Palawan Group builds leadership excellence for better service

Insider Spotlight

• 200+ Palawan executives gathered to chart the next era of leadership
• New leadership program focuses on mindset, heartset, and skillset
• Renowned speakers urge adaptability, innovation, and purpose
  
  

The Palawan Group of Companies is putting people skills front and center as it looks ahead to its next 40 years. 

On Sept. 26, 2025, more than 200 executives from across the country gathered at The Blue Leaf Cosmopolitan for the company’s Leadership Conference — a day of reflection, learning, and renewed commitment to serving millions of loyal customers nationwide.

“Growth doesn’t pause. Excellence doesn’t settle. Now, as we celebrate four decades of serbisyong Palawan, we’re not just looking back with pride—we are preparing for something higher. Something greater. Something more meaningful than everything we have achieved thus far,” Bobbit M. Castro, chief operations officer, said in his opening remarks during the launch of the Palawan Group Leadership Development program.  

Leadership as a responsibility

President and CEO Karlo M. Castro underscored the weight of leadership in shaping customer experience: “Not all heroes wear capes. Often, they wear the badge of leadership and carry the responsibility of guiding others toward excellence."

Chief human resources officer Korina Castro-Fernando launched the Palawan Group Leadership Development Program, anchored on a newly introduced Leadership and Core Competency Profile. This dual framework aims to equip leaders with the right mindset, heartset, and skillset to navigate a fast-changing business landscape.

Bobbit M. Castro, chief operations officer

“Growth doesn’t pause. Excellence doesn’t settle. Now, as we celebrate four decades of serbisyong Palawan, we’re not just looking back with pride—we are preparing for something higher."

Adapting to change

Renowned speaker Francis Kong inspired attendees to lead with agility and innovation. “In times of rapid change, leaders must embrace agility and innovation—not as buzzwords, but as daily disciplines. The ability to adapt quickly while finding better ways to serve is what will separate good leaders from great ones,” he said.

Industry leaders from Pickup Coffee, Mr. DIY, Angkas, and Creador shared best practices through a fireside chat, emphasizing adaptability and customer-centricity as drivers of sustainable growth.

With the rallying cry “Onward, Upward, Together,” Palawan is investing in leadership to ensure that its people—and their people skills—remain the heartbeat of its growth story, the Palawan Group said in a statement.  —Ed: Vanessa Hidalgo