Federico R. LopezThe year 2014 has been a good year for our group of companies. This has not been due to the lack of challenges but precisely because our teams, across companies working with group synergy, overcame so many execution challenges. Last Christmas, we were all still reeling from the effects of Super-typhoon Yolanda, and our main challenge then was to address many urgent needs while looking after the welfare of our kapamilya in the Lopez Group and in the Yolanda-stricken areas.

This year, we lost no time getting ourselves back on track and in pushing to move forward as an organization.  We committed to efficiently restoring EDC’s operations in Leyte, and we were able to get all our power plants back online several months ahead of schedule.  Even our BacMan plants, which have been under rehabilitation since 2010, finally went back online this year.  Equally significant is that we’re fulfilling our mission of providing our country with clean and renewable energy as we broke ground on the 414-MW San Gabriel and 97-MW Avion natural gas-fired plants early this year, and we successfully commissioned Southeast Asia’s largest wind farm, the 150-MW Burgos Wind Project, in November.

Even our other FPH subsidiaries --- First Balfour, ThermaPrime, Rockwell Land, FPIP and First Philec --- are well on track in meeting their annual revenue and income targets and we expect them to end the year on historic highs.  We may have faced setbacks in 2013, but those didn’t stop us from forging ahead with confidence and hope in 2014.

We also came together as a group with a clear purpose to tell our story. In June, we launched our “Powered by Good” branding campaign, which was shown not only here in the Philippines but also to a global audience.  After having articulated the seven Lopez Values, which are deeply embedded in our DNA, I feel that this articulation of being “Powered by Good” is something that resonates with all of us. For, indeed, it is good that wakes us up each morning to face the day; it is good that keeps all of us dedicated to our mission; it is good that keeps us moving forward together despite the obstacles and challenges.

Recognizing the good that lies in all of us, we also came together as a group to honor the men and women who sacrificed so much in order to ease the burden of tragedy on our fellowmen.  This year, aside from the annual Lopez Achievement Awards (LAA), we gave out special awards for our Yolanda Heroes. I’m sure those of you who witnessed these stories could not help but be inspired by what emerged from one of the most horrifying disasters ever to have hit our shores.

We also chronicled and captured the bayanihan spirit that flowed through the Lopez Group through Yolanda, a book that was born from letters written by EDC President Ricky Tantoco and from the shared experiences of our kapamilya in EDC and other FPH and Lopez Group companies. While we hope that no other such tragedy will befall our country and our people, we are inspired by the thought that our Yolanda Heroes, our LAA winners, and the many stories and images captured in Yolanda, the book, will inspire even more of us to rise above our everyday challenges and make a difference in the lives of others.

Just as it is important to look back and honor our past, I feel that it is also equally important to pause and recharge ourselves as we look forward to the future. While I believe that a bit of stress is good as it forces us to stretch beyond our comfort zones, I have no doubt that from time to time, some excess stress may have impacted your health and well-being. As we all pause for the holidays and celebrate the joyous occasion of Christ’s birth, may we also remember to unplug from our gadgets, head out into the outdoors, spend time with our families and loved ones, and take the time to focus on our health. As you all know, Employee Welfare and Wellness is a value that we take seriously in the Lopez Group; just as we are “Powered by Good” at work and in our external environment, I sincerely hope that we will also all be “Powered by Good” from the inside-out.

I’d like to thank each and every one of you for the hard work, the dedication, the passion, and the commitment that you’ve shown your colleagues and your Company this year.  Indeed, we have so many opportunities to be grateful for, and my wish this year is for all of us to find even more reasons to feel blessed and to give thanks. We have gone through so much as an organization, as a corporate family, and as individuals--may all of these strengthen and inspire us as we welcome another year and fulfil our purpose to be “Powered by Good.”

From my family to yours, happy holidays and warm season’s greetings.  

FEDERICO R. LOPEZ III
Chairman, FPH Group