environment in the way they do business.

Maynilad’s Advocacy head Rosmon Tuazon (left) and Advocacy and Marketing head Abigail Ho-Torres (center) receive the awards from Indonesia’s Tourism Minister for Industry and Institutional Relations Rizki Handayani (right).

Maynilad employee-volunteers prepare classrooms and toilet facilities at Malinta Elementary School in Valenzuela City, in support of DepEd’s Brigada Eskwela.

150 schools refurbished for Brigada Eskwela 2018learning environment for students, but also to reinforce the spirit of volunteerism among our employees,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.


NEWS

Partnership forged for Tullahan River rehabMalabon Mayor Antolin Oreta III (seated, center), Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez (seated, left) and Dampalit Kagawad Jaime Guerrero (seated, right) sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Tullahan River through reforestation and river stabilization initiatives in the city. Tullahan River is one of the major tributaries of Manila Bay. In compliance with the Supreme Court Mandamus to rehabilitate Manila Bay, Maynilad expanded its “Plant for Life” reforestation and afforestation program to include the Tullahan River. Maynilad partnered with Malabon City to conduct the “Plant for Life: Malabon Tree-Growing Project”, which involves planting mangrove propagules along the portions of Tullahan River within Malabon. Mangroves can adsorb contaminants, serve as spawning area

Samahang Tubig Maynilad (STM) president Lydia Codiñera was recently recognized by Go Negosyo as one of this year’s Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs. President Rodrigo R. Duterte, together with presidential adviser for entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, honored 20 Filipina entrepreneurs during Go Negosyo’s 10th Filipina Entrepreneur Summit, which coincided with International Women’s Month. Under the micro business category, Codiñera was awarded for pioneering the STM community in Tondo, Manila, which enabled some 1,000 urban poor residents to have water access and eventually establish a thriving business where Tondo mothers produce and sell home care products called “Kapwa”.

Lydia Codiñera receives Go Negosyo’s Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneur trophy from President Rodrigo Duterte (rightmost). With them are (from left) Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Presidential adviser for entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion.

Maynilad community partner named Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneur

for aquatic life, and protect the river bank from soil erosion. Through the MOU, Maynilad aims to plant about 50,000 mangrove propagules in Malabon. Present to witness the MOU signing are (standing, from left) Councilor Ricky Bernardo, Councilor Jose Lorenzo Oreta, Maynilad Corporate Quality, Environment, Safety and Health head Atty. Roel Espiritu, Department of

Interior and Local Government (DILG) city director Emmanuel Borromeo, and City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) head of Environment Management Beth Gutierrez. Since Maynilad started its “Plant for Life” program in 2009, it has already planted more than 636,000 trees and mangroves over an area of 338.4 hectares within vital watersheds.

“Our warmest congratulations go out to Aling Lydia, whose iron resolve and kind heart helped Maynilad to rally the urban poor of Tondo and establish a community water system. Aling Lydia’s accomplishment is proof that marginalized communities, if given the necessary support, can learn to help themselves and be a positive force for society,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.

Maynilad launched STM in 2009 so it could provide informal settlers and low-income families in its concession area with safe, affordable water. To date, about 3,000 households in 13 marginalized communities within the West Zone have benefitted from STM—generating savings for its beneficiaries, improving their sanitation conditions, and empowering them through the values formation, skills training, and livelihood components of the program.


COLUMNHEAD FOR THE WEST

The West Zone is a treasure trove of great food, quality products and interesting services. To help promote these otherwise unknown finds, our resident writers will share their experiences so that you, too, can discover the remarkable things about our concession area.

ED’S NOTE: Head for the West is in a quest for the best food, service, destination, or product in the West Zone. If you wish to contribute, don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected]. Tell us your story and share your wonderful photos.


Blue Water Spa Samgyupsalamat

By Lalaine Dixie L. Tiangco

Here comes the rain again. Goodbye scorching heat, beaches and flip-flops. Hello cooler weather, floods and rubber boots.

The onset of the rainy season may put a damper on our family’s travel plans, but don’t let it stop you from exploring the West Zone. To help get you started, we listed here some great places to visit even on a rainy day.

Getting a massage is indeed one of the most relaxing activities that you can have, rain or shine. But we included this establishment in the “rainy”season list because it amps up the relaxation factor by bundling a great spa experience with—get this—watching a movie!

Blue Water Spa is located at One Banawe Complex, Brgy. Sto. Domingo, Quezon City. Here, you and your friends can actually watch the latest films in a posh theater setting while getting a back rub from a skilled masseuse.

