In keeping with its commitment to make this year’s iteration of its flagship event, the 2023 CSR Conference and Expo carbon-neutral, the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) organized a tree planting session at the U.P. Sierra Madre Land Grant in Siniloan, Laguna last Saturday, November 25, 2023.
This tree planting session is LCF’s inaugural effort to make the CSR Conference and Expo carbon-neutral, in keeping with the organization’s overall drive for sustainability and to combat climate change. Similar activities will be held in parallel with future CSR Expos, beginning with the 2024 Expo which will be organized from July 3-5, 2024.
The event was organized in partnership with LCF member Energy Development Corporation and the LCF Environment Committee.
The 2023 LCF Annual Members’ Meeting (AMM) and Year-End Celebration was held on November 24, 2023 at the Ayala Banquet Hall of the Makati Sports Club in Makati City. In attendance were 106 attendees representing 58 of LCF’s member-organizations, as well as esteemed members of the LCF Board of Trustees and STEERCOM, and special guests.
Once preliminaries were done and quorum established, the event kicked off with a business meeting, during which the LCF Board Chair, Sebastian C. Quiniones, Jr., Executive Director of Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc., took the lead in delivering the Chairperson’s Report, selected segments of which other members of the Board of Trustees also took turns to present. The Chairperson’s Report details the activities and achievements of the League in the previous year.
Attendees thanked the outgoing Board of Trustees (BOT) member Marie Angeles, Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House Charities Philippines, Inc. for her outstanding service to LCF as Secretary and then Treasurer, and Board Oversight of the LCF Disaster Resilience and Membership Committees.
Attendees also congratulated Shem Garcia, Executive Director of Vivant Foundation, Inc., Vice-Chairperson and Board Oversight of the LCF CSRI, Environment, and Vis-Min Committees; and Austere Panadero, President of Zuellig Family Foundation, Inc., Trustee and Board Oversight of the LCF Resource Mobilization and Health Committees, upon their re-election to the Board. They also welcomed new LCF Trustee, Ryan Vidanes, Executive Director of Conrado & Ladislawa Alcantara Foundation, Inc.
Messrs. Garcia, Panadero, and Vidanes join LCF’s incumbent Trustees–Roberta Lopez-Feliciano, Managing Director of ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc., Board Secretary, and Board Oversight of the Financial Inclusion Committee; Geoffrey Garcia, Executive Director of Pfizer Foundation Philippines, Board Public Affairs Director, and Board Oversight of the Arts & Culture Committee; Edric Calma, Vice President of Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc., Board Trustee, and Board Oversight of the Education Committee; and Sebastian C. Quiniones, Jr., Executive Director of Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Board Chair, and Board Oversight of the Enterprise Development Committee.
As for the Committees, their leadership was also recognized for their outstanding service, and were presented with Certificates of Appreciation.
The members of the LCF COMELEC were also honored for having ensured a seamless and efficient BOT election. They were COMELEC Chair, Dennis Tuazon of PHAPCares Foundation, Inc.; Neil Norman Q. Littaua of Citizen of the World (COTW) Philippines Foundation, Inc.; and Rhia G. Dee of P&A Foundation, Inc., who was represented at the AMM by Kristine Ngo also of P&A Foundation.
Honored as well were this year’s batch of 14 Loyalty Awardees. They are:
25 Years – ANG-HORTALEZA FOUNDATION, INC.
20 Years – ONE MERALCO FOUNDATION, INC. | TAN YAN KEE FOUNDATION | DEL MONTE FOUNDATION, INC. | SGV FOUNDATION, INC. | SPI GLOBAL FOUNDATION, INC.
10 Years – GT FOUNDATION INC. | EAST WEST SEED FOUNDATION INC. | UNITED BAYANIHAN FOUNDATION INC. | PHILSEVEN FOUNDATION INC.
5 Years – P&A FOUNDATION INC. | PFIZER PHILIPPINES FOUNDATION, INC.| JOY-NOSTALG FOUNDATION, INC. | MEGA TIU LIM FOUNDATION, INC.
The leadership of the Enterprise Development Committee was also on hand to tell the assembly about their initiative, #LOKALAN, the LCF community marketplace that aims to bridge the buying public and selected micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
After lunch, attendees enjoyed a year-end celebration during which they vied for prizes by playing fun games such as “The boat is sinking”, “Sing that song”, and “Cash or carry”; performed numbers to the delight of their fellow attendees; and enjoyed one another’s company.
