League of Corporate Foundations

More than 130 students stand to benefit every year from a new three-classroom school building constructed by BDO Foundation and the Philippine Geothermal Production Company, Inc. (PGPC) in Baybay Elementary School in Catarman, Northern Samar.

The result of an agreement signed by the foundation and PGPC, the partnership project aims to address the shortage of classrooms in the school and provide teachers and students an environment conducive for learning.

The structure was turned over to administrators in ceremonies led by BDO Foundation president Mario Deriquito, BDO Foundation program director Rosemarie Espinosa, PGPC chief finance officer Ian Jason Aguirre, PGPC director for legal and corporate affairs Ma. Fe Guirnalda-Lucero, and PGPC government affairs lead Victor Dugan. BDO Unibank and BDO Network Bank officers in the province also witnessed the official opening of the building together with school officials.

“The shortage of classrooms affects the academic performance of students,” Baybay Elementary School principal Noel Dolorzo shared. “The new building will help in the development of our learners. It will also serve as an evacuation site for the community during calamities. Thank you, BDO Foundation and PGPC, for your assistance.”

The structure is the latest project of the foundation and PGPC, a pioneering geothermal energy company that provides clean, reliable and renewable energy to meet the Philippines’ power requirements. BDO Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank, previously collaborated with the geothermal firm for the construction of other school buildings as part of post-Typhoon Yolanda rebuilding efforts.

The corporate citizenship initiative in Catarman supports the partners’ shared advocacy to aid underserved communities affected by disasters. The municipality has been severely affected by Super Typhoon Odette and other disasters in recent years.

Supportive of the Department of Education’s Adopt-A-School program, the construction of the school building included the provision of blackboards, tables, chairs and electric fans.

Security Bank Foundation turns over second building in Silay Negros Occidental to Gov. Emilio Gaston Memorial Elementary School. From left to right: Tess Golez, Jaime Golez, Mark Golez (former Mayor, Silay City), Dr. Carmela Oracion (Director, Ateneo Center for Educational Development), Melissa R. Aquino (Trustee & Corporate Secretary, SBFI), Melissa Simpao, Rafael F. Simpao, Jr. (Chairman, SBFI), Hon. Joedith Gallego (Mayor, Silay City), Dr. Luz Banson (Assistant Schools Division Superintendent, DepEd Silay), Michelle Lorei Gayoma (Business Manager, Security Bank Bacolod North Drive Branch), Dennis Guadarrama (Relationship Manager, Security Bank Visayas Banking Center), and (2nd Level, 1st) Inocencia Deles (Principal, Gov. Emilio Gaston Memorial Elementary School).

Security Bank Foundation Inc. (SBFI), the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of Security Bank Corporation focused on education, has successfully turned over three new classroom buildings, equivalent to 14 classrooms, in the cities of Kabankalan, Silay, and Victorias in Negros Occidental.

The donated classrooms consisted of two-story buildings with a four or six classroom configuration and can house up to 50 students per classroom. These buildings were built during the pandemic and turned over to Gov. Emilio Gaston Memorial Elementary School in Silay, Negros Occidental (4 classrooms); Kabankalan National High School in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental (4 classrooms); and the Victorias National High School in Victorias, Negros Occidental (6 classrooms) before the return of face-to-face classes.

“Through our Build a School, Build a Nation: The Classrooms Project program, we continue to uplift the quality of education received by Filipinos by reducing the classroom to student ratio significantly, giving Filipinos a chance of lifting their lives out of poverty and ensuring a better tomorrow,” says Rafael F. Simpao, SBFI Chairman.

Since 2023, 113 schools in 65 cities and municipalities nationwide have been prepared for the face-to-face classes. Apart from the donation, SBFI has also committed to regularly conduct maintenance checks and repairs on all its donated school buildings to ensure that it can be used by future generations.

iVolunteer, the volunteering platform co-founded by Ramon V. del Rosario Siklab Awardee JB Tan, will be hosting its third volunteer expo together with the corporate social responsibility arm of the country’s biggest mall operator.

Go! Volunteer 2023, organized by iVolunteer together with SM Cares and SM Supermalls, is a 4-day volunteer engagement event that gathers nonprofit organizations with diverse advocacies and volunteers to match their needs and interests. It is scheduled on May 6-7 at the A Event Center in SM Megamall and on May 27-28 at the SM Davao Annex.

