Shell Companies in the Philippines (SCiP) took home seven Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards (ASPA).
SCiP companies Shell Philippines Exploration B.V (SPEX) and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (PSPC) received one gold, two silver, and four bronze awards across five of the eight total categories in the APSA, highlighting the leaps and bounds made by Shell’s operations in the Philippines in innovative practices and positive community impact.
The Stevie Award is a global premier business award that recognizes the achievements and positive contributions of businesses around the world.
Bringing together the best of global expertise and local innovation
The Gold Stevie Award in Innovative Management was conferred on SPEX’s managing director Don Paulino for his daring leadership as the organization’s integrator, coach, cheerleader, and aircover.
As the operator of the Malampaya Deep-water Gas-to-power platform, which powers up to 20 percent of the entire country, SPEX’s operations have helped generate over $11 billion in revenue for the Philippine government by monetizing indigenous natural gas from the depths of the West Philippine Sea.
The Malampaya project is a joint undertaking of the Philippine national government and the private sector. It is spearheaded by the Department of Energy (DOE) and developed and operated by SPEX on behalf of joint-venture partners Udenna Corporation and the Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation.
Shell’s vision for the future of innovation in the country was further recognized when PSPC won the bronze in the Innovation in Events category for its technology forum The Road Ahead.
“The forum sought to set the direction of progress in three tightly linked and heavily energy-dependent industries: general manufacturing, construction, and transportation,” said Shell Philippines President and CEO Cesar Romero. “At Shell, we believe that more discussion between industries is needed if we are to solve the complex and layered issues of today.”
The Road Ahead challenged C-suite executives and fledgling innovators alike to co-create cross-disciplinary solutions to some of the nation’s most pressing issues, such as urban traffic, through collaborative breakout and think tank sessions covering three areas: sustainability, skillset, and toolset.
Uplifting underserved communities
As a global market leader in one of the world’s most important industries, Shell has made it its doctrine to ensure that every business decision made is for the benefit of the communities it operates in. What the company calls being a good neighbor, its approach to consumer impact encompasses a widespread application of its expertise coupled with a sincere desire to make a meaningful difference for all its stakeholders.
Winning a Silver Stevie Award for Innovation in Community Relations or Public Service Communications, SPEX’s Access-to-Energy project (A2E) uplifted the quality of life for many Filipinos in far-flung communities in North Palawan through sustainable microgrid electricity systems.
Beyond uplifting communities through energy access, SPEX has also dedicated its efforts to raising awareness of Mindoro’s biodiverse resources. Through one of its social development arms, the Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. (MBCFI), Shell won the Bronze Award for Innovation in Non-profit/NGO Publications for its launch of the Mindoro TREASURES Teaching Reference for Environmental Awareness and Sustainable Use of Resources.
MBCFI worked closely with the province’s local government and the Department of Education (DepEd) to integrate the sourcebook in the local curriculum, updating the local teachers’ knowledge of conservation in the country’s center of biodiversity, which in turn uplifts their education of the students of Mindoro.
PSPC also won a Bronze Award for Innovation in Consumer Events for Shell Rimula’s Tsuperstar, a campaign that recognizes jeepney drivers for their hard work and dedication. Tsuperstar is a singing competition that gives them a chance to showcase their talents and foster camaraderie among their peers. It is an opportunity for jeepney drivers to gain widespread recognition beyond the vital role they play ferrying the nation’s commuting public.
Operating safely with host communities in mind
In most cases, community impact is measured by the quality and timeliness of communications. SPEX won a Bronze Award for Innovation in Community Relations or Public Service Communications for its information, education, and communication (IEC) campaign to prepare coastal communities for an upcoming subsea maintenance activity to allow for its safe execution with minimal impact to the travel and livelihood of fishermen in the area.
Following a naturally occurring geological phenomenon, major engineering maintenance had to be done on the protective berm for its subsea natural gas pipeline. However, the repair work required the presence of large vessels that could pose risks to fisherfolk who traversed these areas.
Shell won another bronze award in the same category for the supporting communications to deliver Malampaya’s successful scheduled maintenance shutdown in 2019, a mission-critical maintenance activity that extensively covers the offshore platform and the onshore gas plant.
Given that the Malampaya is a vital component of the country’s energy system, maintenance must be executed flawlessly within a limited window of time to ensure zero disruption of power supply to consumers. The scheduled maintenance shutdown was executed safely, on time, and with no complaints from its host communities.