Earth Hour reaches space!

Earth Hour reaches space!
March 29, 2012
Business Mirror

FINALLY, Earth Hour breaches Earth! For the first time, the global 60-minute switch-off will extend to the International Space Station, where Earth Hour Astronaut-Ambassador Andre Kuipers shall stand vigil over our imperiled planet as the lights switch off on March 31, sharing photos and live commentary.

Kuipers says he is thrilled to participate in Earth Hour to literally take the globally significant movement to new heights. “There’s no better way to raise awareness for the future of the most beautiful planet in the whole universe!”

Back on Earth, preparations are frenetic. From Angola to Zimbabwe, organizing teams from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and its growing roster of allies are preparing for what is hoped to be the largest environmental celebration in human history.

Earth Hour founder and Executive Director Andy Ridley says everyone from citizens to businesses, schoolchildren to world leaders, need to believe they can make a difference.

“The state of our planet affects each and every one of us,” says Ridley. “Last year Earth Hour reached 1.8 billion people across the planet. This year through digital media we are offering a greater opportunity to connect people with the desire to take much-needed action for the environment.”

Ridley—the founder of Earth Hour—is slated to celebrate Earth Hour 2012 in the Philippines, which has been rewarded for topping Earth Hour’s global town and city participation levels for three- straight years by being declared a ‘‘Hero Country.”

Philippine preparations set, switch-off sites declared

WWF-led switch-off ceremonies are slated for the cities of Makati, Cebu and Davao—though other cities and towns are expected to hold well-organized events to observe the switch-off.

Makati City’s Ayala Triangle Gardens shall be the central hub for Luzon. At 6:30 p.m. on 31 March, glow-in-the-dark dance troupe Bailes de Luces and the Caracol dancers shall form the vanguard of an Earth-themed parade, which starts at the Makati fire station and ends at Ayala Tower One—where WWF-Philippines National Ambassador Rovilson Fernandez shall host a program with performances from El Gamma Penumbra, Brigada and other groups. No less than Earth Hour founder Andy Ridley shall lead the country’s main switch-off event, hosted by WWF with the help of Ayala Land and the Makati City government.

Cebu City’s Plaza Independencia shall be the chief switch-off site for the Visayas. A festive street parade, led by local Sinulog Dancers shall start from Fuente Osmeña Circle from 5:30 p.m. onward. The Cebu switch-off further features a candle lighting ceremony capped off by the release of biodegradable sky lanterns. Cebu’s event is in cooperation with the Aboitiz Group and the Cebu City government.

SM Davao shall be the main switch-off site for Mindanao. WWF-Philippines National Ambassador Marc Nelson shall host the switch-off, which features a tribal-themed parade around SM Davao at 6:30 p.m. Black-light and fire-dancers shall woo the crowd with specialized routines once the city plunges into darkness. The Davao event is in collaboration with SM Supermalls, the Green Alliance and the Davao City government.

Earth Hour Philippines National Director Atty. Gia Ibay shares, “We’re extremely excited for this year’s switch-off ceremonies. Though the Visayas and Mindanao have always observed their own unique switch-off ceremonies, WWF has traditionally celebrated Earth Hour from Manila.

To commemorate our country’s fifth Earth Hour, we thought it high time for WWF to observe the movement across the archipelago—which has always been what we’ve aimed for.”

‘I Will If You Will’ pledges snowballing

Earth Hour 2012’s new “I Will If You Will” handle empowers people to share a personal dare with the world by asking everyone what are you willing to do to save the planet?

The concept of “I Will If You Will” centers around providing a social contract between two parties —connecting one person, business or organization to a “promise” and their friends, family, customers or members to a “challenge”—uniting them behind the common goal of creating a positive environmental outcome.

The campaign has taken hold and “I Will If You Will” pledges are now

snowballing across cyberspace.WWF-Philippines National Ambassador Marc Nelson has pledged to swim with sharks—in a Panda costume—and plant trees underwater while munching on a ledge to avoid plastic and reuse shopping bags. WWF-Philippines National Ambassador Rovilson Fernandez, for his part, has pledged to run races clad in a Panda costume until April if 5,000 of WWF-Philippines’s 23,000 fans opt to use stairs over elevators for a full month.

Cynthia Dayco, a mother and WWF-Philippines Facebook fan, has promised to let her son Josh play Minecraft an hour longer over the summer break if Josh remembers to turn off the lights and fan whenever he leaves his room.

Lyjenunt Gonowon, another WWF-Philippines fan, has pledged to recycle if his friends promise to switch to energy-efficient CFL bulbs.

An enormous LED billboard along Edsa currently showcases pledges posted on the WWF-Philippines fanpage.

Famous faces around the world are speaking out to encourage participation and support for Earth Hour. Environmental activist and former US Vice President Al Gore urged people to join the switch-off from a video message recorded from Antarctica. Pledges are coming in from a plethora of groups—ranging from top band Coldplay to global supermodel Miranda Kerr. As an open-sourced campaign, Earth Hour uses social media to connect a global community of people inspired to change the world we live in.

Local governments, schools, corporations ready to go

Now in its fifth year, Earth Hour Philippines continues to grow. Current public-sector partners include the Climate Change Commission, Department of Energy, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine Information Agency, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Agriculture, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of National Defense, Department of Transportation and Communications, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Education, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, League of Municipalities, League of Cities and League of Provinces of the Philippines.

Philippine media champions include TV5, ABS-CBN, GMA 7, CLTV-36, Discovery Channel, Knowledge Channel, ZOE TV, Global News Network, Philippine Star, BusinessWorld, the BusinessMirror, Philippine Daily Inquirer Online, Aftercall Magazine, Philippines Graphic, Radyo Veritas, dzIQ, dzAR, Globaltronics, QCreativs, Photoworld Manila, ASK and Illuminati Philippines.

