The 2nd Olango Challenge

Dear Friends,

It is with great pride that Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), along with the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association (PASA) present the 2nd OLANGO CHALLENGE, a fund and awareness raising swim for the benefit of the people of Olango Island. This is the second open-water marathon swim in the Philippines, and for this year, the course will take a northward bearing of approximately six kilometers and running parallel to the Mactan Island shoreline facing the Gilutongan Channel.

Last year’s 5-kilometer swim across the Gilotungan channel successfully contributed to the Olango Island Development Program (OIDP) where proceeds from the funds raised allowed for the construction of a classroom for Canadagsao Elementary School, Barangay Talima, on Olango Island. The goal of the OIDP is to improve the lives of some 2,300 families on Olango Island in the delivery of basic social services, the availability of sustainable income opportunities and the rehabilitation of the unique environment of the island. The OIDP has gained fround towards its goals but continues to require financial support to sustain the program’s operations. As such, the OLANGO CHALLENGE will allow for further construction of classrooms, fund livelihood projects and establish more marine sanctuaries on Olango.

PBSP and PASA will be pleased to receive interested swimmers, competitive and enthusiast alike, to the 2nd OLANGO CHALLENGE, which will once again be proudly held in the Province of Cebu. On April 18, 2009 - a hundred swimmers will swim again, supporting the people of Olango. This is not just a race in the spirit of competitive sport, but more importantly assists the OIDP to achieve its goals for the people of Olango Island, whose lives are shaped by the sea that surrounds them. The 2nd OLANGO CHALLENGE will provide a venue for boosting efforts being undertaken to help fulfill the core mission of PBSP – that of uplifting Filipinos from poverty.

We invite your participation to become part of this unique event. Come and swim with us!

Jose Antonio Aboitiz
Chairman, PBSP in the Visayas

Mark P. Joseph
President, PASA
Deputy Secretary General, Philippine Olympic Committee


Visit the 2nd Olango Challenge blog site:

http://olangochallenge.wordpress.com/

Taking on the Mactan challenge

First posted 23:18:24 (Mla time) February 21, 2009
Tina Arceo-Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MACTAN, Cebu, Philippines—When the Creator populated the seas with rich marine life, he decided to give the Gilutungan channel facing this tourist enclave more than its fair share.

Magnificent sharks, numerous species of corals, gliding manta rays, bright aquarium fish and graceful dolphins are just some of the citizens of this vital waterway that separates Mactan from the island of Olango.

With such a rich tapestry of colors and vibrant life under the sea, it is no wonder that this small coastal barangay about 30 minutes away from Cebu City has become a major tourist capital.

No less than international chains such as Hilton and Shangri-la decided to invest in large resort hotels here to cater to the steady train of local and foreign visitors.

These international and local firms realize, however, that the money-toting visitors will stop coming if they do not take care of the fragile marine ecosystem that supports the billion-peso tourism industry here.

Lose them and they lose their revenue.

This realization spurred the revival of Oceancare, a marine environment advocacy group composed of different groups with a stake in the health of Mactan.

It is dedicated to protect and rehabilitate the marine environment of Mactan island and the connected ecosystems.

A similar group was actually set up in 2003 but it fell by the wayside because of factors such as lack of commitment and focus.

The present crop of members has thus committed itself to not repeating the mistakes of the past.

Oceancare president Jose Antonio Aboitiz tells the Inquirer that the group was reconvened in July last year through the efforts of the Philippine Business for Social Progress because of the urgent need to take major steps to keep environmental degradation at bay while ensuring continued livelihood for the over 23,000 families who live in the area.

“We are organizing the different stakeholders and educating them so that they will realize that they are sitting on a marine ecosystem that is so valuable,” says Aboitiz, who also chairs the Visayas committee of PBSP. “We have a vested interest in together improving the environment.”

Aboitiz says Mactan can boast of being one of the best dive sites in the country and among the most accessible especially to foreigners, considering that it is just around 20 minutes from the Mactan International Airport.

“It really is quite unique,” says Aboitiz, an avid diver himself.

Since PBSP spearheaded the revival of Oceancare last year, the membership has been growing steadily. It now counts the major hotels and resorts among its members, as well as the souvenir shops, restaurants, real estate developers, dive shops and scuba diving schools.

Raymond Bragg, general manager of the Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa, says Shangri-La is an active partner in Oceancare because its programs tie in nicely with Shangri-La’s own ongoing efforts to not just take care of its immediate environment, but also to touch the lives of the community in which Shangri-La operates.

For Bragg, who also sits as vice president of Oceancare, the motivation is simple: If we do not take care of the environment, we will not have a beautiful resort.

With more hotels and resorts coming together, it is hoped that there will be equitable rules and guidelines for the management of the marine environment.

