Our people
We place our people at the core of what we do — they are the driving force that makes more possible every day at ACEN. Beyond competitive compensation and benefits, we continuously strive to create a supportive, growth-driven work environment for our employees, providing them with a clear pathway for career growth as we navigate. the ever-evolving energy landscape.
Through our Human Rights Policy, we also outline our commitment to upholding the rights of our stakeholders, ensuring that we have a work culture founded on respect, proper work ethics, safety, diversity and inclusion. We uphold our employees’ freedom of association and collective bargaining as stated in our policy, ensuring open communication and meaningful engagement across the whole breadth of the organization.
In 2024, ACEN was recognized as among the Best Companies to Work for in Asia by the HR Asia Best Companies to Work in Asia Awards. It is an awards recognition program for organizations that have been identified by their employees as one of Asia’s employers of choice.
One of the
Best Companies
to Work for in Asia
by HR Asia
Launch of MyHR
An all-in-one platform for
better employee experience
45%
Women across ACEN group
Our CHRO, JP Orbeta, received the award for ACEN when the company was awarded as among the Best Companies to Work for in Asia – a testament to the strong bond we’ve built together as a renewables company, where employee engagement, collaboration and a culture of excellence thrive.
Growth and development
Our development framework follows the 3Es of learning: education, exposure and experience. Education, comprising 30 percent of the learning strategy, includes formal methods of learning that increase employees’ technical knowledge and skills. Exposure, accounting for 20 percent, focuses on social learning where insights are gained through conversations with peers and seasoned professionals. Experience, the cornerstone piece at 50 percent, emphasizes on-the-job learning experiences that provide an opportunity to lead valuable endeavors.
These pillars ensure an effective and comprehensive approach to skill-building and personal development.
In 2024, we spent P49 million for learning and development investment, empowering ACEN employees to unlock their potential and prepare for future challenges. Our holistic approach to learning fosters a culture of excellence and innovation, ensuring that our workforce is not only equipped for their current roles, but also poised to drive organizational success in the years to come.
Our robust learning and development program also highlights our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), ensuring that all employees have access to resources and programs designed to foster their growth. As such, core programs are accessible to part-time employees and contractors to ensure that compliance and regulatory training is provided to all personnel regardless of rank, status and level. The compliance training courses include topics such as occupational health and safety and ACEN’s Code of Conduct.
At ACEN, our people are at the heart of our success, thriving in a dynamic and fun environment that fosters collaboration and growth.
Our established learning programs continue to provide value to our people:
Anchoring on Clarity
In partnership with OneCORE and using the Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment tool, we committed to creating a culture of clarity to align the time, energy and resources of the organizations with the strengths and potential of our people. This workshop addresses key pain points such as the need for greater self-awareness, clarity and personal mastery, adapting to new roles and structures, maximizing time and energy and improving focus and direction. The program helps our employees to tackle personal and professional challenges to ensure they have the tools to thrive in a fast-paced working environment and energy industry. This program is provided to all employees regardless of rank and level.
Emerging Ayala Group Leaders (EAGLE) Program
The Emerging Ayala Group Leaders Program
(EAGLE) is an immersive program that equips managers with the skills to lead themselves and their teams and execute business strategies. Participants will develop a personal leadership brand, foster a high-performance culture and synergize across functions and industries to drive innovation. Eight of ACEN’s managers were able to participate and complete this program alongside other managers from the Ayala group’s business units.
Ayala Leaders League
The Ayala Leaders League is a three-day immersive experience for leaders from different Ayala companies to bond and interact with each other. ACEN had four graduates of this program who were top leaders in their respective teams. The goodwill generated from this experience becomes the foundation for synergistic opportunities and facilitates effective communication among leaders at the strategic level.
ACEN Mentoring Program
We also continued our successful Mentoring Program which engaged 100 participants, including 73 mentees and 27 mentors within the ACEN group. This program played a pivotal role in helping mentees develop critical competencies like strategic thinking, decision-making and business acumen through guidance from experienced leaders. The program received high satisfaction ratings from both mentors and mentees, with customer satisfaction scores of 4.4 and 4.2 out of 5, respectively. We are pleased to report that there was an 87 percent increase in this program from 2023 to 2024, displaying the value of this initiative to the employees’ continuous growth and development.
