Giving workers dignity is the best way to ensure productivity and long-term profitability of a business venture.

Very often, people hear of a company president professing his dream of making a difference in uplifting the lives of his employees, mindful of their joy from partaking of the success of the company.

EEI Corporation president and CEO Henry D. Antonio has such aspiration as he revealed that starting next year, the company will spend about P500 million to supply food to the company's 27,000 workers throughout the archipelago.

The aim is to give their workers dignity in what they do.

"The most important thing is that sustainability must be people-focused. What is the point of sustainability if people are dying, not eating properly, or do not have the proper dignity? To whom we are undertaking sustainability? We are doing it because we want to improve lives and because we want to secure the future," he said.

EEI's pursuit is twofold, which Antonio said involves taking care of people through making sure that the workforce have enough food, clean water, and a place to stay, while opening the opportunity for their children to have proper education through assistance considering that laborers do not make that much money.  

"While we cannot double their salaries for now since we may go bankrupt if we do. It is the management's job to come up with ways to meet its responsibilities. And for us, we take that seriously being one of the largest construction firms in the country. If we become successful, I hope we can influence other firms," he said.

Worker's welfare front, center

Aside from providing proper sustenance to workers, Antonio said EEI also made a significant move to remove the "Sangla ATM" scheme that has been rampant in the construction industry.

"Why do they do that? Because one, they don't have money, and two, they don't have access to financing sources like banks, so they undertake this illegal scheme. In EEI, we automatically fire people engaging in that scheme because it's a crime," he said.

Antonio said EEI increased the capitalization of the employees' cooperative to provide the financial and other needs of their workers.

"They can borrow money at one percent interest per month," he said.

Antonio added EEI has also launched a project of providing construction supplies to workers to give them the opportunity to build their own houses at a site in Tanza, Cavite.

EEI had also provided scholarship grants to 100 children of laborers and supervisors.

EEI is the construction arm of the Yuchengco group of companies, and is recognized as one of the leading builder in the country that has a broad range of construction and engineering services, with expertise in infrastructure, buildings, and industrial and electromechanical facilities.

"The best way to have good and sustainable economic development is to spread the wealth so that people have equal opportunities for education, proper housing, and livelihood, which are all ingredients for people to strive for a better future and to allow them to dream. And people who can dream becomes the foundation of a better society," the EEI chief stressed.

Special circumstances

Antonio, fondly called by his associates and employees as HAD, is a menopause baby, as her elementary school teacher-mother was already 40 when she gave birth to him.

"My mom was over 40 years old when she had me. She almost died of childbirth having me. Growing up, I always remembered this. My mother is perhaps the single most important person who has influenced me and made me the person I am now," he narrated to the DAILY TRIBUNE.

When Antonio was six years old, his father had to work abroad to support the family. 

"My mother was an elementary school teacher and, on the side, did many things to help rear and sustain our large family. In the 80's, our family went through significant financial distress, yet I would never have thought of ourselves as being bereft," he said. 

"Now, looking back I can see how dire our situation was, having moved out of Angeles City in Pampanga, my parents rented a one-bedroom apartment in Sampaloc, Manila so that my older siblings could pursue college at the University of the Philippines as scholars.  We had very little, but we had a lot of joy as a family. We prayed the rosary in the evening, and we all ate together," he continued.

Antonio said he was raised by a disciplinarian yet loving mom who taught him how to be independent.

"Growing up with older siblings in their college years ensured that I grew up far more quickly and matured. I remember keeping a daily schedule when I was in the second grade which I pretty much continued until today," he added.

"When we moved back to Angeles City, I chose my school, and when the school did not want to accept me, I spoke to the principal and convinced her to let me take the exam. I graduated valedictorian of that high school," he recalled.

A hardworking student

After his parents retired, Antonio said the family decided to migrate to the United States.

And with the belief that it would be too much of a financial burden if his parents had to pay for his tuition in the US, Antonio looked for a school that would allow him to get a scholarship.

"I went to the University of San Diego while working on two to three jobs finishing college in three and a half years and in the US, I learned to be more direct. Working for an American company gave me the experience and the focus to be results-driven. I never worried about how young I was because I knew I had something to offer," he said.

"I always believe that opportunities open for those who seek them and the best way to find opportunities is to do everything you can to work hard, be curious and be available," Antonio explained.

He added, "I am not the type of person to worry about how difficult a situation is. I do not worry too much about what it is that others want. When things get dark in front of me, and if it's something that I am not good at or it's novel to me, then I just use this as an opportunity to learn and to get better."

He said perhaps this is the reason why despite the big gap between working as an investment banker and accountant to being the president and chief executive of an engineering  and construction company, Antonio had took on the challenges brought by the enormity of the challenges "yet at the same time, knowing full well, and I have to use all my talents to get up to speed and be available for EEI."

"I have always been fascinated by politics and economics. Seeing the work ethic of my father and my mother and having a dream with me, the compassion that embodies my parents, I see in EEI a great opportunity to work with our workers and laborers to allow them to uplift their lives and their families," according to Antonio.

Be compassionate to others

The EEI chief maintained that he always believed that for the country to achieve development, there is a need for the economy to be inclusive and give people the opportunity to be more educated and useful in society.

"I think it is also important to develop focus and discipline. Filipinos have incredible creativity and adaptability, and when they put their mind and heart into it, they achieve great things, but we are also very shortsighted sometimes," Antonio stated.

He said the company will be embarking on transformational change to allow its people to join hands with them and dream to improve their economic well-being and provide opportunities for those who want to study and help their families create a livelihood.

"Judging from my own experience, I know that it is possible. We just need to look for those opportunities, help those who may need a bit of a helping hand and inspire others to achieve greater heights. Both in their personal and professional life," he expressed.

"We need to develop a society that contributes to the common good and allows for creativity, provides sufficient freedom for people to seek opportunities, and more importantly, to care for each other. Yes, this is utopia, but if we do not even give it a fighting chance, then what chance will it have?" according to Antonio.