This means that there will be even more strict enforcement of prohibitions on throwing trash into the sea and the excessive extraction of marine resources like fish and shells.

It is also the group’s goal to bring about more order in the holding of water sports or recreation activities just so that swimmers or divers on one part of the marine system will not be over by the jet ski, for instance, from another resort.

Aboitiz says that there are also serious efforts to establish a recompression facility on Mactan Island to treat decompression sickness. This will help bring in more divers to the island since they know that there are appropriate medical facilities on hand in case they get sick.

“We also want to see more marine protected areas on both sides of the channel to further improve the marine life,” he says.

Oceancare certainly has its work cut out for it, especially since it takes years for any efforts to bear fruit. But Aboitiz is confident that the seeds of closer cooperation have been planted for the benefit of Mactan Island.

“This is a kind of work that goes beyond boundaries and political groups,” Aboitiz says. “We are all just working together to bring the marine environment of Mactan to its full potential.”

PBSP calls on businesses for help

Sun*Star Cebu
Thursday, February 19, 2009

EVEN though the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) implements programs that assist various communities, an official of the group said there is still “more to be done” to help underprivileged Filipinos.

Jose Antonio Aboitiz, chairman of the PBSP Visayas executive committee, said the goup cannot do everything.

“That is why we need everybody’s help,” he told Sun.Star Cebu.

As part of its priority for this year, Aboitiz said PBSP will focus on increasing its membership to be able to expand to more areas and raise more funds.

During the 21st Visayas Annual Membership Meeting last Wednesday, Aboitiz reported that PBSP was able to reach 200,000 Filipinos nationwide under its poverty reduction program. Last year, the Visayas group was able to help 27,000 families.

PBSP has programs related to education, health services, access to clean water, job creation and environmental conservation.

Aboitiz said that at the end of 2008, the PBSP was able to raise about P75.8 million from members’ contributions and P247.6 million from donor agencies.

Last year, PBSP installed potable water sources, provided support for micro, small and medium entrepreneurs for job creation, widened access to family healthcare and upgraded the services of local healthworkers.

In his report, Aboitiz described the PBSP as a “unifying force” in the country’s business community as it implements workable solutions to address poverty, ignorance and environmental concerns.

Aboitiz told member-companies that venturing into social development should remain the priority of businesses.

He said PBSP’s efforts can be measured in the number of people who have benefited from its projects. (DME)

NGOs to get training on teaching kids formation school lessons

Sun*Star Cebu
Wednesday, February 25, 2009

A FORMATION school curriculum, which used to be accessible only to the upper end market, is going to be adopted by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) as part of its education programs for “economically disadvantaged” families.

The Pearl Principle Formation Program, which was first started by the Centre for International Education (CIE) two years ago, will be implemented by PBSP’s partner cooperatives and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and targets children from four to eight years old.

Last week, PBSP’s Visayas Executive Committee Chairman Jose Antonio Aboitiz signed a memorandum of agreement with CIE, represented by its president Nelia Sarcol.

Aboitiz said the Pearl program will help develop children to become passionate, ethical, action-oriented and results-focused leaders of society.

Aside from value formation, the program will also aim to develop a sense of appreciation for life.

In an interview last week, Virgilio Paralisan, CIE’s assistant vice president for administration, explained the Pearl program is a special and high standard curriculum and uses unconventional methods of teaching.

Paralisan added the Pearl program implements a “same intelligence” approach when teaching the children.

“There is no social-economic structure, so everybody is treated equally and education should be an equalizer,” he said.

But Paralisan clarified that the Pearl program, when implemented by a partner cooperative or NGO, will not be for free.

Social enterprise

Instead, it will be a social enterprise similar to public schools where minimal fees will be collected.

He said parents who invest on their children’s education are the ones more likely to want their children to finish school.

Under the PBSP program, the Tabok Workers’ Multi-Purpose Cooperative (TWMPC) has been pre-qualified to implement the program for the dependents of its members.

CIE will be helping TWMPC come up with a business plan and identified teachers of the cooperative will be trained during this year’s teachers’ summer camp. (DME)

Give more, PBSP Chair Manny Pangilinan challenges companies

Positive News Media
Feb 16, 2009 - 1:44:04 PM

MANILA, Feb. 17 (PNA) -– Difficult times call for bold measures, including giving even more money and resources to social development projects that are designed to help free the majority of Filipinos from the grip of poverty.

According to Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of the Philippine Business for Social Progress, the country’s largest corporate-led social development foundation, the global economy is in the middle of a serious crisis and consequently, corporate profitability is adversely threatened.

But this should not prevent the private sector from doing its share in reducing the incidence of poverty in the Philippines. On the contrary, companies should find ways to even increase their funding support for social development.