In keeping with its advocacy to create more livelihood opportunities, the LCF Enterprise Development Committee launched the microsite Lokalan. Lokalan serves as a digital channel to open up more revenue avenues for the cooperatives and social enterprises trained by its members.
Lokalan is the first step in the Committee’s plans to digitally connect MSMEs with a wider public. Future plans include partnering with an online shopping platform to help them grow their customer base even more.
Explore Lokalan today! Every purchase benefits these small and medium businesses and contributes significantly to their growth. #Lokalan #LokalNaman #LCFlokalan
For its efforts to collaborate with the government and contribute to nation-building through the implementation of financial inclusion initiatives, BDO Foundation received recognition from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) at the 2023 Outstanding BSP Stakeholders Appreciation Ceremonies.
BDO Foundation president Mario Deriquito (center) accepted a certificate of appreciation from BSP governor Dr. Eli Remolona Jr. and BSP deputy governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat at the event held at the BSP Complex in Manila. The corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank was lauded for its 10 partnership projects with BSP aimed at uplifting the economic well-being and improving the financial literacy of Filipinos.
In partnership with BSP and several government agencies, the foundation currently implements financial education programs for public school students, teachers and non-teaching personnel, overseas Filipino workers, civil servants, police and military personnel, firefighters, fishers, farmers, micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, and technical-vocational students. The ongoing programs support BSP’s National Strategy for Financial Inclusion.
About BDO Foundation BDO Foundation is the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank. Founded in 2008, the foundation aims to contribute to nation-building by addressing the needs of underserved sectors of society through its disaster response and financial inclusion advocacies. Supported by the BDO Unibank community and in partnership with local government units and non-governmental organizations, BDO Foundation mounts relief operations, rehabilitates rural health units, constructs school buildings, implements financial education programs and undertakes COVID-19 response programs across the country. Its corporate citizenship initiatives have been recognized at the Retail Banking Awards of Asian Banking & Finance magazine and Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards of Enterprise Asia. For more information, visit http://www.bdo.com.ph/foundation/home, e-mail bdo.foundation@bdo.com.ph or call 8840-7000 local 36046.
BDO Foundation, Inc. 10th Floor BDO Corporate Center Ortigas 12 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center Mandaluyong City 1550
Security Bank employees head to the planting site at La Mesa Watershed to plant 2,000 seedlings as part of a five-year reforestation commitment with ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bantay Kalikasan Program.
LCF member Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI), along with 200 dedicated volunteers from Security Bank, marked the second year of its 10,000-tree, five-year reforestation commitment in La Mesa Watershed. Volunteers trekked three hours to plant 2,000 Sandalwood and White Lauan seedlings, in partnership with ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bantay Kalikasan Program in its mission to protect the largest rainforest and water source of Metro Manila.
Notably, 94% of the 2,000 Malapapaya and Lago seedlings planted by SBFI last year survived, surpassing the National Greening Program base rate of 85% as validated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). A quarter of the participants that attended the second year of the tree planting activity were also former participants, displaying a commitment to sustainability as they reused the planting gear kept from last year.
Security Bank’s five-year pledge to reforest La Mesa Watershed encompasses 45% of ABS-CBN’s targeted reforestation efforts. Through this initiative, Security Bank helps to curb carbon emissions, prevent floods during rainy seasons, maintain vital water levels during summers, and offer sanctuary to the native wildlife.
“Security Bank’s steadfast commitment to this reforestation project plays a pivotal role in advancing the ABS-CBN Foundation’s critical mission of maintaining Metro Manila’s water reservoir within safe levels, which is crucial for supporting the day-to-day water consumption of the region,” said Sarah Agcaoili, Operations Manager of ABS-CBN Foundation.
“We want this activity to serve as a platform for channeling the passion and energy for community development of our employees. We want them to feel and take pride in knowing that they’ve helped reforest the La Mesa Watershed, something that they’ll be proud to tell their children or the next generation,” said Melissa Aquino, SBFI Trustee and Corporate Secretary.
SBFI’s projects are made with the bright future of the next generation in mind. Beyond its five-year tree planting pledge, it also champions education; to date, SBFI has donated 715 classrooms to public schools, granted more than 2,000 scholarships, and trained more than 36,000 teachers and principals.
