Before he joined WeGen Energy in May 2018, Gregmon Lopez already had a working knowledge of solar technology. For three years, he had worked in a construction firm, and as an electrical engineer, his work dealt with electrical services, specifically those which had to do with solar. This is why when he joined WeGen as a Technical Services Associate Manager, he was already adept when it came to the work he was to undertake.
“My first projects were in the Eastern Visayas region, back when we all worked in teams led by project managers. The project managers I worked with were Rachel Santiago and Gandy Nunez. Even then I enjoyed the work because it was both challenging and urgent – we worked within deadlines, and we worked as internal labor. This meant that when we worked in the field, we were very hands-on and learned from every step of the process so we could make adjustments and improvements along the way if there was a need for them,” he said.
Teamwork and Close Coordination are Important
Gregmon explained that the project management system wherein a team was led by a manager who worked with a team comprised of a technical engineer, an electrician, and a group of installers, was cost-effective because the team could control the project expenses.
“Now we have Operation Centers in the major regions, and this is also an effective system because there will be fewer reasons to deploy people from the main office in Ortigas to handle projects in the regions. We now have staff in the regions who can work on the projects within their areas of jurisdiction. This is proof of WeGen’s expansion and proof of increased efficiency,” he said.
Gregmon expressed a measure of frustration over how his work has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that in 2018 and 2019, he was often away working on projects in the Visayas.
“Now, understandably, WeGen isn’t sending people from the main office to the provinces because of health and safety protocols, and because of the government’s travel restrictions. This is why it’s great that we already have engineers in the regions who can directly manage the project milestones on the ground, even as we manage them remotely,” he said.
WeGen’s biggest projects to date is the SANACOR project in Saranggani “We only have to implement three more activities and the system can be switched on. Alnur (Mapandi) is overseeing the project in person, and we check with him through online consultations and meetings almost every day to monitor developments. Alnur is already experienced when it comes to handling projects and keeping track of all the steps needed to ensure the completion of installations on time. Regarding the Sanacor project, we’re glad to report that everything is proceeding as scheduled,” he said.
People at the WeGen head office in Ortigas will easily agree that Gregmon is one of the busiest and hardworking employees – before the pandemic struck, he was rarely at the office because he is more often than not away working on the field.
“I’ve gotten used to it. There was one time when I spent an entire month away in Bicol – spending one week after another on four separate projects. It was all very exciting because the work is always interesting, and I liked working with the people in the teams handling on the projects. Monitoring and overseeing installation work keep you on your toes because you’re working on a schedule, and it’s important to keep to a schedule because it saves time and money. It’s also important for the client to see that you’re giving the project full attention,” he said.
Many of the projects that Gregmon has worked on with various team members are under WeGen Laudato Si, among the installations in the St. John Evangelist School of Theology and Our Lady of Refuge Parish, both in Palo, Leyte; as well as the San Ezekiel Moreno Parish, San Pedro Parish Church, the Seminario de San Jose College, and the Seminario de San Jose High School, all in Puerto Prinsesa. He has, however, worked on a few commercial projects such as the project with the Sam’s Trading company in Tacloban, and the one with Leyte Home Depot, also in Tacloban.
Regarding the Sam’s Trading installation, the system now makes it possible for the company to mitigate 77 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the next 25 years through the generation of solar power. This is equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 37 hectares of forests in the same period.
Personally Believing in Renewable Energy
Like other employees of WeGen, Gregmon is aware of WeGen’s clear advocacy for renewable energy and Pope Francis’ appeal for ecological conversion which he made through his encyclical “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home.”
“The fact that we’re also trying to promote ecological conversion is important to us engineers. I am personally am a believer in the importance of using renewable energy sources as a way to help lessen pollution in our country. I also firmly believe in the benefits of using solar energy as the best and immediate alternative to traditional, dirty energy sources like coal and diesel. The more solar projects we can build, the better it will be not just for the company, but for our clients, and the rest of the country. Definitely solar is cleaner and safer, “he explained.
Apart from the restrictions and safety precautions that now have to be observed that prevent him from travelling to oversee WeGen projects personally, Gregmon these days is also wistful over how he is unable to go to the gym.
Pre-COVID-19, he had made it a habit to go to the gym three, four times a week for two-hour workouts on the treadmill. This and a healthier diet, has enabled Gregmon to lose what he said was a lot of unwanted weight.
“I’ve fallen out of the habit of exercising in the last six months, and I’m frustrated with myself,” he said. “I’m glad that I’ve been able to stick to my diet, though – I haven’t eaten a single grain of rice! I also avoid sweets. I know it’s important to strengthen our immune system, especially these days with COVID-19.”
Gregmon remains cheerful and hopeful that everything will fall back into place soon enough. “We just have to be patient and do the work we’re given as best as we can. We should keep healthy and maintain a positive outlook. We will all get through this, and like our WeGen projects, we will prove our resilience.” #
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