Corporate partners include the Yuchengco Group of Companies, Arthaland, McDonald's, Globe Telecommunications, Smart Communications, Primer Group of Companies, Core, York, Victory Liner, Aboitiz Group of Companies, Philippine Business for Social Progress, Ayala Land, SM Supermalls, Canon Marketing Philippines, Smart Communications, the Makati Shangri-La Hotel plus Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila. The list of allies grows longer each day.

“More than anything, Earth Hour is a celebration of hope. When our planet plunges into darkness, we can look to the stars and dream of what can be. When the lights switch back on though—our real work begins,” concludes Ibay.

Earth Hour 2012 is set for 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 31, whether you’re on planet Earth—or orbiting it.

Toong Farmers Open New Bakery with DOLE

      

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DTI taps PBSP for Samar’s SMEs

DTI taps PBSP for Samar’s SMEs
By Ninfa Iluminda B. Quirante
Philippine Information Agency
March 27, 2012

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, March 27 (PIA) - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) engaged the cooperation of a non government organization (NGO) to boost Samar’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Meanwhile, the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) - Strategic Corporate-Community Partnership (SCOPE) assists in identifying projects mutually beneficial to the company and the community. Through SCOPE, the SME will be able to look for a community that will produce the raw materials that the enterprise needs in its business.

One example given is the Calbayog Tinapa Processors Association that chooses a community that will culture the fish which it uses as raw product. The scheme will not only assure the tinapa makers (the association) of a steady supply of raw materials but will also provide steady income to the fisher folks in the community; the association is headed by Donato Abelda Jr.

"SCOPE has been designed to harness private sector’s competence and expertise in doing business to create employment," said Cebu- based SCOPE consultant Janina Wohlgemuth, in her visit to the SMEs with DTI folks in Calbayog and Catbalogan.

In Catbalogan, an Entre-Pinay , Lolita Cupido of Lolit’s Danguit (dried fish) would also like to have a community that will supply her "danguit" and a dryer. The dryer will be of use during rainy season.

The scheme for funding, DTI said will be 50/50 because even the company owner can benefit from the communities that will supply the raw materials.

But whether company leaders Abelda and Cupido will be granted the SCOPE benefits still remains to be under the consideration of the PBSP executives. Their proposals have yet to be approved, said DTI.

SCOPE projects have been successful with the SMEs in Cebu and in Mindanao.

Message (of hope) in a bottle

Message (of hope) in a bottle
By Nathalie Tomada
The Philippine Star
March 27, 2012

MANILA, Philippines - Boy Abunda is proud to have gone to a public school. When he was in elementary, the TV host studied at the Eugenio Daza Pilot Elementary School in Borongan, Eastern Samar.

When he was in grade one, he attended a school tucked away in a remote barrio where his mother, then a new teacher, was assigned to teach. He remembers that there were only two classrooms, with grades one to three students packed in one, and grades four to six in the other.

He now believes that his phobia for snakes started at that school, where snakes would find their way to the roof. He also experienced not having any classroom because it got damaged by visiting typhoons.

Despite those challenges, Boy will always remember that part of his life with great fondness.

“I think some of the sweetest moments of my life happened when I was in public school, when life was gentle,” Boy shares in a presscon.

“Those were the times when I was walking to my school in slippers. During recess, I would eat ice candy sold outside the school. I remember a very strict principal and when you throw your trash around, you get reported to her. I miss those unadulterated moments. All these are part of my life, a part of me that has not diminished. I think that public school boy is still who I am deep inside.”

Boy may have gone on to become one of the most successful in the entertainment industry who has a public school background, but he still feels for the many public school students who still have to contend with those conditions that make learning a struggle every single school day.

For this reason, Boy readily gave his endorsement to the new purified bottled water in the market, aptly termed as Hope In A Bottle, which aims to address a persisting problem of the country’s education sector — classroom shortage in public schools.

Boy is joined by other celebs that had public school backgrounds, too, such as Joey de Leon (Moises Salvador Elementary School, Manila), Bea Alonzo (Ususan Elementary School, Taguig City), Winnie Monsod (Juan Luna/Legarda Elementary School, Manila) and Jericho Rosales (Esteban Abada Elementary School, Quezon City). All are endorsing the bottled water for free and are appearing in a commercial megged by award-winning director Yam Laranas, also a product of the public school system.

Hope In A Bottle is the cause-oriented brainchild of Friends of Hope, Inc., led by former actress Nanette Medved and Ricky Gomez, a former San Miguel Corp. big boss. Friends of Hope has committed 100 percent of its profits — meaning whatever is left after all the expenses needed to manufacture, market and deliver Hope In A Bottle have been met — to the building of public school classrooms nationwide.

“This is not just any story, it’s a real story for me, I really experienced what it’s like to be in a classroom without a roof and under the shade of a tree, especially if our classrooms got destroyed,” says Boy, whose many advocacies are essentially education-related (from Unicef to NCCA). “I realized that the problem is still there and is even worse, because there are more students now needing classrooms. So, this is one reason why I didn’t have second thoughts of doing this project. More than just it being water, this is an advocacy.”

Figures say that with 88 percent of Filipino students in public schools, the country is suffering from a classroom shortage of 66,800.

Nanette says, “This is something that everybody knows. When we decided to come up with and choose an advocacy that we felt will have the most impact, actually it’s not hard to think that it’s education. Our public schools, naghihirap talaga, and you can’t always rely on the government to solve all the problems so we thought that rather than blaming the government for the lack of this and that, parang let’s take a most positive approach, and do it ourselves.”

Nanette further relates that it all started as an idea — Project Hope — “and then as Ricky started to pull in all the experts to make it happen, and as we brainstormed, we wound up with this project. Although you’re buying water, what we are really selling here is hope.”