As part of a shared advocacy to support aspiring and existing micro-entrepreneurs, and enable them to pursue business ventures that are responsive to current challenges, BDO Foundation recently forged a partnership with LINK Center for the Deaf for a training initiative aimed at enhancing the capabilities of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
The memorandum of agreement was signed by (from left) BDO Foundation program director Rosemarie Espinosa, BDO Foundation trustee Ma. Corazon Mallillin, BDO Foundation president Mario Deriquito, LINK president Carolyn Ui, LINK managing director Marical Ui and LINK trustee Bernadette Gallego.
A non-governmental organization, LINK supports the holistic development of people who are deaf through programs in the areas of sign language training, teacher enhancement, educational support and enterprise development, among others. The agreement formalized the partners’ collaboration for the development of a training program for MSMEs, which will be made accessible to micro-entrepreneurs including persons with disabilities.
Funded by BDO Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank, the training program will be composed of eight modules, covering such topics as business planning, marketing strategies, financial management, customer relations and other aspects of operating successful small businesses. The foundation will provide these materials and a series of training of trainers sessions to interested implementing partners such as local governments, NGOs, church groups and other institutions serving the MSME sector.
About BDO Foundation BDO Foundation is the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank. Founded in 2008, the foundation aims to contribute to nation-building by addressing the needs of underserved sectors of society through its disaster response and financial inclusion advocacies. Supported by the BDO Unibank community and in partnership with local government units and non-governmental organizations, BDO Foundation mounts relief operations, rehabilitates rural health units, constructs school buildings, implements financial education programs and undertakes COVID-19 response programs across the country. Its corporate citizenship initiatives have been recognized at the Retail Banking Awards of Asian Banking & Finance magazine and Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards of Enterprise Asia. For more information, visit http://www.bdo.com.ph/foundation/home, e-mail bdo.foundation@bdo.com.ph or call 8840-7000 local 36046.
Touted as one of the most outstanding in Asia, a corporate citizenship initiative of BDO Foundation aimed at securing the financial well-being of Filipino fishers clinched four prestigious accolades.
The award-winning initiative aims to help improve the financial literacy, productivity and income-generating capability of 1.9 million fishers all over the country.
Supportive of Sustainable Development Goals in the area of financial inclusion, the ongoing partnership project contributes to the achievement of the BSP’s National Strategy for Financial Inclusion and the Department of Agriculture’s goal to attain a food-secure and resilient Philippines with empowered and prosperous farmers and fisherfolk.
“The recognition we received is a testament to the concerted efforts of the BSP, BFAR and BDO Foundation to help fishers and their families improve their financial literacy, break the cycle of poverty and learn ways to sustain their source of livelihood,” BDO Foundation president Mario Deriquito said. “Moving forward, we will continue to support the nationwide deployment of the financial education program, mindful of our commitment to sustainable development and nation-building.”
The aforementioned awards also cited the foundation for its contributions to the creation of Fish N’ LEarn, a gamified teaching tool designed to make financial literacy lessons engaging for the target audience. Co-developed by the partners, the training intervention shares lessons on the conservation of marine resources, saving, budgeting and financial planning, entrepreneurship, insurance, and debt management.
On October 6, 2023, LCF’s Pamela Castro, Senior Program Manager of Pilipinas Shell Foundation; Marievic Mariano, Head, Grants and Partnerships of Metrobank Foundation; Anna Mayor, Program Manager of Pfizer Philippines Foundation; and LCF Executive Director Celine Santillan were resource speakers at a training organized by Venture for Fund Raising, entitled “The Art of Collaboration: NGO-Corporate Partnerships That Work”.
The four resource speakers provided the participants with insights into the nature of corporate foundations and how not for profits could develop a mutually beneficial relationship with corporate foundations to help fulfill both their missions.
Visit the Venture for Fund Raising homepage to learn more about the organization.
PHINMA Foundation, Inc. (PFI) on Friday, June 23, celebrated 34 years of making lives better with the announcement of a new partner school in its scholarship program and the formal launch of the PHINMA Group’s disaster fund.
PFI signed a memorandum of agreement with the Technological University of the Philippines – Manila, as represented by its president, Engr. Reynaldo P. Ramos, PhD., EnP, and Dr. Margaret S. Aquino, the dean of the Office of Student Affairs, to herald the new partnership between the two institutions. This year, PHINMA Foundation will welcome students of TUP-Manila as it reaffirms its commitment to provide better opportunities to more Filipinos. This will increase this year’s intake of students to 70.