The ACEN Mentoring Program provides a unique opportunity for employees to connect with senior managers and executives to exchange stories of personal and professional growth.
ACEN Coaching Program
Through the ACEN Coaching Program, our employees receive personalized support in one-on-one sessions with external experts. Coaching is performance-driven, focusing on enhancing leadership and professional skills, setting goals and addressing specific development gaps to improve effectiveness. Aligned with our growth philosophy, the program empowers employees to take charge of their development.
Lunch and Learn sessions
To enhance business acumen and broaden operational knowledge, we hosted Lunch and Learn sessions focusing on key aspects of the company’s global operations. These sessions covered introductions to ACEN Australia, operating assets in the Philippines, Vietnam and India plants, providing employees with valuable insights into the business and a better understanding of ACEN’s operations across the Asia Pacific.
LinkedIn Learning
Our Human Resources team’s partnership with LinkedIn Learning allows our employees to get exclusive access to LinkedIn courses about relevant topics where they can get certifications afterwards. The activation rate for LinkedIn Learning licenses increased from 66 percent in 2023 to 98 percent in 2024, displaying employee interest in utilizing the available courses in the platform. employee interest in utilizing the available courses in the platform.
The Ayala group welcomed over 90 interns into the Ayala Group Summer Internship Program (AGSIP), designed to identify and nurture promising young individuals who demonstrate exceptional potential to become future leaders in the industry.
Ayala Group Summer Internship Program
We regularly participate in the annual Ayala Group Summer Internship Program (AGSIP), providing opportunities for students to immerse in the daily operations of different Ayala companies. This program includes leadership seminars, upskilling workshops, networking, plant tours and capstone project as their culminating activity at the end of the program. This holistic method of training allows students to unleash their full potential while learning the Ayala Way.
ACEN Cadetship Program
The Cadetship Program at the plant level was a structured training initiative for new graduates that ran from October 2023 to March 2024. Designed to equip participants with technical expertise and leadership skills, the program provided hands-on experience, mentorship and exposure to key plant operations.
Through this initiative, we strengthened our commitment to developing young talent and building a pipeline of skilled professionals for the energy industry.
We reinforced our commitment to employee development by introducing impactful programs and strategically investing in targeted initiatives. A significant portion of this year’s learning investment was allocated to targeted programs, which were designed to address specific skill gaps and close critical competency gaps identified across the workforce. This approach ensured that employees were equipped with the necessary tools to meet both individual and organizational objectives effectively.
We ensure that relevant training and development programs are offered at our corporate offices and plant sites. We offer core programs for all career levels, citing specific levels for each type of program offered. Our learning and development team assists employees with gaining access to targeted training sessions approved by their immediate superiors.
In 2024, several new programs at the corporate office were introduced for all employees, including Data Storytelling, which empowered participants to effectively communicate insights; Safe Spaces and Courageous Conversations, fostering a culture of openness, inclusion and psychological safety; Emergency First Aid Training, equipping employees with vital life-saving skills; and Cultural Sensitivity Training, which promoted understanding a respect within ACEN’s diverse and global workforce. Across our plant sites, targeted programs were also implemented, such as learning sessions on proper waste management, water conservation and climate change for sustainability officers.
By focusing on targeted learning programs and personalized development strategies, we demonstrated our unwavering commitment to fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Our total learning hours for targeted programs have increased by an estimated 6,900 hours, displaying employee engagement in the targeted programs provided.
These initiatives not only addressed immediate development needs but also aligned employees’ growth with the company’s strategic goals, positioning both individuals and the company for sustained success. Moving forward, we will continuously develop our programs based on feedback surveys we conduct after every learning and development session.
Total training hours
32,165
Average employee training satisfaction score
4.70/5
Succession planning
Our succession planning strategy identifies and prepares successors for critical roles across the organization, ensuring business continuity and readiness for future challenges. It is a proactive, continuous and future-focused strategy encompassing the following steps:
Just energy transition
Following our groundbreaking completion of the world’s first market-based Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) that involved the divestment of the 246 MW SLTEC coal plant and commitment to its early retirement by 2040, we pledged to ensure a just transition for the affected workers. We are guided by the principles of transparent and open dialogues, individualization and adequate planning. Employees will be given options depending on their needs, with the options of transitioning to green jobs, being placed in other local industries with proper support and being reskilled or upskilled to diversify job opportunities.