“For us, Go! Volunteer 2023 is significant in a way that it ushers in the start of bringing back physical volunteering,” said Tan, who currently serves as iVolunteer Executive Director. “We all started volunteering because of a personal reason, either to try an experience or find connections. Volunteering is the perfect way to discover something new for your life,” he said.

Apart from learning about different advocacies and volunteer groups, attendees to the event can also listen to discussions by invited speakers within the volunteer space, as well as enjoy exciting games and activities. Admission is free.

PHINMA lauds JB Tan and iVolunteer and their work in highlighting the value of sharing time, talent, and treasure with communities. Recognizing this, PHINMA, through the PHINMA Foundation, sponsored iVolunteer’s Volunteer Engagement Workshop held at the Asian Institute of Management last November 26, 2022. This workshop aimed to equip participating NGO partners with the skills and knowledge necessary to engage both new and long-time volunteers. It featured speakers from various fields, including community development, volunteerism, and leadership, who shared their expertise and experiences to inspire and motivate the participants.

PHINMA also holds volunteerism as one of its pillars and constantly encourages active participation by PHINMA employees and their families and friends in various activities. As a mission-driven corporation, PHINMA believes volunteerism can be a catalyst for positive community transformation and a vehicle for nation building.

The PHINMA Group mobilized close to 1,000 volunteers to help clean, repaint, repair, and prepare 40 public schools during last year’s Brigada Eskwela. Their collective effort spruced up 80 classrooms, which benefited 10,907 students and more than 250 teachers across the country. To celebrate the company’s 66th anniversary last November, the volunteers came together again, with some 1,300 joining activities, such as tree-planting, coastal and river cleanups, and blood donation drives.

“PHINMA looks forward to iVolunteer’s expo and the exciting opportunity to gather more people to join us in our advocacy of creating better initiatives. We are especially proud of JB Tan, our RVR Siklab awardee, and how his work reflects the very essence of the recognition we gave him in 2019,” said Peter V. Perfecto, PHINMA Vice President for Public Affairs.

On March 24, 2023, PHINMA‘s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Council visited the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The objective of the visit was to gain a better understanding of PDRF’s disaster preparedness and response capabilities and to enhance collaboration between PHINMA’s CSR Council and PDRF.

During their visit, PHINMA’s CSR Council was oriented on PDRF’s HANDA platform, which is a Hazard and Disaster Analysis for Business Resilience tool. The tool helps businesses identify and assess their vulnerabilities to different hazards and disasters, and prepare accordingly.

Moreover, the Council was also introduced to the key features of PDRF’s EOC facilities, which are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and equipment to ensure that the center can operate effectively during a crisis. The CSR Council also learned about PDRF’s Cluster System, which is designed to facilitate proper coordination and collaboration among various stakeholders before, during, and after a disaster period.

The group was welcomed by Guillermo Luz, PDRF’s Chief Resilience Officer, Veronica Gabaldon, Executive Director, and Anna Katrina Aspuria, Unit Head, Development Programs & Innovation Unit. They provided insights on PDRF’s history, vision, and mission, as well as its initiatives to build resilience and promote disaster risk reduction in the Philippines.

The visit of PHINMA’s CSR Council to PDRF’s EOC was a significant step towards promoting disaster preparedness and strengthening collaboration among different organizations to improve the country’s resilience to disasters. It is hoped that this kind of partnership will continue and that more organizations will join efforts to mitigate the impact of disasters in the country.

The Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI) took home four trophies at the recently concluded 58th Anvil Awards for its programs and tools that define outstanding public relations. The awards received at the Gabi ng Parangal last March 8, 2023 consisted of one (1) gold and three (3) silver Anvils.

Presented annually by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP), the Anvil Awards is the symbol of excellence in public relations. With the theme “Isang Habi” or “One Weave,” PRSP awarded organizations that were able to weave work, imagination, and purpose into one. 

Specifically, MBFI received a Gold Anvil for its 2021 annual report “Rekindling Hope” and another 3 Silver Anvils for the following: 2022 Metrobank Outstanding Filipinos; 2022 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos Awarding Ceremony; and 2022 Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) Awarding Ceremony. 