“Through this assistance, our college students in need of regular allowances will be able to pursue their dreams of becoming engineers. I am sure that with the generosity of PHINMA will return to them a hundredfold as the beneficiaries become instruments of social transformation, progress, and development,” said TUP-Manila President Ramos.
The PHINMA National Scholarship Program has produced over 250 licensed teachers, engineers, and accountants together with the 4 schools it has partnered with since 2006: University of the Philippines, Philippine Normal University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and PHINMA University of Pangasinan. The schools signed during the ceremony a memorandum of agreement to continue their partnership with PHINMA Foundation.
TUP-Manila will also benefit from the expansion of PHINMA Foundation’s Science and Engineering Education Fund (SEEF), along with Caloocan National Science and Technology High School. SEEF provides support to high school students from esteemed institutions and engineering students from universities recognized as Centers of Excellence.
SEEF’s reach extends to 9 universities, including Cebu Institute of Technology, Central Philippine University, Mapua Institute of Technology, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, St. Louis University, University of San Carlos, University of the Philippines-Los Banos, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, and PHINMA University of Pangasinan. The program also supports 11 high schools, including the Philippine Science High Schools (PSHS), GUSA Regional Science HS, Manila Science HS, Muntinlupa Science HS, Caloocan National Science High School, PSHS Cagayan Valley Campus, PSHS Central Mindanao Campus, PSHS Central Visayas Campus, PSHS Eastern Visayas Campus, PSHS Southern Mindanao Campus, PSHS Western Visayas Campus, and PSHS Ilocos Region Campus.
Through strategic partnerships with these institutions, SEEF aims to enhance the learning experiences, provide financial assistance, and foster a culture of scientific inquiry and innovation among the students.
PHINMA Foundation also operationalized the newly instituted 1PHINMA Disaster Fund, starting with a signing of a memorandum of agreement with representatives of the PHINMA Construction Materials Group, PHINMA Education, PHINMA Properties, and PHINMA Hospitality for the prepositioning of relief goods, which will empower them to take the lead in calamity preparedness and response within their respective communities. Among those that will be prepositioned are food, hygiene items, medicine, modular tents, and blankets for over 240 families.
The 1PHINMA Disaster Fund was established earlier this year as the PHINMA Group responded to the need for a long-term disaster response by putting together the efforts of all the business units and mobilizing them to help when calamities occur.
“The presence of PHINMA in many communities across the country not only allows us to serve them with our products and services; we also get to know these communities thoroughly and we are able to identify their needs. With the 1PHINMA Disaster Fund, we can now be better equipped to help swiftly and adequately when calamities strike,” said PHINMA Foundation Vice President Peter V. Perfecto.
Employees from Security Bank Area 27 Mindanao participated in Security Bank Foundation, Inc.’s (SBFI) school painting volunteerism activity in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte on August 26, 2023.
Ahead of the start of classes on August 29, 50 Security Bank employees from Area 27 Mindanao lent their helping hands to paint the classrooms donated by Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) to Tambo Central School in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte. The two-story, six-classroom building will be officially turned over this November as part of SBFI’s “Build a School, Build a Nation” classrooms donation initiative.
“Camaraderie, teamwork, and the spirit of volunteerism—these are the traits that I hope motivate our Security Bankers to excel further, especially knowing how generous the Bank is when it comes to supporting education,” said Francisco L. Santos, Security Bank Area 27 Branch Banking Group Head.
A total of 400 volunteer hours were contributed by the group which helped accelerate the construction of the building. Upon the building’s official turnover in October, SBFI will reach its 721st classroom donation.
“This school painting activity shows the collaboration of Security Bank and its stakeholders. We wholeheartedly thank the Bank for its tireless support to the educational community not just for our school, but also for the whole country,” said John Ryan dela Cruz, Principal of Tambo Central School.
The school painting activity in Iligan, Lanao del Norte followed one that was held at Lapu-Lapu, Cebu on August 19. Another school painting activity was also held last September 9 at Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.
“The school painting activity is an opportunity for Security Bank’s employees to give back to the communities they serve and to be personally involved in our social responsibility programs,” said Rafael Simpao Jr., Chairman of SBFI.
League of Corporate Foundations 