Employee engagement
and support
At ACEN, we recognize that our people are the cornerstone of our success. We’re committed to building a dynamic and engaging work culture through different employee engagement programs tailored to foster work-life balance and well-being, strengthen team collaboration and contribute to the organization’s overall productivity.
ACEN People Committee
The ACEN People Committee is composed of representatives from different business units that champion employee engagement alongside our HR team. As stewards of our culture, they ensure the programs and initiatives are designed to uphold ACEN’s ABCD core values: Aspire, Believe, Collaborate and Deliver.
Serving as ambassadors of the ACEN way, the People Committee serves as employees’ voices on critical organization agenda, driving meaningful conversations on diversity, equity, inclusion and well-being. Despite the absence of an independent trade union, the People Committee was internally established to act as representatives of the general employee population to be part of activities and sentiments assessment.
Special Interest Groups (SIG)
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) were formed to enhance employee engagement by bringing together individuals with shared interests, hobbies or advocacies.
These employee-led groups foster collaboration, personal growth and a sense of belonging, while also contributing to a positive and connected workplace culture. In 2024, we successfully launched 10 SIGs for various shared interests such as running, basketball, tennis, badminton, board games, golf, sustainability, running, yoga and chorale.
The Ayala Beats @ 190 event marked the comeback of the JZA Streetdance Competition, with streetdance teams from different Ayala business units battling it out on the dance floor.
Ayala Beats @ 190
We participated in Ayala Beats @ 190, the milestone celebration of Ayala Corporation’s 190th anniversary, held on March 8, 2024 at Ayala Triangle Gardens. Over 200 ACEN employees from our headquarters and plant sites took part in the event, joining both in person and online through the We Are Ayala Business Club (WAABC).
The event brought together over 8,000 Ayala group employees on-site and 3,200 virtually to celebrate Ayala’s almost two centuries of building businesses that enable people to thrive. The celebration not only looked back at the Ayala group’s successes in the past 190 years but also looked forward to a more meaningful future together with its various stakeholders, including customers, whose trust and loyalty have inspired the company to do more for the greater good. ACEN, alongside other Ayala companies, has been instrumental in this journey, and we are committed to continue challenging the status quo and bringing innovations in the energy sector that contribute to the nation’s social and economic agenda.
Working with Cancer pledge
In August 2024, we joined the Working with Cancer pledge, a global movement that aims to support people struggling with cancer in the workplace, becoming the first energy company in the Philippines to do so. This initiative ensures our solidarity with our colleagues with cancer by creating a more supportive, open and recovery-forward environment in the workplace. Through this pledge, we have committed to extend support to employees battling cancer through programs under ACEN CARES. Additionally, we introduced a Cancer Care Leave benefit to ensure job security and provide additional paid leave of up to six months for employees with cancer so that they can focus on their recovery
In 2024, we signed the Working with Cancer pledge to help end the stigma surrounding employees battling cancer, with our CEO Eric Francia and CHRO JP Orbeta joining AC Health CEO Paolo Borromeo and Healthway Medical Network President and CEO Jaime Ysmael in support of the initiative.
tACbo
As part of Ayala Corporation’s 190th anniversary celebration, 104 ACEN employees participated in the tACbo: Run for the Benefit of Ayala Foundation in January 2024. To encourage participation, ACEN subsidized half of the registration fee for employees who joined the event. The benefit run raised ₱6 million to support Ayala Foundation’s education programs, furthering its mission to empower communities through learning and development initiatives.
JZA Cup
The JZA Cup is a flagship groupwide initiative designed to foster collaboration, camaraderie and a sense of unity among employees from various Ayala companies. This friendly sports competition serves as a platform for team members across different industries and subsidiaries to connect, build relationships
and showcase their athletic skills in a vibrant, inclusive and engaging environment. This year, we proudly participated in the JZA Cup, fielding talented players across various sports, including golf, volleyball, bowling, badminton and street dance. By taking part in these events, ACEN employees not only showcased their athleticism and sports camaraderie but also contributed to the overarching goal of strengthening the bonds within the Ayala group.
