STILL confronted by the ensuing pandemic and external factors such as the lingering climate change issue and oil crisis brought about by the ongoing Ukraine-Russian war, Pilipinas Shell Corp. has managed to cope with these challenges through key strategies, from enabling employee adaptability of the remote work setup under the new normal to cutting its carbon emissions while tapping renewable energy (RE) sources and providing customer-centered products that drive community growth and prosperity.
At the recent Philippine Digicon 2022, Pilipinas Shell Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lorelie Quiambao-Osial talked about innovation and the “need to dare to reimagine the future” while learning to embrace change in a prolonged crisis.
“Our biggest challenge is that we were going through a crisis of uncertainty in all aspects,” she said during the event’s “Women Leaders Panel” discussion. “As a woman and a leader, I anchor on the different roles I play as a mother, a daughter, and a wife to address various challenges and adapt to different situations.”
Caring for employees’ health
WITH regards to the company’s remote work strategies that were implemented during the lockdown periods, Shell focused on “the 3 C’s: care, continuity, and cash,” per the president and CEO.
Since the issue on mental wellness, apart from the fear of contracting Covid-19, has been on the rise, the petroleum giant has provided the needed support to ensure the safety of its workers physically and mentally while working at their abodes.
“We pivoted our health-care arrangements to ensure that our employees are safe whether they are at home or on-site,” Osial said.
Taking care of the people that make up the organization is a top priority of the firm.
“At Pilipinas Shell, we continue to create paths for talented and hardworking individuals towards empowering them in the workplace and their communities so they may grow and prosper,” the top executive noted.
“We ensure equal opportunities for everyone and have people succeed based on their merits, as we nurture them to be the best version of themselves,” she cited.
As an entity, Pilipinas Shell is not only mindful of the plight of its employees, but also makes sure that its operations remain intact amid the pandemic.
“We safeguarded our business continuity by ensuring we make a valuable impact on the industries we support by providing them with quality goods and services,” Osial said.
”And of course, we made sure that the company is financially resilient by adapting our marketing strategies on what is happening, as well as experimenting with different ways of working,” she added.
Taking sustainability by heart
A HEALTHY environment is everybody’s business. With this in mind, it seriously takes sustainability by heart.
Osial tackled their environmental efforts in response to global changes with the implementation of a plan towards decarbonization called “Powering Progress” by providing cleaner energy to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
“At the heart of the strategy is sustainability. Locally, we zoned in on our operations and real estate and adjusted them so that they are ready for the future by greening our offices and our communities,” she noted.
Osial added that Pilipinas Shell has entered into joint ventures with other RE players to raise its capacity and maintain onshore projects of such kind nationwide.
“Globally and nationally, businesses and technologies are evolving and becoming keener in tapping alternative or renewable energies. Through Shell Energy Philippines [SEPH], we have been providing wholesale renewable energy while offering cleaner, flexible, and competitive energy solutions for businesses,” she said.
Among the company’s recent projects, Shell Recharge is an electric vehicle charging service that was launched in Shell Mobility Station Malamplasan to further decarbonize mobility and establish the infrastructure and interest for electric cars.
Other nature-friendly solutions found in such facility across the country include biker-friendly spaces, rain-catchers for irrigation, and usage of eco-bricks made from recycled plastics.
All these efforts have led to recognition of Pilipinas Shell by consumer data company Statista, which included it in the top 50 bracket of the “Philippines’ Best Employers 2023” list.
The results came after a survey was done on over 11,000 employees of more than 2,000 firms with at least 250 employees in the country. The respondents rated their organizations based on salaries, job growth, work-life balance, work culture, and reputation, among others.