For International Women’s Month, EastWest Bank is celebrating its 5,000-strong female workforce
Retaining employees is not a simple feat nowadays, especially after the post-pandemic “Great Resignation” trend snowballed across the globe. In fact, according to the 2025 Employee Sentiment Study of global professional services firm Aon, almost two-thirds of Philippine respondents were in the process of moving or seeking new employment as of August 2024.
So what makes an employee loyal for 30 years and counting? We get answers from the women of the majority-female workforce of EastWest Bank, who have been with the company since its launch.
Supportive colleagues and mentors
“EastWest has always felt like home,” said Corazon T. Creus, senior assistant vice president and store manager of the Cebu Grand Cenia branch. Corazon has been with EastWest Bank since 1994, the year the company launched.
Throughout her career, she attributes her motivation to her coworkers, saying: “The support here runs deep – people genuinely want to see each other succeed, and that makes all the difference.”
In the same thread, business governance manager Jannette L. De-Guzman-Bobo also speaks highly about the workforce. “I already found my second home and family, surrounded by good bosses, [the] best people, and good culture,” she said.
Along with encouraging teammates, productive and inspiring mentorship was important to both of them. At EastWest Bank, the two say they were able to receive necessary training and corresponding rewards and recognition and were given the trust to push beyond their comfort zones in new roles.
Placing value in family
Of course, work is just one facet in the lives of women, who may also have high-priority roles in their personal lives like being a mother, wife, or daughter. That’s why it was also key for Jannette and Corazon that EastWest Bank places value in spending time with the family just as much as they do.
“EastWest has given me the space to excel at work without losing sight of my personal life. The flexibility and trust I’ve received have allowed me to be fully present – whether for my family or my career. It’s a place that values both ambition and the people who matter most to us,” said Corazon.
Jannette also mentions how one of their mother company’s core values, which they call Filinvest Family, largely shaped even the roles in her personal life. “[It] pertains to being able to bring out the best in myself and my family, just like for my team in EastWest,” she said.
Celebrating women
Women have always played a vital role in EastWest Bank. Their workforce is composed of 5,000 female workers and 3,000 male workers (as of September 2024), and 6 out of their 11 Board of Directors are women. EastWest Bank’s current president is also a woman. So for International Women’s Month, the company made sure to provide financial, physical, mental, and career wellness activities to nurture their people.
Across the month, the employees got to enjoy a seminar on financial literacy for women, a yoga class, awareness sessions on breast cancer, gynecological cancer, and perimenopause, a fireside chat on growing their careers in EastWest, and a talk on “effortless beauty for the busy woman” by Liz Lanuzo.
For a second time, EastWest Bank also sponsored the 2025 FCC Women’s Run. With an onsite booth and select executives joining the run itself, the company is proud of its active participation in the much-awaited annual event.
“Work should empower you, not drain you,” said Corazon when asked what her advice for other career women would be. For her and Jannette, that means growing in a workplace that supports you as much as it challenges you, and provides the trust and flexibility for you to also thrive in other aspects of your life.
It seems that she, Jannette, and many other long-time female employees are testaments that EastWest Bank is a place that honors and invests in women’s success not just in their careers, but as a whole person.
Learn more about EastWest Bank and its people by visiting their website. – Rappler.com