ACEN employees joined the 2024 tACbo benefit run to kick off Ayala Corporation’s 190th anniversary celebration.
Mental Health Awareness Month
In solidarity with the global movement for mental well-being, our Mental Health Awareness Month aligned with the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) Global Campaign 2024 and its theme, “It is Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace.” In 2024, we embraced the theme “Very Thoughtful, Very Mindful: Driving Employee Well-Being Through Compassion and Empathy”, to encourage employees to embody thoughtfulness in actions, respect in interactions and calmness in navigating personal and professional challenges.
By fostering these values, we aim to create a more supportive, empathetic and resilient workplace. Throughout the month, we’ve launched programs aligned to the theme such as Lunch & Learn session on Practicing Mindfulness in the Workplace, Healing Harmony (A Sound Bath Experience), Being Mindful of Personal Time, Harmonizing Mindfulness: Exploring the Power of Music for Inner Peace, and Thoughtfull Workshop: Letting Go of Perfectionism though Mandala Drawing.
Mental well-being programs
We ensure that the mental health of our employees is taken care of to preserve their well-being and sustain productivity in the workplace. With this, we partnered with international and local wellness organizations to provide holistic mental wellness programs.
The ThoughtFull mobile app is an online mental health platform that supports our employees’ wellness journey. Employees are able to access online consultations, self-help tools, webinar training, daily check-ins including round-the-clock crisis support from trained psychological first aiders anytime of the day.
We also engage with a local partner, Argao Psych, for our subsidiaries in the Philippines. They provide services on prevention and intervention programs, assessment services and workplace mental health programs.
By having a range of options, both locally and internationally, we can provide inclusive support to all our employees globally.At ACEN Australia, a team of employees came together for the Treely challenge – a 10-day challenge where their footsteps turned into trees, making a real impact on the planet. The team placed 2nd and contributed 424 trees to the 1,161 total. Their impact ensured mangrove reforestation in Ankinao, Madagascar, providing coastal protection, improving water quality and supporting local communities and wildlife.
MyHR platform: HR Integrated System Technology Platform
We also improved employees’ experience by launching our new HR Integrated System (HRIS), MyHR. It is the HR technology platform of ACEN that centralizes the various transactions of employees when it comes to managing employee profile, salary and benefits, performance appraisal, training database and career development.
Powered by SAP SuccessFactors, ACEN centralizes the various transactions of employees when it comes to managing employee profile, timekeeping and attendance, paid time-off filling and management, employment records, performance evaluations, individual development plan documentation and monitoring, learning and development database including career development tracking as well as succession readiness planning, personnel hiring requests, payroll management and other day-to-day HR transactions. Allowing our HR Business Partners to focus on establishing high-trust interactions to address organizational concerns with employees and entrusting transactional administrative matters to technology.
Our transition to the new HRIS platform, myHR, has made our employees’ HR experience more centralized, efficient and seamless.
Cultural Sensitivity Workshop: Building cultures across ACEN
The Cultural Sensitivity Workshop equipped participants with strategies to understand cultural differences, enhance cross-cultural communication and resolve cultural workplace conflicts across the ACEN group. Through group activities, employees shared experiences of intercultural misunderstandings and explored Western and Eastern work styles, using select case studies to analyze miscommunications.
Participants reflected on cultural beliefs they wished to uphold or change and practiced handling challenging workplace conversations. Each created a 30-day action plan to address three key discussions, ensuring proactive conflict resolution.
The workshop emphasized empathy, adaptability and trust in diverse teams. To sustain impact, participants partnered with “success partners” for accountability, committing to follow-up discussions.
ACEN Australia is now Great Place To Work-certified, with an incredible 93 percent of the team saying the company is a great place to work – a testament to its shared commitment to build a workplace culture that truly shines.
Ayala Inclusive Circle
As part of our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), each Ayala Inclusive Circle is designed to foster a workplace where employees feel safe, valued and empowered to be their authentic selves.