Gold Anvil for 2021 Annual Report “Rekindling Hope” 

Winning a Gold Anvil under the PR Tools category, the 2021 Annual Report of MBFI “Rekindling Hope” honored the Filipinos’ unfailing instinct to persevere amid hardship, and served as an ode to the awe-inspiring power of community. Data showed that the publication reached 100% of its target audiences, increased readers’ trust and confidence in the organization, and inspired people with its message of hope. Annually, MBFI consolidates its operational achievements and financial standing in a comprehensive report. Through this annual publication, MBFI complies with regulatory requirements and showcases its closely held values: integrity, accountability, transparency, professionalism, and fairness.  

Twin Silver Anvils for 2022 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos

MBFI’s flagship program in recognizing Outstanding Filipinos was awarded with 2 Silver Anvils for its 2022 edition of the search, under the PR Program on a Sustained Basis and PR Tool Special Events categories, respectively. 

Considered as one of the most prestigious career-service awards in the Philippines, the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos recognizes exemplary servants in the academe, military, and police sectors. Since 1985, the recognition program has awarded 695 Outstanding Filipinos—376 teachers, 166 soldiers and 153 police officers—for going above and beyond the call of duty as public servants. 

In 2022, amid a gradual return to normalcy, MBFI successfully shifted to a hybrid implementation cycle maximizing available online platforms for the search and information campaigns to reach beyond its usual audiences, while also ensuring the return of face-to-face judging and recognition ceremonies befitting the awardees’ achievements. Its success reinforced the Award’s prestige and provided a platform to highlight the work and contribution of each awardee, expand the reach of their advocacies, and leverage networks to gather greater traction and support in the public and private spheres.

The 10 awardees were conferred through a ceremony that blended traditional and modern technology. For the first time, the conferment ceremony was held in a hybrid format, comprising a face-to-face program and a livestream. Thousands of people watched the ceremony, and many of them expressed appreciation for what they found to be a fitting and inspiring tribute to exemplary public servants.

Silver Anvil for MADE 2022 Awarding Ceremony 

On the other hand, MBFI’s pioneering recognition program for visual artists also bagged the Silver Anvil under the PR Tool Special Events category. 

The 2022 edition of the MADE competition relied heavily on the role of digital media.  The highlight of the awarding ceremony was a 59-minute video streamed online that not just springboarded artists to prominence, but also concretized art that transcends space. The Awarding Ceremony was designed to make it more relevant to various audiences–young artists, creative professionals, and art enthusiasts. 

MBFI has been winning the Anvil awards since 1985. To date, it has won 99 Anvil awards for its various public relations programs and tools, gaining the record as the first corporate foundation to win a back-to-back Grand Anvil (Metrobank Foundation Search for Outstanding Teachers in 2010 and National Teachers’ Month Campaign in 2011) and 2 Platinum Anvils (“Launching Dreams:” The Metrobank Foundation, Inc. 35th anniversary Celebration in 2015 and “Empowering Filipinos, Building the Nation” 2014 Metrobank Foundation Annual Report in 2016) in the history of the award-giving body.

MBFI has also earned three Hall of Fame Awards for its programs, the Metrobank Art & Design Excellence or MADE (2016), the Metrobank-MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge (2018), and the National Teachers’ Month (2020). It was also hailed as Company of the Year during the 51st Anvil Awards in 2016.

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The Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI) was established on January 8, 1979 by Dr. George S. K. Ty, sixteen (16) years after he founded the Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metrobank). MBFI envisions to be the country’s premier corporate philanthropic foundation contributing a significant impact on social development. Its flagship programs include the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos; Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE); Metrobank Scholarship Program (MSP); Metrobank MTAP-DepEd Math Challenge (MMC); Grants and Social Development Partnerships, Disaster Response, National Teachers’ Month (NTM) celebration, and the Metrobank Foundation Professorial Chair Lectures. MBFI is also the principal owner of the Manila Doctors Hospital (MDH), one of the leading centers of wellness in the country.

As a development organization, MBFI aims to uplift individuals and the sectors they represent and strategically link with institutions for a shared purpose. By creating and propagating a culture of excellence and providing solutions to stakeholder’s needs, the Foundation continuously expands its scope of reach and be at the forefront in serving communities. As the heart of the Metrobank Group, “Excel. Engage. Empower” or the 3Es remains its roadmap.