League of Corporate Foundations

Naga City, Bicol (25 July 2023) – RMN Networks’ Dugtong-Buhay 2023 Caravan: Bloodletting Project by RMN Foundation and Pfizer Philippines Foundation was successfully conducted on July 12 at Camaligan People’s Center, Camaligan, Camarines Sur and on July 14 at Robinsons Naga, Naga City in conjunction with the celebration of National Blood Donor Month this month.

Nearly two hundred (181) bags of blood components were collected during the said bloodletting activities with the help of Bicol Medical Center-Blood Bank and Transfusion Service, RMN DWNX Naga and Municipal Government of Camaligan. Aside from the bloodletting activity, the Naga City Health Office also conducted free screening for HIV and AIDS.

In the interview of RMN DWNX Naga with Dr. Raymundo Ibarrientos, Blood Bank and Transfusion Service Head of Bicol Medical Center (BMC), the collected blood components of BMC are not only distributed to different provinces of the Bicol Region but also to hospitals in need in Metro Manila, as well as when there is a calamity or disaster such as a typhoon, earthquake, or volcanic eruption.

RMN BLOOD EXPRESS

The collected blood components were shared by the BMC in collaboration with the RMN Foundation to be transported to The Medical City as their storage facility and to offer blood to people in need in Metro Manila. Philippine General Hospital, St. Luke’s Medical Hospital-Quezon City, and St. Luke’s Medical Hospital-Global City are additional partner hospitals of Bicol Medical Center in Metro Manila that will keep the collected blood components.

This project was also supported by Home Suite, Giant Carrier, Poten-Cee, JDP Creatives Media, University of Nueva Caceres-Nursing Students, Camaligan Municipal Health Office, and Camaligan Barangay Health Workers.

The RMN Foundation and the Pfizer Philippines Foundation would like to thank everyone who took part, assisted, and donated.

This project is part of the ‘Radyo Sustansaya program’ of the RMN Foundation which strives to deliver Health, Wellness, and Nutrition programs and projects.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW OF RMN NAGA DWNX HERE: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=825740809159200

Report by Patrick Aurelio, RMN Foundation.

For more information:

Contact: RMN Foundation, Inc.
Phone: 0928-987-6936, (+632) 8478-3651
E-mail address: rmnfoundation@rmn.ph

In response to the eruption of Mayon volcano, BDO Foundation immediately mounted relief operations, mobilizing BDO volunteers to provide aid in underserved communities affected by the disaster.

Employees from four BDO branches in the province of Albay visited 12 evacuation sites in the municipalities of Camalig, Guinobatan, Malilipot and Sto. Domingo to distribute bags containing food, rice and drinking water to 3,800 economically disadvantaged families. Distribution was made possible with the support of local officials of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office as well as police personnel.

The initiative was the latest organized by BDO Foundation in line with its disaster response advocacy.

Early this year, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank provided food assistance in Eastern Samar, Oriental Mindoro, Surigao del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte for areas hit by heavy rains. In Oriental Mindoro, the foundation delivered relief goods to towns affected by an oil spill incident. It also mounted relief operations in Iloilo and Rizal Province for communities affected by incidents of fire.

As a follow-up to its disaster response initiatives, BDO Foundation undertakes long-term rehabilitation and rebuilding programs in affected areas.

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

Photo shows (standing, L-R) SEC Assistant Director Jernel Macatangay; PDIC Officer in Charge Sandra A. Diaz; IC Deputy Commissioner Ferdinand George A. Florendo; BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat; BPI Foundation Associate Director Joy Reniva; and Commission on Higher Education Chief Aline Magalong together with (seated, L-R) Commission on Higher Education Director Cherrie Melanie Ancheta-Diego; IC Commissioner Reynaldo Regalado; BSP Governor Felipe Medalla; BPI Foundation Executive Director Owen L. Cammayo; and NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Insurance Commission, Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation, Securities and Exchange Commission, and BPI Foundation recently launched the Personal Finance 101 for College Students through a ceremonial MOA signing.

The launch of Personal Finance 101 marks a significant milestone in the collective journey towards a financially inclusive nation. The primary objective of the program is to influence a shift in mindset and behavior when it comes to personal finance management through an elective personal finance subject for higher education institutions (HEIs). It is targeted to become available to over 1,900 HEIs nationwide and can potentially impact and change the lives of over 4 million college students.

The program seeks to equip college students with personal finance management skills as they prepare to become part of the workforce, contribute to the economy, and achieve financial stability and success. Practical topics include the importance of financial goals, saving and budgeting, managing credit, investing, insurance, retirement planning, and protection from financial frauds and scams.

