The Appreciative Leadership training, a two-day seminar sponsored by the Performance Enhancement Water Utilities in the Philippines (PEWUP), took place with the participation of fifteen (15) leaders of the Santa Water District (SMWD), including managers, engineers, and other officers. The training opened on March 3, 2025, with a motivating opening address by the General Manager, Engr. Carlos N. Santos, Jr.
PEWUP selected SMWD to pilot this training program before offering it to other government institutions. The training was facilitated by Ms. Eileen Rose Tirona-Vizmonte, with expert resource speakers Ms. Junnah Manugas, Ms. Maria Samantha Pastor, and Ms. Kimberly Pano. The speakers are renowned for their expertise in leadership development. The objectives of the training were to help SMWD officers develop a deeper understanding of the values necessary for effective leadership, determine hidden strengths they may not have recognized yet, assess their aspirations for the agency, and improve their communication and appreciation skills when communicating with colleagues and subordinates.
The training utilized a flexible and interactive methodology. Each module was followed by activities that encourage participants to apply the concepts in real-life situations. To ensure varied perspectives, participants were paired with different colleagues for each activity.
One of the first-day activities involved clay making, where participants were asked to illustrate their dreams for SMWD using clay models. This creative exercise offered a tangible way for participants to convey their aspirations and visions for the future of the agency. Through this activity, the leaders identified the importance of innovation and advanced technology in managing progress and improvement. Some of the key dreams expressed during this activity included:
- Establishment of district metered areas
- Automation and acquisition of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) technology
- Centralization of all SMWD systems
- Commitment to sustainability
- Maintaining the lowest possible Non-Revenue Water
- Creation of a sports area
- Centralization of all stock items and warehouse management
- Construction and completion of ground-level water tanks
- Establishment of septage facilities
- Establishment of a customer care center
- Creation of a training center for best practices
- Accreditation for a program to institutionalize meritocracy and excellence in human resource management
- Innovation of current human resource systems and the creation of an employee portal for better record organization and access
On the second day, the focus changed to participants’ reflections. The participants were encouraged to express gratitude towards their colleagues by acknowledging the support that has helped them achieve their goals at work. The training concluded with the General Manager awarding the certificates to both the resource speakers and the participants. This Appreciative Leadership training gave the participants new perspectives that could help them address the gaps in their leadership approach. Moreover, this will pave the way for improved communication among all employees to better achieve the common goals that SMWD has for its concessionaires.
Written by:
Jon Mar T. Cruz