You won’t be disappointed as, according to most reviews online, the movie experience offered is amazing because of the Blueray quality projector, surround sound system, and awesome La-Z boy chairs. It also good to note that the place is clean, and that the rooms are elegantly designed.

All these, coupled with the amazing massage provided by skilled and courteous therapists, will bring your relaxation to a whole new level.

Aside from massages, Blue Water Spa is also offering body scrubs, facial treatments, and hand and foot treatments.

Grilling food at home may be a bit challenging during the rainy season, that is why we looked for one of the best buffets where you can have unlimited grilled pork and beef.

Yes, you read it right—you can enjoy eat-all-you-can grilled food at Samgyupsalamat for only PhP399 for pork and PhP449 for both pork and beef.

Samgyupsalamat is an unlimited Korean barbecue restaurant. The name was coined from the words “Samgyupsal” (Korean for “pork belly”) and “Salamat” (Filipino for “thank you”). The restaurant offers five different pork and five different beef Korean dishes.

Side dishes, which are popular in Korean meals, and rice are also unlimited. What’s even better about this experience is that you get to grill your own food.

Samgyupsalamat currently has more than 10 branches in different parts of Manila, Quezon City and Makati. It also has a branch in Banawe, so it can be the next perfect stop after your massage at Blue Water Spa.

Tel. No. 562-9689/ www.facebook.com/bwdspa Website: https://samgyupsalamat.com / www.facebook.com/Samgyupsalamat



National Museum of Natural History

Islas Pinas

*Photos in this article were grabbed from the Facebook pages, websites and Google images of the featured establishments.

Visiting a museum may sound boring to some, but there are actually a lot of good reasons why you should include it in your travel itinerary from time to time. For one, you gain a better appreciation of culture, history and the arts. You learn new things and ultimately become smarter than when you first had your museum tour.

So after your active summer-related activities, you might want to consider having an edifying experience during the rainy season. There’s no better place for that than the National Museum of Natural History, which just recently opened its doors to the public.

The said museum is part of the National Museum Complex, along with the National Museum of Fine Arts and the National Museum of Anthropology. Admission is free.

This is the first museum dedicated to natural history featuring the country’s rich flora and fauna. It has more than 10 galleries on plants, animals and fungi unique to the Philippines. In fact, a replica of Lolong, the longest crocodile held in captivity, can be found there. Besides the exhibits, the building itself with its stunning interiors and architectural details, are a real visual treat.

Aside from the delicious food, a restaurant’s ambiance influences our decision on where to dine. This is why Islas Pinas, which just opened in June, is part of our list.

The people behind this establishment prefer to call it a “Food and Heritage Village” because it offers Philippine cuisine in a setting that features sceneries from different regions of the country. The 2,500 square-meter space is divided into sections that highlight uniquely Filipino scenes of mountains, waterways, and even urban zones.

Reinforcing this dining atmosphere are the traditional Filipino dishes offered, which are authentic representations of the different regions of the country. It taps regional chefs to ensure that specialties and delicacies made are true to how these are prepared in their provinces of origin.

You can select from the different categories of food they prepare: • Sinag – Breakfast favorites such as tapsilog, pares, daing na bangus, goto and batchoy.• Alamat – Signature regional dishes, including halang-halang, law-uy, humba and bopis.• Bilao – Pinoy snacks like empanada, turon, pancit habhab and sapin-sapin.• Tusok-tusok – Street foods like fish ball, kwek-kwek, isaw and pork barbecue.• Pampang – Fresh seafood that can be cooked depending on the customers’ preference.• Panaderya – Breads and pastries such as ensaymada, pan de sal, leche flan and buko pie.

Whether its food or heritage, you can’t go wrong with Islas Pinas.

Rizal Park near Agrifina Circle, Manila

EDSA Extension corner Roxas Boulevard corner Macapagal Avenue, Pasay City


COLUMNDOC RIC SAYS

Got some health and wellness concerns? Our resident medical expert, Doc Ric, will help you address these concerns to keep you in excellent shape.

By Ricardo Jose Miranda, M.D.Dear Doc Ric,

I happen to be one of those types of people who love eating soup. Whenever I possibly can, I have to sip on a hot broth either as a snack or even as a main course. While I would have preferred to eat soup that is made from scratch, I sometimes have to settle for the instant kind. Is there any nutritional value in soups? —Broth Love

Dear Broth Love,

Now that the rains have come, I’m sure you eat a lot more soup than you usually do. It’s just very hearty and somewhat comforting to sip a steaming bowl of flavorful broth now that temperatures have cooled with the rainy season.