These circles provide a space for open dialogue, mutual support and psychological safety, strengthening our sense of belonging and community. Through these connections, employees can navigate unique perspectives their identities and experiences bring—shaping their careers, goals, relationships and the values that matter most in their lives.
Atletang Ayala
This transformative program helps fuel the dreams of emerging Filipino athletes aspiring to compete in the 2028 Olympics, equipping them with the support they need to excel in their respective sports. Launched in 2022, this program leverages the resources and networks of the Ayala group to nurture rising athletes and support their unique needs to become sports champions. This year, ACEN has pledged to support two Filipino athletes:
As part of the Atletang Ayala program’s holistic training approach, both athletes are employed part-time at ACEN, working with our HR team to support employee well-being and engagement initiatives across the group. This dual-role setup not only provides them with Ayala’s support in their athletic journey but also equips them with valuable skills beyond sports, preparing them for future opportunities beyond competition.
Atletang Ayala Allain Ganapin (in blue), 26, competed in the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games for Taekwondo. He has been a member of the Philippine National Taekwondo Team since 2015.
Employee
engagement survey
At ACEN, we believe in actively listening to our people to continuously improve their workplace experience. We conduct regular employee surveys to assess key aspects such as alignment with company goals, access to resources, team synergy and motivation. These insights allow us to implement initiatives that genuinely enhance engagement and satisfaction.
In our latest employee engagement survey, we’re proud to have achieved a 92 engagement score, outperforming the Global High Performance norm—a benchmark developed by Willis Towers Watson that evaluates organizations excelling in both financial performance and human resource practices. ACEN scored particularly high in goal alignment, resource availability and team synergy.
While this is a significant achievement, we remain committed to continuous improvement, striving to enhance the employee experience and create a stronger culture of engagement across the organization.
Performance assessment
Our performance appraisal process is a structured, collaborative framework designed to evaluate and enhance employee performance while ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Conducted annually, the process integrates continuous feedback, development planning and final evaluation to ensure fairness, transparency and engagement. It serves as our basis for recognizing achievements, supporting career growth and providing constructive feedback for improvement.
The process begins with employees and their immediate superiors co-creating Key Result Areas (KRAs) at the start of the year. Employees identify priority goals and adhering to the SMART framework—Specific, Measurable, Adds Value, Realistic and Time-based— to ensure a clear focus on strategic and tangible outcomes. The KRAs constitute the largest share of an employee’s overall performance evaluation. Beyond performance metrics, a percentage of the performance evaluation is dedicated to development planning, supporting employees in enhancing employee competencies and advancing their careers in accordance with ACEN’s learning and development framework. In addition to the KRAs and development planning, employees are also evaluated based on how they embody ACEN’s core values—Aspire and Believe, Collaborate and Deliver.
The performance review process begins with a self-assessment where employees reflect and evaluate their performance. This is followed by a collaborative discussion with their immediate superiors to provide balanced feedback and identify development strategies, as well as calibrations across teams and business units to validate ratings.
The process concludes with a focus on rewards and career progression, linking performance appraisal outcomes to career advancement, merit increases, performance bonuses and learning opportunities. By integrating clear goals, regular feedback and structured evaluations, our performance appraisal process not only measures results but also opens opportunities for career growth
Compensation and benefits
Our compensation philosophy ensures the competitiveness of the employees’ total remuneration compared to our relevant
market while complying with national labor laws. We factor in the quality of an individual’s performance relative to corporate and individual Key Result Areas (KRAs) to determine the appropriate compensation, regardless of gender. Salary increments, benefits and rewards are commensurate with the overall company and individual performance, determined through the mid-year and annual performance and talent review process. We offer variable pay in the form of a performance bonus, allowing opportunities to reward individual contributions all throughout the year.
Aside from standard compensation packages and cash benefits, we offer a competitive employee benefit package that comprehensively supports employees’ financial and personal well-being.
Our medical and wellness benefits include comprehensive health insurance, medical allowances, defined contribution retirement plan, entitlement to extended paid medical leave (cancer care leave), sponsorship for professional or organizational club memberships, and subsidy for activities that promote overall well-being. For project-based employees, medical, life and accident insurance as well as service incentive leaves are provided.
