ICTSI raffles off new houses to Manila employees

International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) has, since last year, rolled out a new employee rewards program by raffling off new house and lot units to qualified employees of its flagship, Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) in the Philippines. “We are proud of this unique rewards program for our employees.  Only a few Philippine companies have done this—give their employees the opportunity to own every Filipino family’s dream:  a house and lot they could call their own,” says Christian R. Gonzalez, ICTSI senior vice president and head of Asia Pacific and MICT. “So far, we have raffled off 40 houses to our pool of qualified employees.  Each draw allows for five to 10 winners,” he adds. Qualified employees are categorized into five groups depending on the type of equipment or operational function they carry out.  Each group is entitled to a house and lot unit and Mr. Gonzalez himself draws the raffle winners.  The groups are:  group 1 for quay crane (QC) operators and QC dispatchers; group 2 for rubber tired gantry (RTG) operators, RTG assistants and dispatchers; group 3 for prime mover (PM) operators, PM dispatchers and refuellers; group 4 for container yard (CY) checkers, CY forklift operators, empty container checkers, gate checkers, general purpose workers, radio operators and reefer container service staff; and group 5 for rank and file employees of engineering and IT “Gone are the days that dockworkers and stevedores are seen as plebeian.  In ICTSI, to work in the port means you are a contributor to your country’s economy.  A port worker, whether he or she is manning equipment, the container yard, the freight stations, or the terminal gates, is a driver of the economy. It is more than a decent job; it is a job you could be truly proud of,” says Mr. Gonzalez. “We value our people.  That’s why at the MICT, we enjoy a low attrition rate. While still on its initial run, we are looking at replicating our Manila rewards program to our global operations,” he adds. Roberto Reyes, RTG assistant, and Joel Delos Santos, RTG operator, were two of the house and lot winners.  “Each time we pass by a beautiful house, my wife would always wish we have our own.  I just tell her that in time, we will be blessed with one,” said Mr. Reyes, who has been working in MICT for 12 years. Mr. Delos Santos, on one hand, recalled that his prayers were answered when he won.  “Winning the house was very timely for my family as we received a notice of our home’s pending demolition.  My wife and I prayed, praying for a reprieve. I was at work when I heard I won the raffle back in December.” ICTSI’s 31 terminals in 18 countries share the same best practices that have made ICTSI one of the leading port operators in the world.