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CORPORATE philanthropy, or what others refer to as
corporate social responsibility (CSR), continues to
thrive in these hard economic times.
In a
recent briefing, Lopez group foundation president Felipe
Alfonso said integration will play a key role in the
sustainability of CSR amidst the current economic
slowdown. For instance, Alfonso said CSR can contribute
a lot to enable companies to be more cost effective.
Alfonso
cited the case of local coffee company, Figaro, which
trains the farmers to achieve higher productivity when
they plant coffee for the requirements of the company.
“Integration is critical to ensure the presence of CSR
despite the hard times,” said Alfonso.
For her
part, Figaro Foundation Corp chief executive officer,
Pacita Juan, said they always stress the importance of
productivity to the farmers to ensure them of higher
incomes. Being a part of the supply chain of Figaro,
Juan said the company wants to emphasize that CSR goes
along side with regular business operations.
Paul
Aquino, president and chief executive officer of the
Energy Development Corp, said a major part of their CSR
is to encourage people from the highlands to plant more
trees to ensure the maintenance of a balanced ecological
system. “We have to double our efforts in reforestation
because we are in the forefront of the reforestation
program in our areas of responsibility,” he said.
Alfonso
said CSR and public relations go together pointing out
that it is important for the public to know that
business cares about the community where it is
operating.
Amidst
the growing poverty, slower economic growth and rising
inflation, Juan, who is also the president of the League
of Corporate Foundations (LCF), stressed that the
business sector needs to be more involved in CSR by
means reaching out to the communities in which it
operates.
“Business has never been more cognizant of its role in
society and it has come to the realization that the
whole organization needs to move with the CEO if its CSR
efforts are to be sustainable and have an impact on all
of its stakeholders,” Juan said in the recent edition of
Good News Kapihan and kickoff ceremonies for the LCF CSR
Conference 2008.
“Whether
top-down or bottom up, every company must take CSR
seriously if it wants to survive in these times of
intense competition and unpredictable challenges,” Juan
added.
Juan
said that CSR programs have to become an integral part
of the business to ensure its survival over the long
term. For CSR to be truly sustainable, she said it must
have both a positive impact on society and strategic
relevance to the company’s business.
With the
theme “CSR is Everyone’s Business,” the CSR Conference
will engage business leaders from the country’s top
corporations and members of professional organizations
such as the Management Association of the Philippines,
Makati Business Club, People Management Association of
the Philippines, Financial Executives of the
Philippines, among other professional organizations and
various chambers of commerce and industry to show that
CSR is indeed, everyone’s business.
The CSR
Conference 2008, LCF’s 7th annual gathering on Corporate
Social Responsibility, will be held on July 16 to 18 at
the Shangri-La Hotel Makati. |