That’s what made Boy fall in love with the project as well. “Ang ingay ng mundo natin ngayon, nariyan ang impeachment trial, mga problema, lahat. I fell in love with this project because it’s hope, and we cannot lose this right now. More than just it being bottled water, it represents so much as to where we should be, what we should have, and what we should go for in the long run in terms of solving problems.”

Ricky, for his part, says: “It’s a rather different (business model). It requires a lot of sacrifice. Hopefully, we can really excite a nation to be part of this and in turn, make huge profit to build more classrooms. That is also what excites me.”

Hope In A Bottle is competitive as a product, adds Boy, in the sense that it’s quality (toll-packed by San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corp.) and priced at parity with existing products in the market.

To keep track of the profits and any developments on classroom-building, they have also put up the Hope Meter on the Friends of Hope’s Facebook account.

So how does it work? Once enough funding has been raised for a classroom, Friends of Hope in tandem with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), the largest corporate-led, non-profit social development foundation in the country, will refer to a shortlist provided by DepEd of the “most desperate districts” to select a school. Once that school is identified, Friends of Hope and PBSP will bid out the project. PBSP will then manage the project under its Ten Moves program. Depending on the location of the school, building a classroom can cost from P500,000 to P700,000 per classroom, and this amount only covers the bare structure.

Nanette says, “It (is) really an effort but we understand that Filipinos really have this sense of collective heroism, which is why nanggaling sa atin ’yung People Power. It’s really in us to help, so we decided to use this for good and put it towards something more tangible like schools.”

Hope In A Bottle is supported and distributed by Rustan’s, Ministop, Krispy Kreme, Seattle’s Best Coffee, Jamba Juice, Shopwise, Kenny Rogers, Super 8, Suy Sing, Landmark, South Supermarkets and selected Robinsons Supermarkets.

Two companies join PBSP

Two companies join PBSP
By Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento
The Freeman
March 19, 2012

CEBU, Philippines - More and more companies strengthen their mission towards promoting corporate social responsibility and reaching out to the community.

In the recent 24th Visayas Annual Membership of Philippine Business for Social Progress, the foundation which has over 230 corporate members nationwide welcomed and recognized two new member companies – the Venus Group of Companies and Talleco.

Venus Group of Companies is a manufacturer and exporter of handicrafts, furniture, coco-based items and accessories while Talleco is a business process outsourcing company and advertising industry.

Revolving in its current theme “Develop, Nurture, Align”, Jose Antonio Aboitiz, Board of Trustee and Chairman of PBSP Visayas Executive Committee said that corporate social responsibility must also be inculcated in each company’s DNA.

“DNA is life’s blueprint. In the same way, CSR is also essential in PBSP and in companies. It builds concrete bridges of work accomplished in communities and companies. We develop, nurture and align corporate citizenship in your core business in which we also share innovative citizenship approaches,” Aboitiz said.

He added that PBSP positions itself as an organization of choice that bridges the gap between profitability and economic sustainability. He also gave acknowledgement for the contribution of the member companies to the organization’s success.

PBSP Visayas committee has approved P112 million for projects in Bohol, Cebu, Guimaras, Leyte and Samar focusing on sustainable livelihood and enterprise, health, environment and education.

The foundation has strategically extended its assistance to subcontractors and companies such as Jojie’s Bakeshop, Andy’s Crunchicken, Bon Ace Fashion Tools Inc., Wellmade Corporation, Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corporation and even the Buhisan watershed.

Rafael Lopa, PBSP Executive Director, noted that PBSP aims to establish models of change through successful projects with the help of their donors, members, advisers and volunteers.

“We hope to learn more form each other by scaling up big solutions from big problems. We are geared towards more projects that answer the need for access of financial and human resources. We value the continuing trust and confidence of our financial contributors to PBSP,” he said. — By Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento

In its “DNA” theme, PBSP plans to develop key agents of social change for sustainable growth, nurture institutions for positive transformation and align companies and communities for a mutually-beneficial relationship.

This year, the corporate-led social development organization awarded 13 volunteer advisers form different sectors of the society who shared their knowledge and expertise to the companies and communities.

PBSP okayed P112M in projects

PBSP okayed P112M in projects
By Mia A. Aznar
Sun.Star Cebu
March 19, 2012

In the last two years, the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Visayas Executive Committee approved P112 million in projects, its chairman Jose Antonio Aboitiz reported.

During the organization’s 24th annual membership meeting last week, Aboitiz assured member-companies that their contributions, along with financial assistance from international donors and local companies, were able to fund these projects, which included livelihood, enterprise, environment, education and health programs, as well as business advisory for micro, small and medium enterprises.

In his report, he said these projects were carried out in the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Guimaras, Iloilo, Leyte, Northeren Samar and Southern Leyte.

Replication

He also said that for the period, they were able to record good experiences that are ready to be scaled up or replicated in other areas.

“PBSP positions itself as your organization of choice, as we have concrete programs and business solutions that bridge the gap between profitability and environmental sustainability and complement your business requirements with resources that our assisted communities can ably provide,” he said.

He explained that their corporate-community partnerships work along the value chain of companies. They help communities become suppliers of services or semi-processed goods to help fill the gaps of a company’s supply chain.

As examples, he cited the success of a farming community that has benefitted from their project by bridging them with Bohol-based Jojie’s Bakeshop, makers of peanut delicacies that the province is known for. Other success stories include a group of out-of-school boys, who are now accepting upholstery orders from Kenneth Cobonpue’s furniture company.

Also present during the meeting was the executive director of the Philippine Association of Smelting and Refining Cooperative (Pasar) Foundation, Ruben Cajigas, who shared their experience of training out-of-school youths in Isabela, Leyte to on welding and pipe-fitting skills.

