Page 119 - May 2018 - December 2018 Issue

Please allow me to make a disclaimer: I am not an
expert on gender, much less on women’s issues (I leave it
to the editorial team to aptly answer why they chose me
to write something on the subject :-)).

Seriously, I had to do a bit of homework in order to
provide some valuable insights on this month’s theme:
“Gender Equality”. The topic covers several facets, but I’ve
chosen a working definition and that it is typically
women and men accorded the same opportunities,
rights and responsibilities within all areas of life.

Going through a number of articles on the subject, it is
worthy to note the Philippines as a bright spot in Asia
with regard to the status of women. In the “Global
Gender Gap Report 2017” of the World Economic Forum,
our country ranked 10th in the world in terms of gender
equality (with 144 countries as participants). We belong
to the top list in the world in terms of educational
attainment, as well as political empowerment of women.
The Philippines is likewise ranked 1st in Southeast Asia in
terms of proportion of women holding senior
management positions in business.

It is then not surprising but nonetheless encouraging to
underscore “Gender Equality” is very much alive in our
own Tollways organization. From the halls of our
corporate offices to the frontline operations down to the
construction sites of our projects: women are well
represented in the different teams and taking active part in churning the essence of our
business and processes.

Over the years, I have personally witnessed how this balanced distribution of human
resource across our group evolved. This was enabled with an early realization of the need
to establish supporting policies and programs (on recruitment, personnel development,
and talent management, to name a few) anchored on the principles of
performance-based meritocracy, and premium placed in honing competencies. Equally
critical was the engagement process of the entire workforce guided by the values
deemed important by the organization.
So why are all of these relevant? In order for us to continue developing and growing our
organization and our society in general, everyone must have a say… everyone must be able
to positively contribute. This level of inclusiveness can be made possible in an
environment where “Gender Equality” is recognized!
We are on the right path… we are empowered and responsible thus to ensure we stay on
track to effectively create and implement parity!

@babiboncha
Bobby V. Bontia

MESSAGE FROM LEADERS | 118