Testimonials

Rodulf started as a Cadet Engineer and has been promoted recently to Process Manager of Republic TERESA Plant.

I started working in Lafarge Teresa plant as a Cadet Process Engineer. Lafarge is indeed a great company to work for - constantly growing, moving and most importantly doing so with care as Safety in the workplace is our  core value. Lafarge recognizes and rewards employees for their efforts to improve themselves and the business.

The training and career building activities that Lafarge executes for its employees are way above any other company I have seen.

You can be successful in Lafarge if you work hard and do it with passion. I live by this maxim and believe this is why I have successfully grown from Cadet Process Egineer to Process Manager.

So tara na! Sakay na...

Archie started his career as a Cadet Engineer. He is now the Finish Mill/Packhouse Manager of Republic TERESA Plant.

The cadetship program of Lafarge Philippines has moulded and developed me into who I am now. Its structured program covers a lot of engineering disciplines necessary in the cement manufacturing thereby making sure that you will be equipped with the needed competency as you progress with your career in the company. There may be frustrations, trials, and day-to-day challenges but I consider these as all part of the training. And these are what I like the most as these enable me to do more than what I think I can do. You will also feel the importance of your role and understand the reason why you are chosen out of a thousand applicants.

I was fresh from university when I entered Lafarge, but believe it or not, I already got promoted twice! If you want to be successful in Lafarge, a good work attitude and a positive mindset are essential to reaching your goals. That is one of my secrets that I want to share to all aspirants.

Reinier is a Filipino expat currently assigned in Russia. Prior to this, he had also been expatriated earlier to work at the Lafarge HO in Paris, France.

I joined Lafarge in 2001 after they acquired Blue Circle where I was then Finance Controller. In that same year, Lafarge provided me with a great opportunity to work in its Headquarters in Paris, as Cement Division Regional Controller for Asia. The two years in Paris gave me an immersion into the Group's culture and values, which includes a strong orientation towards safety and team performance, all of which are embodied in the "Lafarge Way". I had the privilege of working with the best teams and with great mentors.

I was repatriated back to the Philippines in 2004, paving the way for my appointment as CFO of the Philippine cement BU. The Philippine BU is a top notch BU recognized by the Group, as the local team sets for itself challenging objectives, defying difficult odds and still meeting these objectives with flying colours. 

Although it was not exactly in my career radar screen, I was offered a CFO post in Russia in early 2008. Honestly speaking, I knew very little about Russia and my Russian vocabulary was then limited to three words, including Vodka, but the Group leadership expressed their confidence in me and hence I went for it.

It is a continuing journey for me and my family in Russia, where I can say the culture has some semblance to the Philippines, particularly the friendliness and close family orientation of the people. The main challenge so far has been the weather as winter in this part of the world lasts for almost 6 months of the year.

In conclusion, let me say that I am a proud Filipino and a proud Lafarge employee. Lafarge treats its employees fairly and rewards and recognition are based purely on merit and performance. I strongly believe that Filipino talents are the best in the world, as we are hardworking and performance driven. We are also able to assimilate easily and are respectful of other cultures.

Arnel is a Filipino expatriate in our Asian Technical Center in Malaysia.  He started his employment in our Iligan Plant in Mindanao.

"Working in Lafarge has brought tremendous challenges for me, especially because I started my engineering career from a small cement plant in Mindanao until Lafarge took over in 2000. As an international company, Lafarge opened my eyes to many career options and possibilities to develop my 'other' skills. I guess one of the many things that helped me develop as a person was the willingness to go the extra mile, beyond the call of duty as a Shift Engineer at the time. I found that besides being a technical guy, I can also train people and manage and initiate projects, which eventually brought me into the H&S community.

After 5 years earning my H&S competency in our Iligan plant, I was invited to try it out in the regional office to handle the management of the Energy Isolation Standard implementation for the three Lafarge divisions in East and Southwest Asia. I believe that the support I got from the Iligan plant management team, my past interaction with the regional team and the value I added to the Lafarge H&S organization convinced the regional office to consider me as a candidate. The process was not easy, but it came, perhaps, as something 'designed' for me (as I was not the first choice in this position).

Working in the regional office has built up my confidence beyond what I expected before. It has opened my mind to the reality that Filipinos can really make good regionally, even globally. When I look at other Filipino expatriates, I can see that they are above the rest in terms of performance and the desire to excel. Although my expatriation came with a price (being away from the family is something I have yet to learn to live with until now), it has helped me to be a better person, and helped me see things in a wider perspective. Taking this confidence and the desire to excel back to my BU is something I look forward to doing in the near future."

Being expatriated in Lafarge has its own rewards, most of all, the opportunity to live and work in a different cultural environment. For people who value discovery and adventure, the experience far outweighs the challenges that come with working in another country.

The secret to successful expatriation is in the preparation. To derive full benefit from the opportunity, one needs to prepare thoroughly. Technical competence brings credibility, experience adds confidence, maturity invites respect and sincerity gets repaid the same way.

To enjoy expatriation, one must look at the sum of all the experiences that come with it. It will not fulfill everyone's fantasy; neither will the ride be smooth and easy. But if people are able to find gratification from the variety of experiences in an altogether different setting, the whole experience can be great!

I joined Lafarge Philippines in 2006 when the Marketing function was just being incorporated globally.

Lafarge has given me and my team the support and the opportunity to raise the profile of marketing in the organization and to help influence the organization to become more customer and end-user-focused. More importantly, we have been able to achieve great things that we can look back with pride, like changing how the market (and even our own colleagues) views cement - from a "commodity" to a product that is based on "differentiated value-based propositions".

I am also happy that Lafarge has recognized our efforts through several global Cement Performance Awards since 2007 and has made the Philippines (and now Malaysia) a hub for best Marketing practices.

With the advancement in sustainability initiatives, my team and I now find ourselves at the forefront of a new marketing ballgame with far-reaching impacts on the future generations and the environment. It is very gratifying to be at the driver-seat of this new trend, from which a cement marketer can make valuable contributions to society as a whole.