Benefits

Cajigas said the project benefitted both the company and the community, as it provided the company with much-needed skilled workers providing employment opportunities to out of school youths in the town. He said that because of poverty, about 40 percent of the town’s youth could not go on to college.

By teaching them these skills and allowing them to complete their on the job training at Pasar, Cajigas said have helped 39 out of school youths become Tesda-accredited welders and pipe fitters. Some have also found employment in neighboring companies.

PBSP executive director Rafael Lopa, said that while the PBSP is one of the largest business-backed non-government organizations in the country, the collaboration of all stakeholders is needed to achieve the changes they wish to implement.

He thanked member companies for their contributions, saying these funds have allowed them to embark on several projects that have the endorsement of international donors.

“Your collective giving has capacitated PBSP to absorb the management of huge grants from multi-lateral donor agencies. Most notable are the funding from USAid and Global Fund for TB (tuberculosis) Control,” he said. He added that currently, PBSP manages 40 percent of the total TB Control budget in the country.

He further announced that PBSP is finalizing big grants for classroom construction in public schools to aid in addressing the 66,000 backlog of classrooms in the country.

Recognition

They are also finalizing the establishment of a. “more inclusive supply chain mechanism” between companies and community-based producers.

Beyond contributing funds, Lopa challenged members to think of ways to scale up successful projects so that more can benefit.

During the meeting, the organization gave recognition to 13 individuals who volunteered their expertise in advising small businesses in agriculture, tourism and manufacturing. Two new companies, Talleco, a business process outsourcing company, and the Venus Group, an exporter, joined the 259 members of the PBSP.

PBSP-Visayas OKs Projects Worth P112M

PBSP-Visayas OKs Projects Worth P112M
By Malou M. Mozo
Manila Bulletin
March 19, 2012

CEBU CITY, Cebu — The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Visayas’ Executive Committee said it has approved some P112 million worth of projects in the last two years, even as its head in the region said more projects are expected to be established this year with its partner companies, groups and donor agencies.

The PBSP is the largest corporate-led social development foundation in the country. Committed to poverty reduction, it is the first of its kind in Asia, leading in the promotion and practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Jose Antonio Aboitiz, who chairs PBSP’s Visayas executive committee reported during PBSP’s recent annual membership meeting that programs in 2010 and 2011 in the Visayas valued at P112 million were focused on livelihood, enterprise, environment, education and health programs, as well as business advisory for micro, small and medium enterprises.

Said projects were established in Cebu, Bohol, Iloilo, Guimaraas, Leyte, Northern Samar and Southern Leyte provinces.

“PBSP positions itself as your organization of choice, as we have concrete programs and business solutions that bridge the gap between profitability and environmental sustainability and complement your business requirements with resources that our assisted communities can ably provide,” Aboitiz said during PBSP’s recently concluded 24th annual membership meeting.

“Corporate-community partnerships work along the value chain of companies. They help communities become suppliers of services or semi-processed goods to help fill the gaps of a company’s supply chain,” Aboitiz added, noting that corporate citizenship is “the DNA in PBSP’s business sector involvement.”

Among the many successful corporate-community partnerships forged by PBSP is that with a farming community that has benefitted from PBSP’s bridging it with Bohol-based Jojie’s Bakeshop, makers of peanut delicacies for which Bohol is known for.

Other success stories include a group of out-of-school boys, who now service upholstery orders from globally-famous furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue’s furniture-making company.

Meanwhile, PBSP executive director Rafael Lopa said that while the PBSP is one of the Philippine’s largest business-backed non-government organizations, close collaboration by all of its stakeholders is needed to achieve the organization’s objectives and the changes in society it wishes to effect.

“Your collective-giving has capacitated PBSP to absorb the management of huge grants from multi-lateral donor agencies,” said Lopa. “|Most notable are funding from USAid and the Global Fund for TB (tuberculosis) Control. He added that, currently, PBSP manages 40 percent of the total TB Control budget in the country.

He further announced that PBSP is finalizing big grants for classroom construction in public schools to aid in addressing the 66,000-classrooms backlog in the country.

Cebu business group vows more projects

Cebu business group vows more projects
By Marlen D. Limpag
Business World Online
March 18, 2012

CEBU CITY -- The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) said millions of pesos worth of projects have been implemented in the last two years even as more activities are expected this year with partner companies, groups and donor agencies, an official said.

Jose Antonio Aboitiz, chairman of the PBSP Visayas executive committee, said during the group’s annual membership meeting last week that programs in 2010 and 2011 -- worth P112 million -- focused on livelihood and enterprise, the environment, as well as education and health.

Social enterprise programs have the best potential to address the environment, material, and spiritual divides and bring the country forward, said Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Microventures, Inc. president.

For his part, Rafael C. Lopa, the group’s executive director, said new methods are required to address poverty and climate change issues, citing as example efforts to replicate management practices at Cebu’s watershed in the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape.

Entrepreneur says social enterprise best model for the future

Entrepreneur says social enterprise best model for the future
Philippine News Agency
March 18, 2012

CEBU CITY -- An entrepreneur has said that social enterprise, aside from helping the less fortunate, is the best business model for the future.

Speaking at the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) general membership meeting, Microventures Inc. president Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV said social enterprise simultaneously addressed spiritual, material and environmental divide in society.

While he lauded the Filipinos for being charitable, especially during times of calamities, he said there were some poor people who did not need charity.

Instead, they needed help acquiring skills to better themselves, he said.

Aquino, who organized the Hapinoy Stores with his business partner Mark Ruiz in 2006, likened successful social enterprises to “a new form of people power.”

“There is dignity in livelihood. If the poor are able to build a business on their own, there is a dignity there that can’t be bought,’ he said.