“It is precisely at this time when that support is most needed, when people are out in the streets without a job, when reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development must not be set aside in the midst of a downturn,” said Pangilinan in a speech during the recent Annual Membership Meeting and 38th Foundation Day Celebration of the PBSP.

“With a difficult period ahead of us, we should be compelled to do more and to give more, both for altruism and our own survival. There will be new needs and urgent calls that we must respond to, some of them outside our corporate paradigm and comfort zone,” Pangilinan said, “We will need to marshal more resources and work more strategically and synergistically to help those who are most needy.”

“The times offer us the opportunity to commit more support for programs that will mitigate the plight of many, if not the majority, of our countrymen. As we see it, our current programs are the appropriate response in this critical situation, and must be vigorously pursued,” added Pangilinan, who also chairs the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.

PBSP has certainly done its share.

Pangilinan reported that last year, PBSP member companies contributed P75.84 million for social development projects – the largest contribution so far realized in the foundation’s 38-year history and it was able to generate P247.6 million from donor agencies and partners during the year.

Over P300 million went to fund various projects nationwide, reaching 200,000 poor Filipinos through its education, enterprise development, health and water, and area resource management projects.

PBSP’s membership increased to 238 and it reached out to over 300 companies to help them implement their own corporate citizenship programs.

“We can thereby say with confidence that we have played our part in the war on poverty and its many dimensions, thus helping our country meet its Millennium Development Goals,” Pangilinan said.

PBSP remains steadfast in its commitment to pursue its projects even as the adverse effects of the financial crisis are already starting to be felt.

Among the projects PBSP has lined up for this year are:

1. Expansion of area resource management program to 250 communities to reach 250,000 Filipinos.

2. Make schooling accessible to more children, improve facilities and train teachers, particularly in Mindanao.

3. Connect 1,000 schools to the Internet by the end of 2010.

4. Create 24,000 jobs this year by reaching out to more micro, small and medium-scale enterprises.

5. Help prevent tuberculosis and provide access to potable water.

To pursue these projects, PBSP plans to increase assistance through grants and financial advances by 35 percent from P301 million to P417 million; allot P200 million in development loans to micro, small and medium scale enterprises, up from P41 million in 2008; increase revenues by 28 percent to P468 million from P365 million and increase expenses by 36 percent, which will go to grants, donations and project-related expenses.

The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) is the largest corporate-led, non-profit social development foundation in the Philippines. PBSP is at the forefront in the fight against poverty through trailblazing programs developed and implemented with the strategic commitment of more than 230 PBSP member-companies, and corporate citizenship partners.
PBSP operates nationwide, with programs in Education, Enterprise Development, Health and Water, and Area Resource Management. Working with partners and communities, PBSP’s programs assist the poor towards self-reliance and improved quality of life.(PNA)

The 21st Visayas Annual Membership Meeting: The Sounds & Images Part 1

21st PBSP Visayas Annual Membership Meeting

February 18, 2009, Casino Español de Cebu, Cebu City

Corporate Citizenship in the Face of Challenges

"Every year, we of PBSP in the Visayas go the distance to gather all of you in this annual occasion so we may honor your invaluable contributions to PBSP’s human development accomplishments. The VAMM is all about you. The challenging paths that PBSP has chosen to trek all these years became more bearable and the horizons we aimed to reach sparkled with inspiration because of you who have selflessly helped us along the way." Mr. Jose Antonio Aboitiz, Chairman of PBSP in the Visayas and Representative of Aboitiz & Company, welcomed the guests of PBSP's 21st Visayas Annual Membership Meeting.
In her acknowledgment of guests, PBSP Visayas Executive Committee Member and Partner of SGV & Co., Ms. Maria Madeira R. Vestil quoted a great statesman of the world, Winston Churchill, “If we are together, nothing is impossible. If we are divided all will fail.” Ms. Vestil further added that “throughout the years, PBSP has realized numerous possibilities, positive differences in the lives of thousands of families, because each and every one of you (member companies and partners) helped us meet our goals.”


Mr. Jose Levi S. Villanueva, Vice Chairman of PBSP Visayas Executive Committee and Senior Vice President of Union Bank of the Philippines, led the VIXCOM in welcoming three new member companies. Prior to the recognition of new member companies, Mr. Villanueva shared the Statement of Commitment crafted in 1970 by the 50 founding members of PBSP that closes in these inspired lines: “We hereby declare our commitment to the Philippine Business for Social Progress, which shall be private enterprise’s social development arm dedicated to the empowerment of the poor and the self-reliance of communities.”

The three new PBSP members are Espina, Perez-Espina & Associates, The Mayflower Inn, and Virginia Foods, Incorporated. PBSP’s roster of members is now 241.