Are soups good for you? Well, mothers everywhere swear by the healing properties of Chicken Soup. This is what they serve their children who are afflicted with colds and fever. Although the soup itself does not heal the sickness, it helps to ease discomfort because it hydrates the body, it reduces throat inflammation, and the steam eases nasal congestion.

Of course, you have to be picky with soups to get the ones that actually have nutritional value. Some have too much sodium, and that could do more harm than good to your body. Eating healthy broth-based soups can do you a world of good:

1. If you eat soups made from pureed vegetables, you get to eat more vegetables in a single bowl of soup than you would if you ate the vegetable whole.

2. Soup is nutritionally dense and easily digested. It has minimal calories because it is mostly water. In one scientific study, it was found that having a low-calorie vegetable-based soup as an appetizer can decrease calorie intake in subsequent meal courses by about 20%.

3. It may prevent you from consuming a lot of fats, as most soups are made with lean meat. Some cooks use pureed white beans to thicken the soup instead of using cream or cheese, and this boosts the nutritional content while lowering calories.

4. Soup stretches the stomach and makes you feel full. Its high water content can satisfy your appetite in a healthy and hydrating way.

5. A hot soup can increase your core body temperature, warming you from the inside out.

6. Unlike with other cooking methods, soups retain the vitamins and minerals of cooked vegetables because the liquid that the veggies were cooked in becomes part of the broth.

7. A bowl of low-calorie soup is a perfect snack substitute for high-energy yet low-nutrient food items such as white bread, sugar-based drinks and fast foods.

8. The nutrients found in vegetables in a soup help to regulate the digestive tract and ensure that we get the key nutrients we need.

Naturally, homemade soups are the best option, because we can control the amount of salt and saturated fat during the cooking process. We also get to choose the vegetables we like.

Pre-made soups and packet soup mixes tend to be exceptionally high in sodium, with the average packet soup containing a massive 800 to 1,200mg of sodium, or a third to half of our total daily sodium limit. Pre-made soups also tend to be relatively low in protein and high in carbohydrates because the base used is potato starch. If we really must go for pre-made soup, look for varieties that contain less than 20g total carbohydrates per serving, and less than 800mg of sodium.

SOUP OF THE DAY


COLUMNWASTEWATER EXPRESSED

A vital part of Maynilad’s operations involves the proper management of wastewater generated by households and establishments in the West Zone. In this column, the Wastewater Management Division shares what they do to ensure environmental protection and community health.

WASTE AS SUSTAINABLE FUEL (PART 2)HARNESSING THE POTENTIAL OF SEWAGE SLUDGE AS BIOSOLIDS FOR AGRICULTURAL APPLICATIONS

By Joshua Bon A. Roco

In our previous column in Ripples, we recognized the potential of sewage sludge as an alternative source of energy. As we continue to explore its latencies, we also find its potential in agriculture as biosolids. However, we must first identify the difference of sewage sludge from biosolids.

Sewage sludge is the by-product of the treatment of wastewater discharged by our customers. On the other hand, biosolids are sewage sludge after succeeding treatment.

Transforming sewage sludge into biosolids requires pre-treatment and digestion. Pre-treatment aims to reduce pathogens, stabilize organic matter, minimize odor, reduce moisture, and partially eliminate hazardous components that are initially present in sewage sludge. Pre-treatment methods may be mechanical (homogenization, milling), physical (microwave assistance, thermal treatment), chemical (ozonation, pH adjustment), biological (enzyme addition), or a combination of various methods.

The quality of the sludge to be digested depends on its pre-treatment method. There are several sludge digestion options—i.e., biological (anaerobic digestion, composting, vermicomposting, and bioleaching), physical (thermal drying, biodrying and solar drying), thermochemical (incineration, pyrolysis, gasification) and chemical (lime addition). The choice depends on biosolids quality requirements since significant nutrients and organic matter are lost during pre-treatment.

CLASSIFICATIONS OF BIOSOLIDS

There are wide applications of biosolids in agriculture. Advantages include increased crop productivity, reduced landfilling costs, and production of commercial fertilizer. Compared to synthetic fertilizers, biosolids improve the soil by slowing release of organic matter, providing micronutrients, reducing risk of soil erosion, and providing symbiosis to soil organisms.

Biosolids are classified based on their pathogen content. Class B biosolids contain pathogens but do not pose a threat to public health and the environment. These may only be applied to lands where grown crops are fed to animals. Conversely, Class A biosolids must be free of detectable pathogens so these can be sold and distributed for gardening, landscaping, or fertilization.

