In photo: Asialink and PBCWE team collectively engaging at the GEARS Action Planning Workshop
10 January 2025, Pasig City, Philippines — Asialink Finance Corporation, a leading player in the Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NBFI) sector, reaffirmed its commitment to Workplace Gender Equality (WGE) with the successful completion of its Gender Equality Assessment Results and Strategy (GEARS) assessment. In partnership with the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (PBCWE), Asialink conducted an Action Planning Workshop on December 5, 2024, at its head office in Manila.
The workshop, facilitated by Reuben James Barrete, Program Manager of PBCWE, marked a critical step in Asialink’s journey toward fostering a more inclusive workplace. During the session, Amica Francisco, PBCWE’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager, presented the results of the GEARS assessment, which laid the foundation for actionable initiatives aimed at advancing gender equality, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the company.
“Asialink is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive environment for all employees, with a particular focus on the well-being of women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, and people of all religions and races. We are happy that PBCWE has always been supportive in guiding Asialink in its efforts to create inclusive workplaces. We are positive that we will ensure Asialink, and hopefully soon its subsidiaries, follow suit in PBCWE membership and undergo GEARS assessment for a cohesive business strategy on WGE and DEI,” said Apples Mangubat, Deputy CEO of Asialink Group of Companies.
In photo: Mangubat, Deputy CEO of Asialink Group of Companies, set the tone for the workshop
Asialink’s Action Plan focuses on aligning gender equality with its business priorities, ensuring leadership accountability for DEI initiatives, improving gender composition within the workforce, and addressing gender-based harassment and discrimination. The plan also includes efforts to enhance accessibility and reasonable accommodations for employees and implementing comprehensive Workplace Gender Equality Training to address biases and promote inclusivity.
The GEARS assessment underscored Asialink’s strengths in several critical areas. The company achieved top scores in preventing and addressing gender-based harassment and discrimination, mainstreaming flexible work policies to support performance and well-being, and fostering professional development through mentoring and sponsorship. These results reflect Asialink’s commitment to setting the standard for WGE within the NBFI sector, ensuring that its policies and workplace culture reflect its values of inclusivity and respect.
Julia Abad, Executive Director of PBCWE, commended Asialink’s dedication to this transformative process, saying, “We are amazed by the commitment of the Asialink team and its leadership throughout the GEARS process. During this journey, we witnessed how open and engaging the team was in understanding biases and taking practical steps to address them. PBCWE remains committed to assisting our member companies and clients in achieving their WGE goals.”
Asialink’s partnership with PBCWE and its proactive approach to gender equality underscore its leadership in creating a workplace that is inclusive, equitable, and forward-thinking.
