“Whether it’s a skyscraper or residential tower, every customer is a VIP, and every job deserves loving care.”
For Arnel Villanueva, service supervisor at KONE, keeping the city moving is about more than maintaining equipment, it’s about people.
With nine years at KONE and experience from major cities like Dubai, he has worked with all types of elevators in very different environments. But no matter the location, his mindset remains the same: every customer matters, and every job deserves care and attention.
In a fast-developing city like Manila, the scale and pace of change mean that no one can do the job alone. That’s why Arnel and Area Service Manager Therese Loren Dacanay focus on building a strong team around them – training apprentices, sharing experience, and helping others grow into their roles. In the Philippines, this mentality is known as bayanihan, a communal unity for the good of others.
At the KONE Academy in Manila, new technicians learn not only how to use advanced tools, but also how to communicate clearly and care for customers.
With KONE’s digital solutions, like KONE 24/7 Connect, the team can monitor equipment in real time and often detect potential issues before customers need to report them. Combined with Dynamic Maintenance Planning, these tools help prioritize the right actions each day – keeping equipment safe while working efficiently.
Regardless of technology, one thing that Arnel and Therese will never stop teaching is the value of work and the importance of caring for the customer.
For Arnel, leadership also means presence. During the week, he stays in the city, away from his family, to support both his team of technicians and his customers. It’s a commitment that reflects how deeply his work is connected to the people around him.
Watch their story to see how we keep one of the world’s fastest-growing cities moving.