Who says we’re mediocre?

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source: http://www.bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=14857
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Who says we’re mediocre?
Ad Lib -- By Greg B. Macabenta

If we are to believe fellow Pinoys, mediocrity is the trademark of our people. Puede na is supposed to be our concept of quality control. Decades ago, a German advertising client told me, with some dismay, that this was also his impression, after he had a handyman work on his house. In the same breath, he described the meticulousness of Germans. Their high standards. Their almost fanatical pursuit of excellence.

I soon proved to Wolfgang Schoen, advertising manager of Nestlé Philippines, that his poor impression of the handyman did not apply to the ad agency that was servicing him. He gave us no quarter and we didn’t ask for any. We got along famously on the basis of mutual respect.

But I have never forgotten what Wolfgang said about the work ethic of Germans. Unfortunately, I have also not stopped hearing about the alleged mediocrity of Pinoys -- as told by fellow Filipinos.

This self-deprecating attitude rubs off on non-Filipinos. I wouldn’t be surprised if the idiots who wrote the script for Desperate Housewives, that disparaged the competence of Filipino doctors, heard about it from some of our people.

Perhaps, as a Filipino living in America, I may have subconsciously developed a defense mechanism because of this constant denigration of our self-esteem. I’m quick to tell anyone who cares to listen that the best of us can match the best in the world -- and not just in boxing. In medicine too. And in many other fields.

In this regard, anyone who doubts it should check out Lufthansa Technik Philippines or LTP for short.

I don’t usually devote a column to praise a company, even if it is owned by friends or is a client of friends, unless there is something really remarkable or impressive about it. Well, when I received the fact sheet about LTP from Cherie Mijares, managing director of Lava Communications, I was simply bowled over.

It’s a story of Pinoy professionalism and excellence. World class, no less. The extreme opposite of puede na. And, more than that, it’s a story of a team of Filipino workers on whose dedication and skills the lives of hundreds of thousands of people depend.

If you think that being a daring young man on a flying trapeze requires the highest degree of excellence (one wrong move could mean death), how about handling the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of the flying machines of the global aviation industry? In this business, being less than perfect could mean a major disaster.

There should be no doubt that MRO is the linchpin of the airline industry. And in this regard, Lufthansa Technik AG, a German company, is considered the world’s leading manufacturer-independent provider of MRO services for aircraft, engines, and components. The Lufthansa Technik Group is made up of 28 companies and has a work force of 25,500. It is a 100%-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa German Airlines, which is considered the largest airline in Europe and the fifth largest in the world, in terms of overall passengers carried.

Pretty impressive credentials. But what really boosted my self-esteem and strengthened my faith in and respect for the Pinoy worker was learning about Lufthansa Technik Philippines.

LTP is a joint venture with MacroAsia, a local aviation services company whose board of directors reads like a Philippine corporate Who’s Who. The German group owns 51% of the enterprise. Organized in 2000 and now celebrating its tenth year of operations, LTP has earned worldwide respect as one of the leading MRO service providers in the aviation industry.

A large part of the credit goes to its workforce of 2,700, most of whom are Filipinos.

"The Filipino workers are LTP’s biggest assets," said Dominik Wiener-Silva, LTP vice president for marketing and sales. "They are very passionate about their jobs and work hard to keep our company’s services at par with the best in the world."

These Filipino technicians have certainly benefited from German efficiency, knowledge, discipline, and technology, but the ability to master the skills and apply them with intelligence, diligence, and a passion for hard work is what has impressed LTP management, as well as the company’s worldwide customers

According to LTP president and CEO Bernhard Krueger-Sprengel, the company is now servicing airlines from all five continents.

"Customers are flying to Manila to have their planes checked and repaired," he said. "This is happening because LTP belongs to the first league of MRO providers."

To reach that level, an MRO provider must get the nod of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and America’s Federal Aviation Agency -- plus 15 other international aviation authorities. It’s a gauntlet.

"It is a source of pride for LTP that the Philippines is increasingly sought after overseas for MRO services," Krueger-Sprengel added "And it is enough impetus for our company to continue on this path of success and excellence."

LTP’s expertise in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of the Airbus A330 and A340 models has made it a major international service provider for these wide-body aircraft. On its fifth year of operations, LTP became known for its specialization in narrow-body operations, focusing on the Airbus A320.

LTP is known in the aviation industry for its efficiency, fast turnaround, and the premium that it places on safety and reliability. For this reason, many of its clients are repeat customers, flying their aircraft to Manila for servicing.

With four service locations -- in Manila, Clark, Cebu, and Davao -- LTP currently services more than 20 customers for line maintenance. More comprehensive work -- referred to as base or heavy maintenance -- on Airbus wide-body jets, for which LTP’s expertise is globally acknowledged, is done in Manila.

Among the Lufthansa Group’s majority-owned companies, LTP ranks second worldwide in terms of revenues. It helps, of course, that cost of labor in the Philippines is competitive.

Cheap labor is usually associated with inefficiency and mediocrity. In the US, we have developed a phobia against products from Third World countries where labor is cheap and product quality is poor. Unfortunately, among fellow Filipinos, products from the Philippines are routinely regarded with the same kind of condescension.

This was the reason why I found the story of LTP so fascinating and so self-fulfilling. Now, I have more reason to tell anyone who cares to listen (especially fellow Pinoys) that the best of the Filipino can match the best of them in the world.

And not just in boxing, medicine, too, and other better known fields. We are among the best in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul.

Ask the Germans.