The use of biosolids is widespread in other countries. The United States government regulates biosolids by monitoring its heavy metals and pathogen contents. It requires a certain frequency of monitoring to assess conditions and risks once biosolids are used.

METHODS OF APPLICATION

Biosolids usage also varies depending on how it is applied to the land—i.e., through surface application, incorporation, or injection. Class A biosolids are usually applied on the surface since there is low health risk even with exposure.

Incorporation involves mixing biosolids into the soil to reduce the chances of volatilization of nutrients. Meanwhile, subsurface injection is used for Class B biosolids, as their primary function will be to minimize soil runoffs.

Note also that biosolids can only be applied at specified times. For example, it must be applied on fruiting trees and potatoes not less than 10 months before harvest.

Currently, Maynilad biosolids are transported to a DENR-accredited processing facility in Tarlac for mixing with farm residue and conversion to organic fertilizer. The product is used as soil conditioner in the lahar-affected areas of Central Luzon.

The benefits of using biosolids outweigh its challenges. Huge amounts of sewage sludge are produced in our wastewater facilities daily; the potential for use in gardening, landscaping, and fertilization—once converted to biosolids—cannot be denied.

Trucks haul biosolids from SpTPs for conversion to organic fertilizer.

Photos courtesy of F.G. Agro Industrial Development Corp.

Biosolids from Maynilad are applied in Central Luzon farmlands.


REGULARSSTARS OF MAYNILAD

several months. Then in July 2008, I received a call from a former colleague asking if I wanted to re-apply at Maynilad as a contractual employee, to be assigned at Muntinlupa BA.”Not one to pass up on an opportunity, Bong immediately accepted the offer. Two years after, he got another shot at regularization, which he attain by April 2010. He was thereafter transferred to Cavite BA as a Zone Specialist.

ACCEPTING CHANGES, CHALLENGES

The transition from office-based work to fieldwork tested Bong’s resolve. “At first, it was a big adjustment on my part. The working environment is really different. But I worked hard to learn and adapt, and become an effective and efficient Zone Specialist,” he shares.

Another challenge Bong had to overcome was being assigned to depressed areas at Binakayan in Kawit, Cavite. Rather than be daunted, Bong initiated the implementation of several programs in his assigned area that would improve service delivery, including the rollout of pipe extension projects and network rehabilitations, as well as the offer of instalment payment terms for massive new water service connection applications.

Bong’s background as a church leader put him in good stead. “The church trained me to be punctual, dedicated, hardworking, patient, and a good team member in any organization.”

So despite the difficult working conditions—i.e., exposure to the elements, having to deal with irate customers and their barking dogs, etc.—Bong finds considerable fulfilment in his job. “Masarap na marinig sa customers ang mga salitang, ‘Salamat po at nagkaroon na kami ng malinis na tubig ng Maynilad.’ Nakakawala po talaga ng pagod.”

SECRETS TO SUCCESS

Bong now considers himself a more resilient and responsible person than ever before, thanks to the challenging work that he does with Maynilad. “I will continue to work hard and further enhance my skills,” he vows.

While there is no clear path to success, Bong has his own “secrets to success” that he wants to share with his fellow Maynilad employees.

“Put God first in everything that you do. I always start my day of work with a personal prayer and ask for God’s guidance. Second, love your work. If we really love our work, we will never do things that will destroy the trust that our employer has given us. Finally, be inspired. My wife and two kids are my sources of inspiration. I always do my best to give them a better future, and to make them proud of me,” the 39-year-old family man says.

Do you have co-workers who deserve recognition? Submit to us their stories of excellence. Ripples will publish the best employee profiles that demonstrate remarkable work attitude, leadership ability and customer service skills.

By Jecelyn Macahindog-Leobrera

Bong Anico: Every opportunity counts

If somebody offers you an amazing

opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes—them learn

how to do it later! – Richard Branson

Fieldwork may be hard, but the challenging work conditions only made Bong stronger and better.

Bong takes inspiration from his family.

For Cavite Business Area (BA) zone specialist Nephtali “Bong” Anico, there is success in every opportunity that comes knocking—you just have to be patient and have faith. His 16-year journey in Maynilad attests to this, ultimately leading to his biggest break so far—being awarded the “Best CXRO Rank-and-File” employee at the recent CXRO-HR Conference.

