HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE: OUR NEW ABNORMAL
If tourism is to be touted as one of the strong drivers for the national economic recovery we all fervently wish for, then let’s take heart from the news that emanated from the concluding day of last week’s PHITEX (Philippine Travel Exchange, 2022 edition). Led by our Department of Tourism Secretary Christina G. Frasco and Tourism Promotions Board COO Marga M. Nograles, the encouraging announcement was that over ₱172 million in business sales leads were generated during the two-day exposition.
This is based on the initial submission of negotiated sales of Philippine sellers who were physically present during the event, and let’s take note that this surpasses sales reports of even the pre-pandemic editions – ₱94.8 million in 2018, and ₱46 million in 2019. In a hybrid format, 2020 yielded sales leads of ₱34 million, and 2021 brought ₱69 million. PHITEX is the biggest government-led travel trade event in the country, and it’s spearheaded by our TPB, and this is the 21st year we’re holding the trade fair.
A few days before the PHITEX, the Tourism Industry Convergence Reception Night had President BongBong Marcos in attendance; where he reiterated the recognition of our tourism industry’s crucial role as an economic development tool, leading to employment opportunities and livelihoods for countless Filipinos. In fact, our President made more than a passing nod to the take-charge and fast-paced actions of Sec. Frasco in organizing and jump-starting the process of making her department actively pursue these goals – even joking that she’s making the other Cabinet secretaries look like slackers.
PRESIDENT BONGBONG Marcos during the Tourism Industry Convergence Reception Night.
Now I’ll be the first to acknowledge these are sales leads; but it’s still a great sign and indicator that there is renewed interest in visiting our country. And if the metaphors are appropriate, rather than trawling in a vast sea, the exchange has created a shallow pond for us to source the hard-earned tourism revenues we’re hoping for. Now, it’s a matter of improving the infrastructure, the destinations, and the tour packages that our country can offer these visitors.
And between you and me, if you ask me to place a bet on the two persons best equipped to make tourism happen, I’d wager on these two women, DOT Secretary Christina and TPB COO Marga. Together, they make a formidable tag team championing Philippine tourism – primed to create results in an ambitious, yet cost-efficient and effective manner.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS; TPB COO Marga Nograles, DOT Sec. Christina G. Frasco, and Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia.
Women empowerment at SM Supermalls
As part of any company’s Sustainability ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) agenda, I’d safely say that more often than not, we’ll hear about what the company will be doing in the name of the environment, than we will on the other two pillars of substantive sustainability – their social and governance initiatives. It just happens to be a fact, the environment-related programs are the low-hanging fruit that the public easily “consumes and digests.”
AT THE WEPs Awards, SM Supermalls President and CEO Steven Tan, with VP for HR Cheryl Agasaoay.
So that’s why I was especially interested to read about how SM Supermalls, and its president and CEO Steven Tan, had received a UN WEPs award in the category of leadership initiatives. WEP stands for Women Empowerment Principles; and subscribing to them represents a company’s commitment to gender inclusivity, and doing its part in stamping out discrimination against women in the workplace.
If they say that the proof is in the pudding, then feast your eyes on the following “recipe for success;” SM Supermalls has 5,403 employees (as of August 2022), and 60 percent of the workforce are women. Fifty-nine percent of the executives are women, and if you delve into it further, 64 percent of senior management are women as well! That’s some vote of confidence in the top management skills and capabilities of women, so it no wonder that SM Supermalls reaped this award.
And this goes further, as SM Supermalls doesn’t just create programs for its own employees and stakeholders; but also has programs that empowers MSME’s, the marginalized young and older women, and the community at large – fully cognizant of the role it can play in promoting a multi-sectoral universe in the name of sustainability. SM Supermalls VP for HR Cheryl Agsaoay would be instrumental in helping achieve this “mission vision” of inclusivity.
Apparently, this is among the rare occasions that a WEPs has been awarded to a male chief executive — proof positive of how SM Supermalls and Steven know that to make this truly work, it takes the “whole village,” and not just women championing their own cause.