Saturday, April 28, 2007 Dole's best is here By Joy Romares-Sevilla
UNKNOWN to many, Davao City is now the home and working place of Department of Labor and Employment's most outstanding regional director: a man with a great passion for service and whose dedication to work is beyond compare.
Regional Director Ponciano Magsayo Ligutom, who was with the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Regions 7, 10, 12, and 13 for more than 23 years, moved in to Dole-Southern Mindanao in February, this year.
Working his way through the ranks, his long career was highlighted by being named as one of the five 2006 Outstanding Career Executive Officers (CEO) of the Philippines in September 2006. He received the award from no less than Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The Outstanding CEO is the highest award conferred by the Career Executive Service Board of the Civil Service Commission to top officials of the entire bureaucracy.
Ligutom started serving the government as a contractual employee for Social Amelioration Program in 1982. Later, he assumed the position of a senior labor employment and development officer and by then promoted from the position of Division Chief of Dole 7 to OIC-Assistant Regional Director of Dole in Region 12. In 2005, he was appointed as regional director of Dole 10.
Ligutom, fondly called as Nonoy by friends and family, hails from Siquijor and graduated valedictorian both in elementary and high school in Siquijor. He also graduated with a degree on BSA-Agribusiness at the Silliman University as cum laude.
For a time, he was professor of the Silliman University where his family is based and is active with the Couples for Christ.
Married to Emervencia, a professor at the Silliman University, Ligutom is the father of three with the eldest is now a licensed nurse, also teaching at Silliman University, while his twin boys are both engineering students at the same school.
He describes himself as a person often misunderstood by others. "Direkta akong magsalita," he admitted.
How he says things, however, can be set aside because of what he strives to do always.
"A life that is not shared is a life not worth living," said Ligutom stating his guiding principle in life.
He learned this early in life as the home he grew up in was considered home by everybody in their community.
"My mother is a farmer and my father is a barangay captain, they are considered as the father and mother of the community," he said.
It is maybe through Ligutom's father that he and his two siblings also entered in public service, his brother as a barangay captain several years ago, and the other as a present assistant provincial director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Siquijor.
He says that his work in government was not all upbeat, admitting to a time when he felt his job was not worth all the trouble.
"I lost interest because I was dissatisfied that some things are being done when in fact, it should not be," Ligutom said referring to the recognition or promotion given to some not-so deserving employees when there are still other more deserving of the recognition.
But he thrives at challenges, he said, and thus sees all these as just processes he has to go through to become a better man.
Like "water lily that survives in a dirty water," he said.
He added that introducing the change and dealing with people who stick to their "comfort zones," are the challenges he encounters in every region he is assigned.
Having worked his way to the top, he said, he is now more able to direct everything according to how it should be.
"One of the advantages being on top is you can do what you want and you can make things as what you want it to be," he said, adding that the newly-launched project he initiated, the "Pangutana Mo, I-text Mo," is just a step in the series of steps he will do to make Dole more accessible to all.
Another project he initiated is the "Search for Outstanding Private Employee/Employer in Region 11" to be launched on May 1. This program encourages firms to nominate their best employee/employer.
"This has a good impact because it can improve productivity and competitiveness, this is a way of recognizing and honoring people who are excellent in their work," he said.
Ligutom added the project is an initiative so that people will continue to do good and will serve as a model for others.
With regards his work style as regional director, he describes himself as "Mr. Meeting."
"I always want to meet the people in the office," said Ligutom who claimed that in his first month in Dole 11 office, he tried to meet his subordinates almost everyday to talk about his plans and the changes he wanted to do.
He wants his people to appreciate the things being done in their office so that they can enjoy what they are doing.
"When you love doing your work, it is not anymore the salary you are after for, but, the meaning in your work. When you find the meaning in your work, no matter how dangerous or financially-rewarding it is, you will continue doing it," he said.
"The management should try to find ways to help employees in finding the meaning in their work by giving the treatment and the benefits they deserve," added Ligutom.