Our effort to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) includes gender-support benefits, with our health insurance package covering the common law and LGBTQIA+ partners. Dependents coverage has also been expanded to include in-laws, nieces and nephews in our health insurance.
Our office provides functional private and public spaces for our employees and guests. This includes nursing and lactation room for working mothers, nap rooms, recreation and training rooms, gender neutral shower rooms and restrooms, enclosed phone booths situated in open office spaces in each floor, and activity halls (i.e., the Melting Pot) for employees and guests to dine and socialize. The office provides unlimited access to premium coffee, tea and clean water with enough food storage spaces and food warmer appliances.
For employees at our plant sites, dedicated shuttle services are provided for those residing in remote areas. Staff housing is provided for long-term accommodation, especially for employees assigned in plants located in remote and far-flung areas. Daily meals are also provided by our in-house cafeteria operated by partnered concessionaires.
In 2024, we continuously improved our employee benefits through:
We offer competitive packages and benefits for employees at the plant level.
As part of our retention program, ACEN’s reward system includes long-term incentive plans, which are equity-based compensation program designed to incentivize management team managers in driving high-performance and achieve our targeted three-year performance indicators on growth, total shareholder return and ESG. The latter is considered as a key performance metric to reflect the company’s commitment to responsible and sustainable growth.
Rewards under this plan are granted in the form of performance shares, which are awarded to executives and key employees in the year following the completion of the performance cycle. These shares are then subject to a three-year vesting period and awarding are based on the overall performance score of the committed performance targets governed and managed by the senior leadership team, personnel compensation committee and chairman of the board.
In 2024, we successfully implemented the Defined Contribution (DC) Plan as part of our amended retirement program, the ACEN Multi-Employer Plan. Employees can voluntarily contribute a percentage of their monthly basic salary, while the employer provides a contribution relative to a portion of the employee’s monthly basic salary. Policy guidelines also allow employees to select their preferred investment mandate options, which can be adjusted annually, along with their monthly contribution rates.
Integrating sustainability
at the workplace
Aligned with our commitment to sustainability, we have created a workplace that embeds sustainable features for our offices and project sites. We believe that our continuous efforts
to advance our renewables agenda must be met with an environment that embodies the sustainability principles we all want to achieve.
Our ACEN headquarters is located in Ayala Triangle Gardens Tower 2, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold-Certified building, signifying that the structure was designed and constructed with resource-efficient features to minimize negative impact on its surroundings. We used environmentally friendly materials in our office wherever possible, such as in the carpets which are made from recycled fishing nets. To conserve water and energy, water-saving faucets are installed in the restrooms and motion-sensor lights and floor-to-ceiling windows are established. We ensure good air quality by strategically placing air-purifying indoor plants all throughout our office. These plants eliminate toxins and carbon dioxide and convert them into oxygen in an efficient and natural manner.
Air-purifying indoor plants are strategically placed all throughout our office to eliminate toxins in an efficient manner.
Ergonomically designed work spaces help reduce health risks for our employees.
Similar elements are found in our Australia offices. In addition to indoor plants that are stationed around the office, our desk spaces are ergonomically designed with standup capabilities to provide flexibility and help reduce health risks from prolonged sitting. End-of-trip facilities such as shower rooms are available in our Sydney and Melbourne offices to support employees who commute. To avoid additional waste, we transitioned from coffee machines that use pods to those that grind whole beans.
Across our sites, we regularly monitor heat index and noise to assess our work environment and ensure that we implement preventive measures for the safety of our workers. For employees and contractors, we conduct yearly trainings on heat stress management, provide access to drinking water and offer shuttle services to and from our sites. To minimize dust pollution, we water our roads during the dry season.
We promote employee welfare by implementing features such as shower rooms, ergonomic workstations, food supplies in office pantries and adequate lighting and ventilation. In some of our sites, we have on-site sports facilities and equipment such as basketball court and badminton rackets to encourage physical fitness as well as teamwork and collaboration.
By integrating sustainable practices and features into our offices and project sites, we create a work environment that reflects our vision and supports the well-being of our employees.
Across our sites, we offer shuttle service for employees and contractors for ease of transportation.