He said that by building business skills of sari-sari store owners and connecting them with companies, they were empowered to support themselves.

“As their stores grow, so will they, as individuals,” Aquino said.

Aquino said that as they grow their businesses they also become better family members.

Microventures service microfinance organizations and their clients through the Hapinoy Store program.

Aquino said that their company started with a dream to make the “lowly’ sari-sari store powerful.

With the sari-sari store being at the bottom of the retail chain, Aquino said they wanted to bring hope to micro-entrepreneurs, about 800,000 of these being sari-sari stores.

He said organizing owners of these stores allowed them to create a network of sari-sari stores and “transform their mindsets” from being a poor, helpless store owner to an entrepreneur with a business that could be scaled up with proper management.

While he admitted initial steps introduced to store owners were often met with resistance, he said they would later on willingly implement more discipline in running their stores and see things differently.

The Hapinoy program won the United Nation’s Project Inspire award against 400 other social enterprises.

He and Ruiz were also named Asian social entrepreneur of the year by the World Economic Forum’s Schwab Foundation for Social Enterprises.

Aquino also joined the board for Rags2Riches in 2007, a business that helps underprivileged women weave rags and turn these into fashion accessories.

He hopes that in five to 10 years, a similar model of the Hapinoy Program will flourish in other developing countries.

PBSP: Empowering people through enterprise

PBSP: Empowering people through enterprise 
By Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento 
The Freeman
March 17, 2012

CEBU, Philippines - Empowering socially and economically-challenged people to succeed on their own by managing small businesses like sari-sari stores can already make a difference in the society.

As the keynote speaker of the recent Visayas annual membership meeting of the Philippine Business for Social Progress, Microventures Inc. President Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino said that social enterprise is a model that can create transformation and sustainability that everyone can achieve.

“We believe in empowerment and social enterprise is a new form of people power. It is the best way to simultaneously address the environmental, material and spiritual divides in society,” Aquino said.

Aquino, who is a co-founder of Hapinoy store together with Mark Ruiz in 2006, said that the program intends to empower sari-sari store owners with good management skills and opportunities to be linked with manufacturers and other companies.

“Hapinoy store dreamed of a lowly store that can be a powerful store. This is a hope for micro-entrepreneurs,” he stated.

As the smallest unit of the retail chain having about 800,000 sari-sari stores all over the Philippines, Aquino said that working with the store owners and helping them transform their mindsets and uphold their dignity can improve the economy.

However, he pointed out that social enterprise is different with charity.

“We need charity. We definitely need that. But our contention in social enterprise is not all poor people needs charity. What they need is financing, training and management expertise to develop themselves,” Aquino said.

He added that micro-entrepreneurs have the capacity to do more on their skills, capital and opportunities, unleashing the power in communities to fight poverty and illiteracy.

Aquino encourages the sari-sari store owners to work together and be a stronger force of the society moving towards a tipping point, running their stores and perceiving things differently.

Managed by the Microventures Inc., the micro entrepreneur enhancement program aspires to be nationwide within two to three years and envisions itself to be globally-inclined in the next 5-10 years.

Hapinoy was among the five social entrepreneurs from Asia recognized as “Asian Social Entrepreneurs of the Year 2011” by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

Sari-sari stores: Social enterprise for ‘people power’

Sari-sari stores: Social enterprise for ‘people power’
By Aileen Garcia-Yap
Cebu Daily News
March 16, 2012

Changing the mind-set of sari-sari store owners from being “just a small store owner” to “an entrepreneur running a business that has potential to grow” is one way to empower people to start their own business.

Paolo Benigno “Bam” A. Aquino IV, founder of Hapinoy Store, said this was the aim of the group behind the network of sari-sari stores which he helped set up in 2006.

“We believe in empowerment. We feel this is a new form of ‘people power.’ We fight the poverty of the mind, spirit and wallet,” said Aquino during last Wednesday’s annual membership meeting of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Visayas at the Casino Español.

Aquino explained the difference between charity and a social enterprise.

Giving people what they need through traditional chairty has temporary benefits.

“A social business enterprise puts into balance the three important issues—environmental divide, the material divide and the spiritual divide—and is the best way to address each of them simultaneously,” said Aquino.

Aquino, who co-created the Ang Hapinoy Store in 2006, said he was inspired by an international futurist who gave a talk emphasizing three important numbers—1.5, 2.5 and 3 “that every entrepreneur should address.”

“The number 1.5 is the amount of resources that we use compared to the actual available resources that we have. This represents our environmental divide,” he said.

For the second number, 2.5 represents the total number of poor people, in billions, in the world, which represents “our material divide.”

The number 3 refers to the trend of three times more deaths caused by suiicide compared to death by violence in the world.

“This represents our spiritual divide,” said Aquino.

A social enterprise addresses all three needs.

Aquino said the Hapinoy Store was created to help empower the owners of the sari-sari store, as the smallest retail unit in the country.

“There are around 800,000 sari-sari stores in the country today and if we can group them, they can become powerful. We thought that if we can work with the owners, empower them and make ways for a change in mind-set, we can be able to help improve our economy,” said Aquino.

Aquino illustrated the concept of a social enterprise by sharing the classic children’s story “The Giving Tree” with a twist.

In the classic story, an apple tree gives up all its fruits and wood so that a boy could earn money and be happy.

Aquino then retold the story using a mango tree, who gave all her fruits and told the boy to sell half of it and plant the seeds of the other half. The seeds multiplied till the boy had an orchard, providing a sustainable income for the boy until he became an old man.

“For Hapinoy, we are aiming it to be nationwide within two to three years and global within the next five years,” said Aquino.

The PBSP Visayas has its own volunteer program for start-up businesses.

The Business Advisory Program (BAP) involves volunteers from member companies of the PBSP, a foundation made up of at least 230 corporate members.

