Aristocrat Gaming hosted on March 7 its second annual gaming industry International Women’s Day (IWD) event in the Philippine capital, Manila.
About 170 people attended the event, held at the Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery. They represented gaming operators, and the country’s industry regulator, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), as well as other local entities and stakeholders.
The day featured a keynote address by Wilma Eisma, president and chief operating officer of Pagcor.
In her speech, Ms Eisma said leaders in any organisation need to think creatively to be able to help their colleagues in the workplace.
She said it was important to find ways for women to be “empowered and get the respect they need in a workplace”.
“You need to innovate in terms of working hours, flexible working conditions, innovate how men and women can juggle and spend time with family and perform at work,” stated the Pagcor president.
Any organisation “must have rules, policies that foster inclusivity, break down biases, to ensure working conditions that will foster better relationships,” added Ms Eisma.
She also observed that women must “champion innovation” across industries to pave the way for future generations.
A panel discussion featured Vina Claudette Oca, assistant vice president – gaming licensing and development at Pagcor; Hui Jing Chuah, executive director at Malaysian casino equipment supplier and distributor RGB International Bhd; and Liway V. Alba, director of gaming operations at the Hann Casino Resort in Clark. It was moderated by Kimmi Siu Dewar, marketing director Asia at Aristocrat Gaming.
During the panel session, Ms Oca said people would in likelihood see in a few years a shift in the structure of organisations, including at Pagcor, to ensure more inclusivity and diversity of opportunities.
“We’ll see a different [structure], and part of that also is the reorganisation and defining of roles, especially in our department,” said the panellist.
She added: “We should be supporting and should also be encouraging each other and our team members to attend these [training sessions] and also acknowledge the role and importance of women in the corporation.”
Ms Oca said there was a ratio of 60 percent men to 40 percent women in Pagcor. “But we all see these shifts, including in the middle management leadership positions as well,” she remarked.
“There are more and more women in these positions, and there is always room for more,” she added.
Ms Chuah highlighted during the session the need for organisations to “be more flexible” in terms of the conditions they provide to their employees.
“We are based in Malaysia, but we have offices in the Philippines, Cambodia, etc.,” she remarked. “We’re trying to be more flexible in a way that meets the various needs” of the group’s employees, she added.
Ms Chuah also mentioned that retaining or promoting staff was “a lot more important” to RGB than hiring more employees whenever a new position opens.
In her remarks, Ms Alba said the Hann group worked to create the right conditions to support its staff.
She added: “We have these core values, embracing diversity and inclusion. I think it’s just to give a reminder to everyone that we’re all equal.”
The event’s programme also included a “fireside chat” session between Lloyd Robson, vice president for sales and operations Asia for Aristocrat Gaming, and Benjamin Romualdez, president of the Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.
Mr Robson said Aristocrat is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), with the group’s approach “anchored in the best interests” of the business.
“We believe DE&I helps us attract, retain and unleash the best possible talent across our organisation,” he stated.
According to Aristocrat’s data, the company has a ratio of 32.9 percent females in its workforce, against a 35-percent target for 2025.