“This comprehensive financial literacy program is a systemic solution to address the challenge of establishing financial stability and sustainability. It aims to equip college students with the foundational knowledge and skills to prepare and enable them to achieve financial freedom amid the dynamic economic environment,” said Owen Cammayo, Executive Director of BPI Foundation. “We believe that financial education is essential to creating a culture of financial wellness.”

While initially offered to business majors, the long-term vision is to offer it to all college students. “Through this program, we are developing a Personal Finance 101 elective that targets an initial audience of up to 900,000 students,” said Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla. “Our goal is to eventually expand the reach of this FinEd program to the K-12 program and reach college-level learners and teachers. We look forward to joining forces with CHED and our partners in developing this course and preparing college students to enter the workforce.”

For the pilot implementation, the course will be initially offered for one academic year in selected HEIs as an elective for students pursuing business-related courses and as a general education elective for non-business majors.

To know more about BPI Foundation, click here.

On July 17, 2023, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the DA Central Office in Quezon City.

The partnership, which is in support of DA’s Philippine Rural Development Program Scale-up, will co-create a training program in line with DA’s Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2) Program. It will build on both organizations’ strengths and experiences, and complement the efforts of DA personnel in helping farmer cooperatives and associations become profitable and successful. The training will use the Agro-Enterprise Clustering Approach from JGF’s Farmer Entrepreneurship Program.

DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban, who spoke during the ceremony, underscored the key role 0f agri-fisheries clustering and consolidation and the Agro-Enterprise Clustering Approach (AECA) in achieving inclusive agricultural productivity in the Philippines.

“As you may know, clustering and consolidation is a top priority of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Under his leadership, the Department of Agriculture is levelling up and pushing for strategies to achieve key milestones toward food sufficiency and security,” Senior Usec. Panganiban said.

Ma. Gisela Tiongson, President, and Executive Director of JGF, affirmed JGF’s commitment in advancing small-scale Filipino farmers and fisherfolk through agro-enterprise capacity building in line with the F2C2 program.

“Through this new partnership, we look forward to sustaining our efforts over the next three years, in co-creating and implementing an agro-enterprise training program that build on each other’s strengths and experiences, and complement the efforts of DA personnel, in helping farmer cooperatives and associations become profitable and successful,” she emphasized.

The signature of this Memorandum renews the collaboration between the DA and JGF to help empower farming and fishing communities so that they can produce adequate, accessible, and affordable food for Filipinos since its inception in January 2022.

Security Bank Foundation celebrates its classroom donation to Naga with a Pili Tree Planting Activity. From Left to Right: Dr. Carmela Oracion, Ateneo Center for Education Development Managing Director; Rafael F. Simpao Jr., Security Bank Foundation Chairman; Hon. Nelson Legacion, Naga City Mayor; and Dr. Sulpicio Alferez III, Camarines Sur National High School Principal IV.

Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) celebrated its classroom donation in Naga, Camarines Sur with the planting of Pili tree seedlings at the open grounds of Camarines Sur National High School, one of its beneficiary schools. The Pili is symbolic as the Bicol region is the largest exporter of delicacies made from the plant.

“The Pili tree holds significance for Bicolanos as it represents stability and growth, similar to the benefits that education offers students. It also symbolizes the strong partnership of Security Bank, Ateneo, the Naga City Government, and the Department of Education in providing a shelter for learning to students with complementary opportunities for them to grow through the additional training programs offered for teachers and principals,” said Dr. Sulpicio Alferez III, Camarines Sur National High School Principal.

Naga, Camarines Sur is the second town where SBFI piloted its Build a School, Build a Nation Program. In 2012, one-story prefab classrooms were donated to three public schools in Naga.

With the rapid increase of student enrolment, limited buildable space, and challenging weather conditions, SBFI shifted to donating concrete two-story school buildings. SBFI went back to Naga to turnover 16 concrete classrooms consisting of a two-story, six-classroom school building in Naga City School of Arts and Trades and a two-story, 10-classroom school building in Camarines Sur National High School.

Naga City Mayor Hon. Nelson Legacion lauded Security Bank Foundation for helping the city minimize their backlog in classrooms. “We have more than 50 banks here in Naga, but it was only Security Bank that donated classrooms even if they only have 2 branches in the city,” said Mayor Legacion.

SBFI now has 691 classrooms turned over to 122 schools located in 69 cities and municipalities nationwide. “In all humility, we never imagined that we would exceed our original target of building 60 classrooms over a period of five years. Despite the pandemic, we continued to implement our Classrooms Project because we believe that these classrooms are crucial in the education of our nation’s children,” SBFI Chairman Rafael F. Simpao Jr said.