Back in 2002, Bong was just a contrac-tual employee assigned at Parañaque BA. His contract ended in December 2007 after he failed his interview for regularization. “I thought to myself, maybe it was not the right time for me. Instead of losing hope, I continued working hard until my very last day at work,” Bong recalls. “I was jobless for


REGULARS

Early Payer Rewards Program: ‘I Lavada You Nanay’

This section is for the aspiring writers, poets, photographers and artists of Maynilad who want to share their publication-worthy contributions with Ripples readers.

By Vianca Carla R. RemorozoCommercial and Marketing Division

YOUR PAGE

Maynilad, through its Marketing and CXRO teams, celebrated Mother’s Day by reaching out to our early-payer moms and offering them the best customer experience. We treated them to “I Lavada You Nanay”—a day of health and wellness, fun games, and prizes, held at our Multi-Purpose Facility in Arroceros. This is our simple way of giving back and reminding them how loved and appreciated they are.

Aside from the fun-filled activities, “I Lavada You Nanay”, aims to reward all the “Labandera Moms” for paying their Maynilad bills on time. To help them with their “labadas”, Maynilad also gave away washing machines to 12 (one per Business Area) hardworking, loving and deserving moms in the West Zone.

Truly, the early payer gets the best rewards—dahil sa Maynilad, higit sa tubig ang ating serbisyo.


REGULARS Men and Women of Maynilad

By Jecelyn Macahindog-Leobrera

Putatan Water Treatment Plant Team

Ensuring water security is a challenge that requires prompt solutions. With bulk of Metro Manila’s raw water supply coming from Angat Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan, Maynilad tapped Laguna Lake as an alternative source so it can meet the supply requirements of its customers in the southern portion of the West Zone.

The result of this endeavor was the Putatan Water Treatment Plant (PWTP), which began operations in 2010. The facility uses state-of-the-art technologies to convert lake water into water that meets the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW). Given the now highly variable quality of raw water coming from Laguna Lake, this process has become more complex through the years, prompting Maynilad to adopt additional treatment procedures even as it builds a second treatment plant in the same area to further boost supply for a growing customer base.

It falls on the shoulders of the PWTP Team, headed by Sherwin Bacanto, to ensure that plant production hits the required average flow while meeting PNSDW—even if it means going out to the lake on an hourly basis to check for quality shifts that could impact their output.

‘Mandirigma ng Putatan’Given their very challenging mandate, the PWTP Team has grown to become a very cohesive and efficient team. It is composed of over 100 personnel grouped into various units: Operations, Maintenance, Process Engineering, Process Control Services (Laboratory), and Support Services.

“Each unit has different deliverables on a day-to-day basis, but they all come together to address critical issues in the plant, develop corporate deliverables, and support long-term business goals,” Bacanto shares. “We consider each personnel, from top to bottom, a ‘mandirigma’ who contributes to the team’s victories.”

Bacanto notes that the demands of running the plant are evolving, mainly driven by Laguna Lake’s unpredictable water quality. With this, the PWTP Team must also evolve so that Maynilad’s commitment to its customers is not compromised.

Consequently, work processes at PWTP are constantly changing for increased manpower utilization efficiency.

“This initiative does not require additional manpower; rather, we are placing the right people with the right knowledge and skills in the plant. The Technical and Operations supervisory arms have been developed to work hand-in-hand so that the latter can focus on producing quality water every day while the former focuses on introducing and/or maintaining solutions that can help the Operations group,” Bacanto explains, adding that the team is also going through capacity-building in prepara-tion for the design and building of pilot plants.

Laban, Putatan! Laban!An “Outstanding People Manager” awardee in this year’s CXRO-HR Conference, Bacanto believes in challenging the status quo. “We encourage results, we spread positivity, we improve systems, and we manage behaviors,” he avers.

While the “fight” is far from over, Bacanto gets satisfaction out of managing a team that does its job well every single day. “Knowing that the plant is running in excellent condition, that our customers are provided with enough water supply, that each member of the team continues to learn and grow gives me satisfaction, the same way I know that I have served my God in the best possible way,” he says.

Moving forward, the PWTP Team envisions partnering with the communities that Maynilad serves so that they can become active participants in the fight for water security.

“The community will help protect our business and support the plant’s existence in the area. We have intensified our efforts through our Corporate Social Responsibility programs, even as the PWTP Team continuously works to improve plant reliability. Ultimately, this vision will be realized,” Bacanto remarks.

The team that operates Maynilad’s treatment facility in Putatan, Muntinlupa, headed by Engr. Sherwin Bacanto (standing, left).


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