Individual experts volunteer for assignments in finance, marketing, production operations and organizational management.

This year, PBSP Visayas awarded 13 volunteer advisors, including a posthumous award to Mr. Leonardo Alindajao who was the quality and productivity coordinator of San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corporation.

Alindajao assisted the Agricultural Producers Cooperative in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
According to PBSP executive committee vice chairman Philip N. Tan, 46 volunteer advisers have assisted 39 enterprises .

“This year we hope to have more volunteers and assist more enterprises,” said Tan.

In his remarks, PBSP executive director Rafael C. Lopa said they aim to scale up successful anti-poverty projects such as the development of the Cebu Hillylands and replicate it in other communities like the Marikina watershed in Luzon.

“We want to establish a win-win models of change through our successful projects,” said Lopa.

Other awardees were Michael J. Alcarde, engineer Gerry R. Burdas of Teradyne Philippines, Limited, Dioscoro O. Ayag Jr. of Options and Concepts and Spice Up Massage and Spa and Bed and Bath, Rammel B. Cagulada of Cagulada Accounting Solutions, Macario P. Balali of East Asia Utilities Corp and Cebu Private Power Corp., Arlette L. Melgar of Development Academy of the Philippines, Ronaldo V. Puzon of Hotel and Restaurant Management of CITU, Cristina Florabel C. Lim and Neil Raymond N. Saletrero of the University of San Jose Recoletos, Engr. Phyllis May C. Sia of the University of San Carlos, Jose F. de Castro of Center for International Education, and Maria A. Bunao of PBSP.

Social enterprises ‘the future’

Social enterprises ‘the future’
By Mia A. Aznar
Sun.Star Cebu
March 15, 2012


Beyond helping the less fortunate, social enterprise is the best business model for the future, said an entrepreneur.

Speaking at the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) general membership meeting, Microventures Inc. president Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV said social enterprise simultaneously addresses spiritual, material and environmental divides in society.

While he lauds the Filipinos for being charitable, especially during times of calamities, he believes there are some poor people who do not need charity. Instead, they need help acquiring skills to better themselves.

Aquino, who organized the Hapinoy stores with his business partner Mark Ruiz in 2006, likened successful social enterprises to “a new form of people power.”

“There is dignity in livelihood. If they (poor) are able to build a business on their own, there is a dignity there that can’t be bought,” he said.

Empowerment


He explained that by building business skills of sari-sari store owners and connecting them with companies, they are empowered to support themselves.

“As their stores grow, so will they, as individuals.”

Aquino said that as they grow their businesses, they also become better family members.

Microventures services microfinancing organizations and their clients through the Hapinoy Store program.

Aquino said that their company started with a dream to make the “lowly” sari-sari store powerful.

With the sari-sari store being at the bottom of the retail chain, Aquino said they want to bring hope to microentrepreneurs, about 800,000 of these being sari-sari stores.

He said organizing owners of these stores allowed them to create a network of sari-sari stores and “transform their mindsets” from being a poor, helpless store owner to an entrepreneur with a business that can be scaled up with proper management.

Resistance

While he admitted initial steps introduced to storeowners are often met with resistance, he said they will later on willingly implement more discipline in running their stores and see things differently.

The Hapinoy Program won the United Nations’ Project Inspire award against 400 other social enterprises. He and Ruiz were also named Asian social entrepreneur of the year by the World Economic Forum’s Schwab Foundation for social enterprises.

Aquino also joined the board of Rags2Riches in 2007, a business that helps underprivileged women weave rags and turn these into fashion accessories.

He hopes that in five to 10 years, a similar model of the Hapinoy Program will flourish in other developing countries.

MESSAGE OF MR. JOSE ANTONIO ABOITIZ, PBSP BOARD OF TRUSTEE AND CHAIRMAN OF THE VISAYAS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Dear Member Companies and Partners,


Since its historic establishment in 1971, Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) has believed in the power of the business sector to foster the country’s economic and social growth.

For years, PBSP member companies made social investments to help our fellow Filipinos live better lives by implementing programs on livelihood and enterprise, environment, education and health.

As the foundation moves forward in its fifth decade, with 24 years of operation in the Visayas region, PBSP encourages the business sector to engage in projects that are mutually beneficial to both company and community. We believe that a company’s core business operations need not be separated from its practice of corporate social responsibility or corporate citizenship.

PBSP makes this possible with our model of corporate-community partnership or CCP, which is essentially the implementation of business strategy with a social component.

In recent years, we have successfully Developed projects that simultaneously address community, corporate and environmental bottom lines. We have Nurtured micro, small and medium enterprises as a strategic foundation for local economic development. And we have designed and implemented projects Aligned to business requirements like skilled workforce, raw materials and semi-processed production inputs.

These experiences affirm that given the opportunities or platforms for collective engagements, our business community is very well positioned to be a force in nation-building. 

As we move forward, PBSP invites our member-companies to look internally and ask the question, “What is our need?” If the need can be addressed by a PBSP-assisted community or a community that the company has in mind, PBSP is open to work with the company and the community to help both craft a project that will benefit each other.

By doing this, we embed the community in the supply chain of the company to ensure a long-term and sustainable partnership for both parties. 

In PBSP, we believe that for partnerships to be sustainable, projects have to be economically viable for the company and socially empowering for the community.  We in PBSP are now gearing up for the promotion of CCP as a strategic and long-term expression of corporate social responsibility.

Let us continue building more strategic partnerships that ultimately lead to collective growth!


                                          

                                                                               JOSE ANTONIO ABOITIZ
                                                                               Board of Trustee
                                                                              Chairman, Visayas Executive Committee

MEET PBSP'S NEW VISAYAS MEMBER COMPANIES

 
On the 24th Visayas Annual Membership Meeting, Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) welcomed and recognized two Visayas-based companies who completed the roster of the Foundation's 259 members nationwide.