SBFI now has 19 classrooms in total donated to Naga, counting the three prefab classrooms donated to Villa Grande Elementary School in 2012. These will serve as learning facilities for students in the city beginning school year 2023-2024.

To learn more about SBFI’s projects and how you can contribute, visit www.securitybank.com/foundation.

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In support of Don Bosco’s mission to educate, evangelize and capacitate economically disadvantaged Filipino youth, BDO Foundation constructed a training facility for the Don Bosco Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Center in Balamban, Cebu.

To mark the completion of the project, BDO Foundation president Mario Deriquito, BDO Foundation program director Rosemarie Espinosa and BDO Network Bank Balamban branch head Diosdado Rosales turned over the new building to administrators led by Salesians of Don Bosco provincial superior Fr. Fidel Maria Orendain SDB and Don Bosco TVET Center – Balamban training director Fr. Brian Butanas SDB.

The two-storey structure will serve as a facility where senior high school students can learn technical-vocational livelihood skills through classroom instruction and workshops. The donation, which includes tools and equipment for training, will enable administrators to accommodate more learners.

“The support of BDO Foundation is very valuable,” said Fr. Butanas. “The workshop and laboratories with tools and equipment will greatly augment our existing programs and provide our students more opportunities for employment.”

“We are grateful for your generosity and trust in the mission of Don Bosco for the youth. Rest assured this facility will benefit the poor and the abandoned,” he added.

BDO Foundation’s initiative contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal no. 8 to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. It also fulfills the foundation’s advocacy to support communities affected by disasters. Balamban was one of several towns affected by Super Typhoon Odette.

The building in Balamban is the third built by the foundation for Don Bosco. In 2019 and 2021 respectively, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank also constructed similar structures in Mati City, Davao Oriental and Dumangas, Iloilo.

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

Union Galvasteel Corporation (UGC), a PHINMA subsidiary under its Construction Materials Group, recently supported GMA Kapuso Foundation in its project to construct a school building in disaster-stricken Binibitinan Elementary School in Polillo, Quezon. 

As part of PHINMA’s making lives better mission and in support to rehabilitation efforts for areas damaged by Typhoon Karding (Noru) last September, UGC donated high-quality roofing materials such as Durarib Prepainted Roofing, Pre-painted End Flashing, and Pre-painted Gutter for the construction of a 2-classroom Kapuso type school building. 

“Importante sa atin na maka-provide tayo ng safe environment and classrooms for our children. Kaya importante talaga na when we build, we build strong,” Rikki Escudero-Catibog, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of GMA Kapuso Foundation, said in the news report that aired on 24 Oras.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 5, 2023 and was attended by key stakeholders, including Ms. Escudero Catibog, Mayor Angelique Bosque of the municipality of Polilio, and Maj. Gen. Roberto Capulong, Commander of the 2nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army. UGC was represented by its Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Mr. Derik Tabunar.

“Sa pamamagitan ng donasyong ito, hindi lamang kami nagbibigay ng matibay at pangmatagalang mga roofing materials para sa paaralan, kundi inaasam din naming makatulong upang maging mas maginhawa at matagumpay ang kalagayan ng mga mag-aaral at guro dito. Naniniwala kami na ang donasyong ito ay makakatulong sa mga inisyatibo sa pagtataguyod muli sa lugar ng Quezon na naapektuhan ng bagyong Noru at makakapagbalik ng normal na buhay sa mga taong nabiktima nito,” Mr. Tabunar said during the ceremony.

The classrooms to be built by GMA Kapuso Foundation will be able to withstand typhoon winds of up to 300 kph. With the high quality roofing provided by UGC, these classrooms will not only ensure the safety of students and teachers during times of extreme weather, but will also mitigate potential damage and the need for frequent repairs. By providing a resilient and secure learning environment, UGC and GMA Kapuso Foundation improve the well-being and educational continuity of the students.

The PHINMA Group, which includes UGC, is committed to making lives better, especially after calamities hit. With a wide and long-standing presence in far-flung areas, the Group is in a unique position to offer help that is tailored to the needs of the affected communities.

Smile Train’s Team Empower finished strong at the 2023 London Marathon, held on April 23. The team raised awareness of and ignited hope and change for children with cleft.

Proud LCF Member Smile Train Philippines was ably represented by Tim Yap, Sam Versoza, and Javi Martinez. Through the assistance of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, they helped raise more than USD 26,000 for Smile Train’s life-changing cleft lip and palate programs.

Click here to view other races that can be ran to raise funds for Smile Train. Charity slots are still open for the 2023 Berlin, Chicago, and New York City Marathons, as well as the 2024 London Marathon.

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.