Parola, January 2012

Message from the Chairman

It’s how you imbibe it that makes the difference. I still remember emphasizing this point in one of my messages to you before. For several years now, we have been talking about our core values which we call the Herma Way. But while we consider these values our own, we know that they are not exclusive to us but may likely be espoused by other companies and individuals as well. The difference lies in how we live our values or how we abide by them in all that we do. Excellence, Enterprise, Integrity, Respect for the Individual, and Teamwork are merely words to recite or to engrave on markers on our walls without the discipline, passion, and consistency with which we live these values each day--- ‘yan ang tunay na Tatak Herma.

In the past months, most of you have participated in activities that were designed to deepen your understanding and appreciation of our values. Without exception, most Herma employees, from Herma Shipyard, Inc. (HSI) in Bataan up north, to our Quezon City office in central Metro Manila to down south in Cavite at Cleanway Technologies Corporation (CTC), attended Tatak Herma sessions. This values formation program was developed by Fr. Mario V. Baclig and delivered with the help of the Human Resources (HR) team. The sessions brought out some new insights such as balancing Enterprise with Integrity. This new perspective has been the initial focus of our Tatak Herma program but in time all our core values will be revisited so that we may further deepen our understanding and strengthen our practice of them day-to-day. I’ve always likened our values to the fingers of our hands where all five are linked and function together. Indeed, unless we consistently adhere to these values, they will remain just words. Nasa paggawa ang pagkakaiba. It’s how you imbibe it that makes the difference.

In our personal lives, these values may also serve as inspiration and help us achieve authenticity in our being, pagiging makatotoo sa ang ating pagkatao. So, it is not only in the corporate world where our Herma Way matters, it transcends our lives and influences us in the many roles we play: husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, friend.

So, as we prepare to welcome another Christmas season, let us remind ourselves that everything we have and all that we achieve become possible only when we work together and put our blessings to good use. Let us express our goodwill and generosity not just by giving material gifts but more by sincerely practicing our values and honoring others. We can do much more, and indeed we should --- beyond Christmas, everyday of our lives. That is how we can truly show that nasa paggawa ang pagkakaiba.

As we face the beginning of another year, let us recommit ourselves to the practice of our values in all that we do. I call on all of you to live up to the Herma Way.

Jan 15, 2012

Petrotrade Marks Another Milestone

Petrotrade Philippines, Inc. (PPI), the HERMA Group’s bunkering company, is celebrating its 20^th anniversary as a reputable supplier of bunker fuel in the country. Since its incorporation in 1991, it has remained the biggest exporter (in terms of volume) of bunker fuel and supplier of diesel fuel to foreign ships calling on Philippine waters. PPI moves between 10,000 - 15,000 tons of fuel a month with its fleet of three barges and one tanker. To mark the company’s 20 years of existence and to keep the Herma story alive, all PPI vessels were renamed using names that are meaningful to Herma’s history.