Dear mindful readers,
I trust you are all well, dry, and sipping perhaps a hot cup of tea as you read this narrative.
‘Tis again a season of rainy days and heavy downpours. A time in which devastation and cries for help dominate the air space, giving rise to a once unnamed concept of helping the needy, or indigent sectors of the society, but is now better known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Today, it is an all-season strategy best employed to aid in uplifting the quality of lives of stakeholders.
CSR refers to the practices and policies that companies adopt to operate in an ethical, sustainable, and socially beneficial manner. It involves taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on the society, the environment, and stakeholders such as the workforce, investors, and communities. CSR efforts may range from reducing environmental footprints, supporting localities, ensuring fair labor practices, and maintaining transparent business operations. In a nutshell, CSR aims to balance business success with positive and sustainable contributions to the society, and to nation-building as a whole.
Honed by a physician mother whose compassion and heart to serve the public was deeply ingrained, and by no less than my grassroots exposure working within the walls of the country’s seat of power – the Office of the President of the Philippines for almost a decade, Corporate Social Responsibility was then, just a term, a title used to refer to initiatives or engagements by individuals, groups or corporations, involving social projects such as outreaches, feeding programs, distribution of school supplies, and medical missions. These were initiatives which we passionately delivered also as a family in my youth. For business entities, CSR is an effective strategy to ensure a harmonious relationship between the company and its host communities.
CSR in the Philippines is “encouraged” through various legislative efforts, primarily aiming to integrate sustainable development into business practices and promote the well-being of the society and the environment. Though not mandated by law, several bills and existing laws provide a framework for CSR and offer incentives for companies to engage in socially responsible activities.
The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), a government-owned and controlled corporation under the Office of the President, has actively promoted numerous community-centric initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable growth and social development within and contiguous to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ). These projects focus on environmental protection, capacity-building, community health, and cultural preservation, and may be classified based on the type of social good it brings to its beneficiaries.
Economic Development
The Joint Management Agreement (JMA) by and among the SBMA, the Ambala Ayta community in Hermosa, Bataan and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) which took effect in 2011, in recognition and protection of the rights of the indigenous group is, by far the most sustainable and successful CSR project of the SBMA. To date, the indigenous community has already received Two Hundred Twenty Million Pesos (Php220,000,000.00) in infrastructure and funding support from lease revenues of businesses located within their ancestral domain. Funds received have since been used for their livelihood projects, organizational support, emergency expenses and educational assistance. This endeavor has been recognized by international award-giving bodies as the Best CSR Award in 2017 and as an Outstanding CSR Initiative in 2019.
Educational Outreach:
Scholarship programs in partnership with educational institutions within the Subic special economic zone are given to deserving children of SBMA employees and personnel from government institutions inside the freeport.
Literacy campaigns are also being conducted for SBMA employees and sectoral groups through partnerships with private companies and other government agencies.
Meanwhile, it has also been my personal advocacy to help support indigent children who could not afford to buy school needs, yet have consistently demonstrated their drive to learn, and hoping to become responsible citizens of the country someday, to be provided with their basic school necessities, 20 to 30 of them at the most. This may seem a humble figure, but at least an assurance for a better future for them. I may not be able to save the world but for these children, there is hope in the world they live in.
Environmental Initiatives:
Quarterly coastal cleanup drives, mangrove reforestation, marine biodiversity protection programs, waste management strategies and a massive annual information campaign commenced in 2024. Dubbed, the Central Luzon Sustainable Tourism Summit, its maiden theme was, “The Race to Carbon Neutrality.” This annual project is a game changer focused on promoting sustainable tourism practices in the Central Luzon region. It is a collaborative initiative between the SBMA and the Department of Tourism – Region III. The summit was held last September 11-12 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC) and was participated in by tourism officers and stakeholders from the region, businesses focused on environmental care, and members of the academe. The primary objective of this yearly undertaking is to educate tourism stakeholders on sustainable tourism trends, strategies, and best practices, and to foster collaboration among various stakeholders in the industry.
Just recently, Arbor Day was commemorated via a week-long celebration last month. Entitled “Kanian Tiawan, Kanian Biag, Kanian Biay,” in Ayta Ambala dialect, or “Our Forest, Our Home, Our Life” in English, the week-long celebration was held from June 23 to the 27th. Featured were an expo at the Harbor Point Ayala Mall, a Bamboo Nursery at the El Kabayo forest area, the Carbon Mo Capture Mo Photography Contest, and the Magtanum Kitamo Arbor Day tree planting activity at the Mulawin-Bayakan Reforestation site.
Health and Wellness
Medical missions, sanitation projects, and health awareness campaigns tailored to the community’s needs are actively being conducted in partnership with non-government entities and other government institutions.
Capability- building projects, mostly trainings on basic life support, hands-on CPR training, Basic First Aid, and Sanitation Training for Food Handlers are also regularly held for target audiences.
So what do business, government and private entities stand to gain by engaging in social good projects for their host communities? Well, for one, they are able to enhance their reputation, and improve public image, making it more attractive to their clients, investors, and employees, leading to increased loyalty and trust.
Clients and customers also tend to prefer companies that demonstrate social and environmental responsibility, knowing that somehow, they are able to give back to the community through their business transactions.
Employees often prefer to work for companies that align with their values, ergo, institutions with active and effective CSR initiatives usually attract the best talents and improve employee satisfaction and retention.
A harmonious relationship with your host community builds trust and open communication. These are highly valuable tools in helping identify and mitigate potential social or environmental risks before they escalate, protecting the company from negative publicity or legal issues.
CSR contributes to societal development and environmental sustainability, fostering goodwill and a better quality of life. Sustainable practices can also lead to cost savings through energy savings, waste reduction, and improved resource management.
The SBMA, has, in recent years, recognized locators that have implemented purpose-driven, sustainable and community-centric programs thru the CSR Company of the Year award during the Mabuhay Awards program held annually in December.
A well-designed CSR program can significantly contribute to the sustainable development and well-being of host communities, fostering a positive relationship between corporations, individuals and stakeholder groups.
So, for our Subic Freeport locators, what would be your highly engaging social good project this year?
Love & light,
Iamempress22