The Venus Group of Companies, established in 1981, focuses on the manufacture and export of handicrafts, furniture and accessories. The company specializes in coco-based items, shell crafts and house wares made from indigenous materials all sourced locally.

Accepting the membership plaque for Venus Group of Companies is its local market manager, Ms. Vilma Alicaya (center) 

with PBSP Visayas Executive Chairman Jose Antonio Aboitiz (right) and member Romelinda Garces (left) .

Talleco, on the other hand, is one of Cebu City’s newest business process outsourcing companies. Talleco’s more than a hundred employees serve clients worlwide including companies in the advertising industry.

Accepting Talleco’s membership plaque is its chief information officer, Mr. Tom Escano (center).

Native trees to be restored in Buhisan

Native trees to be restored in Buhisan
By Candeze R. Mongaya
Cebu Daily News
March 12, 2012

Concerted effort from various stakeholders in Cebu is needed to save the local watersheds, a conservationist said.

The lush 360-hectare forest with indigenous trees that is the Buhisan Watershed and Forest Reserve boasts a variety of ecotourism attractions for the nature enthusiast.

Architect Socorro Atega, executive director of the Cebu Uniting for Sustainable Waters (CUSW), said the Buhisan Ecotourism destination is one way of encouraging environmental sustainability and letting the public understand their role as stewards of the environment.

“We should educate our constituents. Most of us don’t realize that we have the responsibility of taking care of our water resources,” Atega said during the Hambin Monthly forum in the Cathedral Museum yesterday afternoon.

Atega talked of Buhisan as an ecocultural heritage tourist destination for Cebu. He said the area has lots of potential for tourism aside from being a water source.

The Buhisan Dam, along with the Fuente Osmena Circle, celebrated its 100th anniversary of operation last February 13.

The circle is a waterworks project inaugurated in 1912 and considered as one of Cebu City’s historical sites. While Buhisan with its 60-hectare pond area is the only surface water source tapped by Metropolitan Cebu Water District.

The dam produces 5,000 to 10,000 cubic meters of water per day and provides 5 percent of the MCWD water supply.

Last year, new projects in the watershed like the garden for endemic butterflies, including the Jumalone butterflies only found in Cebu was opened to the public.

Atega said they are also designing programs for the livelihood of upland communities. Among the livelihood opportunities would be in ecotourism where locals will serve as tourist guides.

Atega said they will also prioritize the development of water and forest sustainability that will center on the program of planting native trees species in the watershed.

“We would like to replace our exotic species with native tree species,” Atega said. He added that exotic species will hinder development on the lower portion of the ecosystem leaving the soil under thick trees barren and vulnerable to erosion and siltation of the surface water source.

Many exotic trees like mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), gmelina (Gmelina arborea) and teak trees (Tectona grandis) were planted in the watershed areas years ago before the advantages of native tree species were noted by conservationists. Some exotic species are known to be invasive and can cause permanent changes in natural forest habitats.

Among the indigenous seedlings in the area are mabolo, tipolo, banilad, dakit and Cebu cinnamon. Many conservationists are now advocating restoring indigenous tree species as the best approach to forest ecosystem restoration and conservation.

She said the program is still undergoing “polishing,” especially on the training of the community on the ecotourism.

Atega said they are hoping to open the area for eco-tourism within the year.

Initially, the plan includes a Buhisan Watershed and Forest Reserve Nature Center, which is in the middle of the trees, that will house the historical and ecological facts about the watershed.

Behind the center is a two-level pond that will save rainwater runoff. Atega said they would also put tilapia fish in the pond.

A nursery for seedlings sponsored by the Philippine Business for Social Progress will house indigenous tree species to be planted in the area.

The track from the center to the pond near the dam is lined with mahogany, teak, and gmelina trees as old as 50 years.

They provided alternative livelihood for nearby residents like vermi composting, planting of crops and raising livestock as alternatives to illegal logging and charcoal making.

PBSP empowers Pinoys via sustainable programs

PBSP empowers Pinoys via sustainable programs 
By Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento 
The Freeman
March 08, 2012

CEBU, Philippines - Standing as a sturdy channel for business executives of large companies, a non-government organization known as Philippine Business for Social Progress strategically manages sustainable programs to deliver social responsibility to the Filipino citizenry.

Founded by 50 Filipino business leaders in December 1970, PBSP now is a corporate-led organization of 250 member companies unified towards socio-economic progress.

PBSP executives, along with social development professionals, continue to develop strategies and sustainable programs empowering the poor towards self-reliance.

Visayas Regional Operations Manager Jessie Cubijano said that the business sector felt the need to contribute to the sustainability of the environment and the development of the society.

He added that with the help of the financial resources from local member companies and international leverage funds from Europe, Australian and United States, the foundation deliberately operates nationwide through programs on health, education, environment and livelihood and enterprise.

In support of the Millennium Development Goals, PBSP makes sure that the impact to the society is holistic and maintainable.

Responding to climate change, the foundation commits itself to reforest some of the country’s critical watersheds and ensure water supply.

Moreover, it focuses on projects in capacitating rural health units to increase detection, cure and prevention rate on diseases especially tuberculosis.

PBSP also aims to help promote quality education among children through constructing classrooms nationwide, providing books and other school supplies and offering educational assistance.

In assistance of poverty-reduction in the country, PBSP leads programs on community-based sustainable livelihood and enterprise development, trainings, business advisory, and market development support in which people living in the communities learn the discipline of entrepreneurship and the value of sustainable income.

“We base our income projects that the market is ready for it. These projects must be within the value chain to ensure sustainable income for the people. We nurture the group but we still ensure we do not create the line of dependency,” Cubijano said.

