ALL HANDS ON DECK

From food to logistics, fuel to infrastructure— DENNIS UY’s Udenna Group has a portfolio diversified enough for it to help society across multiple fronts

At the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, the President declared on national television, “To those who have more in life, I implore you to share in the cost of taking care of the less fortunate and keeping our society intact.” Dennis Uy responded. And while his most recent moves include the possibility of turning his fleet of 2GO Group ships into floating quarantine-hospitals, Dennis explores all possible ways into keeping his company—and the country—afloat.

THE SUM GREATER THAN THE WHOLE

Akin to global multinationals, Dennis admits that the COVID pandemic has made a significant impact on his business, and in turn, their clients, partners, and employees. And yet unlike most international brands, Udenna’s portfolio includes not just luxury brands but consumer commodities as well. Fuel (Phoenix Petroleum), food (Wendy’s), and logistics (Chelsea) are among their core businesses. Thus, Dennis focuses on finding ways to keep running under these extraordinary circumstances.

Udenna Group’s initial responses are at home. They include: reducing operations to a skeletal workforce, equipping all active personnel with personal protective equipment (PPEs), notifying them of current developments, and extending added compensation to more at-risk personnel, as well as offering flexible work-fromhome arrangements for other partners. Despite stringent government restrictions, Dennis is determined to ensure that we remain productive despite the difficulties.

Indeed, Wendy’s fifty-one stores and eight Conti’s Bakeshops remain open to serve customers via take-out and third-party food delivery options—providing sustenance across market classes despite the lockdown, as well as helping pay part of the salaries of Udenna’s over 9000 employees. “It’s a delicate balance, but safety remains paramount in our business while keeping in mind our part in filling the gaps by delivering much-needed resources.”

On a more grass-roots level, Dennis has also helped feed the City of Malabon through his various other companies. “The Move Food Initiative and Project Buy-Anihan programs were once in danger of not pushing through,” says Cherrie Atilano, a UN Ambassador for Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN). But luckily, Dexter Silva of WorkLink Inc (a subsidiary of Dennis’ Chelsea Logistics) brought the program to him, who approved activating their assets towards SUN’s aid. Dennis also reached out to Henry Fadullon, COO of Udenna’s Phoenix Petroleum— who then ensured that WorkLink’s trucks were fueled and kept moving, saying that “Udenna called, and it would be a great disservice to the Filipino,” if Phoenix did not rise to the occasion.

Dubbed the “Sagip Saka” program, the Batangas-to-Malabon run has thus far delivered 6,000 kilos of fresh food packs from farmers straight to consumers—and proved that the sum of the whole is greater than its parts.

On this impressive display of influence, Dennis remains grounded.

“I think this is the perfect time to exercise the power that we have by sharing or re-allocating resources to benefit the marginalized,” he says. “While others are cushioned by privilege, there are those who are on survival mode trying to make ends meet. Aside from making use of the full potential of our own resources, I think it’s also important to reach out to each other and band together to create a unified force that will cause a greater impact on society. It’s time we set competition or our differences aside and unite for the common good.”

DOING HIS PART

Udenna Group has recently held its very first online town hall meeting. And while most conglomerates’ townhalls involve yearly earnings or quarterly profits, Udenna’s was different. It was devoted to ensuring that the organization is aligned and encouraged. It also reaffirmed their commitment to the employees and in turn—the nation. “Once we get through this, nothing will be the same, but I’m hopeful that it’s for the better. Ideally, organizations, leaders, and people of influence will see the value in the power that they have to positively affect change in our society.”

And while Udenna Group is among the most highly leveraged corporations in the country, Dennis sees his debt to society as a more pressing and important tab to pay. He feels that Udenna owes it to the nation to uplift the communities that we serve and do better in taking care of each other. He also hopes that the payoff for being in quarantine will change people’s perspective, “This tragedy will lead to healing and wisdom that will foster lifelong improvements in the way we live and the way we see life.”

One can only hope it is a sentiment that goes viral.

“Once we get through this, nothing will be the same, but I’m hopeful that it’s for the better. Ideally, organizations, leaders, and people of influence will see the value in the power that they hav eto positively affect change in our society.”