Kara Regala
Senior Operations Manager, Analytical
It’s been two months of being socially distant. Although the precariousness of the current situation leads us to focus on issues, fear and uncertainties – may this period of remoteness help us become thankful for the simple things – the ability to live, to feel the love of our family members and to have friends and colleagues who can help make this isolation bearable.
As one of the leaders of this division, I am thankful that we have PEOple who are flexible, collaborative, resilient and always striving to improve.
Thank you for being flexible and collaborative. As much as we wanted to plan for the transition of WFH as smooth as possible, the increasing COVID cases and local government’s ruling led us to act quickly on various things – from resorting to using personal laptops and desktops to having people come in late at night or over the weekend to get equipment. We appreciate the extra time you have given to ensure we will be covered and will be set up to continue to meet the demands of the business… wherever we are.
Thank you for being resilient. With only a day or two of testing and very limited planning, we encountered issues that we didn’t anticipate. Tools which were inaccessible, parts of the process that cannot be completed and difficulties in communication are just some of them. Despite these obstacles, here we are two months in and still able to cope and making it work from home.
Thank you for always striving to improve. Our line of work dictates that year on year, we are expected to do more – deliver more volume, more savings, better quality, higher standards. And delivering on these expectations were made more challenging by internet latency, slow PC response and power interruptions in our current set up. Thank you for thinking of ways how we can continue to improve given our ‘new normal’. We appreciate all the actions, suggestions, the “what if we do it this way… recommendations” on how we can overcome the hiccups we are facing in our operations.
Thank you for embracing the challenges of our current working way and environment. For all the valuable contributions and for giving the best version of yourself every day. May this social distance make us realize the importance of togetherness and post ECQ, may we come out as a more solid PEO!
Sheryll Prado
Senior Operations Manager, Legal Workflows
How I made it work?
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I stopped counting the days. I even stopped thinking if this is good or bad. I try to live in the present. And I heed you to do the same.
The first days had been cathartic for me. I’m sure, just like me, you were overwhelmed with the wave of emotions brought about by this sudden change of lifestyle.
The uncertainty of what’s going to happen in the future somehow immobilized me. There’s not a single day that I noticed what’s happening wrong, just wished for this to end and just go back to how things were before. Until that day I asked myself this - will things be back to normal again? That’s it right? No one knows really. So, it makes more sense to try not to label any of it as good or bad – it just is.
Instead, I learned to appreciate better. Appreciate what is obvious. We are safe, we’re with our families and we have means to support them. To me, that’s what matters most. This thought allowed me to face each day with more grit. I go through each day knowing that each season, no matter how seemingly strange or dark, always carries with it some light.
Today, I am well. I am blessed. That’s how I make it work. I say, that’s how we can make it work too.
Shella Palaganas
Operations Manager II, Desktop Publishing
Dear PEO,
This summer is warmer as we are all held captives by this Covid. Instead of beach, most of us think of which to watch next in Netflix, after our daily drama with Citrix. While things seem to be limited due to our home confinement, new things to explore are actually unlimited, not to mention we are given precious moments to spend more with our loved ones. Don't fret and regret, let's pray and try tp turn this new normal for us to be better individuals. Sooner or later we will see each other, for now let's remain safe and connected, even if sometimes our lines get disconnected. Continue to do what we do best, we perform, while we work from home.
Thank you PEO for all your hardwork. For the resiliency and unwavering commitment.
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Some were busy with TikTok
Others are just "laging antok"
Some were doing workout
Others are simply getting fat
Some were busy cooking
Others are simply eating
Some were plate decorating
Others are always binge watching
Whatever it is were doing,
Keep it cool and don't be a fool!
Stay at home and work from home
Time will come we'll roam and visit Rome!
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Ngozi Ikeyina
Director, Publishing and Editorial Operations
Dear PEO
It’s almost two months into the community quarantine and it is amazing how quickly we have adapted.
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Across the board we continue to do well, despite niggling latency issues and power outages, most teams report being able to deliver the same amount of work and in some cases a little more.
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I cannot thank PEO enough for your hard work, flexibility and resilience during this time.
We do not know how long this will go on for, but we have come this far so we can have faith that we will continue to do better together.
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Most of us started the lockdown with many good intentions, whether it is to exercise everyday, do something creative, learn a new skill, make big life changing decisions or organize our lives in some meaningful way.
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Whether you find yourself committed to those big ideas or simply struggling to get by, taking it one day at a time is the most helpful advice I have been given during this time. Small droplets make big rivers. So don’t give up, there’s time to catch up, but more importantly time to take care of yourself and your loved ones, to form more meaningful connections at home or virtually. The most intrinsic part of self-care and wellbeing is doing the things that feed your spirit. I find staying connected to my friends, family and colleagues is a big part of that. So do make time to do just that.
Stay connected. Stay home. Stay safe.
Roblette Manzano
Operations Manager, Analytical
Almost a month ago, who would have thought that we will all end up cooped in our homes, meeting and socializing virtually and coping up with the demands of our day to day work. Before that, some of us were dreaming of working from home, and now here we are.
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This work from home set up has been a dream come true except for the restrictions and the threat of the virus. For some, it is a challenge. I have seen how the PEO Iloilo Social Media and the Engagement teams have been rallying up to reach out to all members of the PEO-Iloilo community to involve all editors in all activities, discussions and small talks, and the supervisors have been doing great in exploring ways to engage with their team members. All these efforts are to ensure that no one is left alone, even for those living alone and that we are all here for each other.
This pandemic is reshaping our lives, our values, and the future. Until a cure or vaccine is discovered to end the virus, this set up is the new normal; and the old normal is now part of the past. Now is a good time to re-evaluate, revive, and refocus our priorities. A lot of us would have now realized that our present "new normal" has revealed our strengths and vulnerabilities. But it also gives us lots and lots of times in our hands. And we could look at this as a blessing as it allows us to learn, love, and grow more. Our commuting time can now be spent doing yoga or other forms of exercise, spending more time with our families, learning to cook more dishes that your family enjoys, learning a new language, or pampering yourself (but within the comforts of your home). However, let us not forget that our old normal also chronicled the successes proving our capabilities and our formula of success. It has given us memories of good times, sorrows, and pains that shaped our past and defined who we are. Let us look at the old and new normal to envision what lies ahead as we remain strong and steadfast to adapt to these changing times and to forge ahead no matter what life brings us. REPH has always been preparing us for times like these through our continuous improvement and agile culture.
More than anything, let us take care of each other. Please also reach out to your friends and teammates and check on them regularly. Some are alone like me and away from our families. This situation can be daunting at times hence do reach out to them even after work. Let us continue encouraging one another, to be kind, and to make a difference every day.