He added that the foundation aims to promote financial and organizational development and the capacity to link with other partners in the business sectors which overall leads to self-reliance among people.

Meanwhile, a joint initiative between PBSP and the Deutsche Gessellschaft fur Internationale Zummenarbeit (GIZ) since 2004 has created Strategic Corporate-Community Program (SCOPE) which supports Philippine-based companies to engage communities and marginalized groups in income generating activities that are related to companies' core businesses.

PBSP Program Officer for Strategic Corporate for Local Development Cris Evert Lato said that the SCOPE has helped the private sectors in doing their business, opening various and more income opportunities for Filipinos in return.

“This program is actually a business-friendly approach to Corporate Social Responsibility. And at the end of the day, we are actually helping the people at the same time,” she told The Freeman.

Lato also enumerated some running programs of SCOPE such as the private sector’s effort in enterprise development, youth empowerment through skills training, youth training on welding and additional income for rice farmers through peanut growing.

SCOPE does not aim to create a new product but to take part in existing products; thus producing skilled vendors and quality semi-processed products for a prevailing market and creating a win-win situation between the enterprise and the local community.

PBSP, now a 41-year old association, is governed by 21-member Board of Trustees (BOT) who sets policies related to programs, resources, management and investment.

Manuel Pangilinan of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. stands as the chairman of the national BOT together with PBSP Executive Director Rafael Lopa and Visayas Executive Committee Chairman Jose Antonio Aboitiz.

Nominated by a trustee committee and appointed by the full board, PBSP trustees generally serve two three-year terms, all committed towards a collectively defined development goal.

Hard times longer for quake victims

Hard times longer for quake victims
By Cris Evert Lato
Inquirer Visayas
March 2, 2012

GUIHULNGAN CITY—Whenever a truckload of relief packs pulls over the narrow street of Sitio Larena 1 in Barangay Poblacion, couple Edgar and Casiana Absin drop whatever they are doing and run fast to make it to the line.

This has been a common scenario for two weeks since a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Guihulngan City and its neighboring towns in Negros Oriental.

“We won’t go home because there’s no food. Our barangay officials told us to just stay in one place so that relief goods would just be delivered in one place,” Edgar, 47, a pedicab driver, said in Cebuano.

The couple and their seven children live near the Guihulngan River in Poblacion, but they chose to put up their own tent in Larena, along with 30 other families. They survive each day on relief packs given by government agencies and private organizations.

The gymnasium of Negros Oriental State University in Guihulngan has been converted into a relief distribution center. Among its volunteers are families affected by the earthquake.

Young volunteer
Ten-year-old Keen Hailey Pitogo, along with her parents and brother, has been helping a team from the Philippine Business for Social Progress in packing relief goods for 1,700 households in Barangay Kagawasan, Guihulngan; Barangay Solonggon, La Libertad, and Jimalalud town.

“My parents have taught us to help those in need, especially that we are so lucky that no one got hurt in our family,” Keen said.

The girl has not been attending classes for two weeks. Her school, St. Francis College, was damaged by the temblor.

Thirty-nine people died because of the earthquake, 22 of them from hardest-hit Barangay Planas in Guihulngan, Councilor Ana Carla Villarmente said. Five students died from falling school walls and roofs.

City engineer Harold Indab placed damage to public infrastructure at P188 million. This includes government buildings, bridges and the Vicente Vergara Wharf, Guihulngan’s fastest gateway to Cebu province.

At least 500 porters and small eatery owners in the wharf were displaced.

Mary Susan Fortich, manager of PAR Shipping Transport, which operates passenger and cargo vessels, moved operations to their private wharf in Barangay Basak, also in Guihulngan. The company does not charge passage and wharfage fees to groups transporting relief goods and other materials, she said.

“Never did we imagine that this will happen. We improve this wharf for private use. God has a reason why he let us work on this so we can still help people. This is our way of giving back,” Fortich said.

School woes
At the main campus of Guihulngan National High School, principal Geronimo Ygona implemented a double-session class scheme so as not to disrupt school operations. Classes have two shifts—8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

“We have to do this since we now lack more classrooms. By the start of classes last year, we needed 53 classrooms, but we only have 37. With the earthquake, we lost nine classrooms, including a two-story building,” Ygona said.

She said the school was used as temporary shelter for 225 families from Barangays Mabunga, T. Hill and Poblacion, who occupy tents put up on the school grounds.

Moreover, the school needs 80 teachers but it has only 55. Total student population is 2,700, including 77 in an annex campus in the mountain barangay of Magsaysay.

In another upland barangay of Tacpao, 20 kilometers from the city center, Hazel Rebusquillo, the manager of Lag-asan Elementary School on the foothills of steep mountains, has asked the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to investigate cracks in the school building.

“Cracks in various places are reported every now and then. We can only pray and hope for the best. We continue to ask help from people with generous hearts to help us,” Councilor Villarmente said.

Seventy pupils would be transferred to another school in the village proper and to Lip-o Elementary School in Barangay Sandayao, she said.

Firm workers hold seedling maintenance

Firm workers hold seedling maintenance 
Sun.Star Cebu 
March 1, 2012 

Living up to its commitment to protect the environment, a group of employees from Cebu Home Builders and Centre recently held a “seedling maintenance” at the Mananga Watershed in Cantipla, Cebu City.

As its annual activity, the group conducted the weeding and fertilizing of the seedlings maintained by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).

The employees used organic fertilizer made from worm’s dung.

With the theme, “Go Green, Live Green,” the seedling maintenance is the firm’s way of promoting a green environment, and aims to provide its clientele eco–friendly building materials.

A member of PBSP served as the guide of the employees in the activity, who also gave a brief discussion on how the seedling maintenance would benefit the plants and the environment.