Espina, Perez-Espina & Associates is a professional partnership composed of family members with expertise in architecture, engineering, planning, landscape architecture, and interior design.
Established in 1953, The Mayflower Inn Provides hotel quality service for businessmen and budget travelers and manages other popular Cebu City destinations such as Elicon House and West Gorordo Hotel.
Virginia Foods is Cebu-based meat processing company. It produces and distributes frozen processed meat and canned goods for consumers nationwide, and some of its popularly known products are El Rancho and Winner.

The three new member companies (from left): Architect Omar Maxwell Espina, Partner of Espina, Perez-Espina & Associates; Mr. Stanley Go, Vice President of Sales and Marketing of Virginia Foods, Inc.; and Mr. Jose Ma. Eliseo C. Lee, Chief Executive Officer of The Mayflower Inn.
“In my years as a journalist, I have had several encounters with real life challenges that have changed lives, altered history, and helped shape our ever evolving social consciousness. As a member of PBSP, I have had the privilege of getting front row seats to witness real people – farmers, fisher folks, urban poor workers, disaster victims, poor children, small entrepreneurs – overcoming life’s challenges to better serve their families and their communities.

“These are ordinary people. Their accomplishments are down to earth and simple. The challenges that they have faced are, in several respects, similar to the tests that have confronted many communities in our country and many societies in our world. But, their unheralded stories and unsung accomplishments have made positive differences in the places that they call home.”

Ms. Eileen G. Mangubat, VIXCOM Member and Publisher of Cebu Daily News, enlightened the 21st VAMM guests on the inspiring stories that will grace PBSP in the Visayas’ coffee table book project, “A Better Life, Stories of Corporate Social Responsibility,” that will come out in July 2009.

Ms. Mangubat asked the audience, “What color is your paddle?” For PBSP, the colored paddles that grace the 21st VAMM are symbolic of the corporate social responsibility projects engaged by Philippine business. The paddles – red for poverty reduction, green for environmental conservation, blue for health and water, yellow for education, and orange for enterprise development – have steered many communities and families to greater heights.

Atty. Hidelito Pascual, PBSP VIXCOM Member, Chairman of the Metro Cebu Workforce Development & Education Program, and Chairman of Organizational Performance Associates, Inc., introduced the Tabok Workers’ Multi-Purpose Cooperative. Tabok was formed in 1997 by Pacific Traders and Manufacturing Corporation and PBSP. Tabok is composed of skilled workers retrenched during the onslaught of the 1997 Asian Economic crisis.

The story of Tabok Workers’ Multi-Purpose Cooperative is a story of the triumph of the human spirit. Tabok embraced the challenge of Pacific Traders and PBSP by forming themselves into a cooperative. Today, they are one of the subcontractors of Pacific Traders, have over 1,000 members from the original 90, have their own building and workplace, and possess at least P10 million in assets. This triumphant story was delivered by Tabok’s Board of Director, Mr. Francisco Bakunawa, a founding member of Tabok.

The VIXCOM honored an outgoing PBSP member – Mr. N. Tolentino Gallares of First Consolidated Bank (FCB) for his six years of service. Accepting the plaque of appreciation is Mr. Dionisio Baseleres (center) of FCB and a new VIXCOM member. With him are VIXCOM members, Mr. Ricardo Santiago of PASAR Corporation & Mr. Aboitiz.

The path to a better life was also taken by a PBSP partner – the Center for International Education (CIE) via its Pearl Principle Formation School or PPFS. A PPFS is a provider of quality basic education for children ages four to eight years old. It is also a social enterprise because it will be managed by a cooperative, a community-based organization, or an NGO. Pearls stand for Passionate, Ethical, Action-oriented, Results-focused, Leaders of Society.

With the guidance of CIE and PBSP, a new PPFS will be administered by the Tabok Workers’ Multi-Purpose Cooperative. Signing the memorandum of agreement, from left, are Mr. Francisco Bakunawa of Tabok, Prof. Nelia Cruz Sarcol, Founding President of CIE; Mr. Jose Antonio Aboitiz.

21st PBSP Visayas Annual Membership Meeting: The Sounds & Images Part 2

More than 200 guests attended the 21st VAMM, majority of which came from the business sector – the heart of PBSP. Other guests represented the government, consulates, donor agencies, non-government organizations, community-based organizations, academe and media.

Mr. Wilsong Ng of Ng Khai Development Corporation – a PBSP member company – led his band, The Asian Troubadours, in delivering the Doxology and the Philippine National Anthem. The Asian Troubadours earlier treated the guests to renditions of modern classics.












The 21st VAMM exhibit at the lobby of Casino Español de Cebu was an elaborate retrospection of PBSP’s 21-year presence in the Visayas. Since PBSP first opened its Visayas Regional Office in Cebu City in 1988, more than 1,400 projects worth P498.9 million have been implemented in 13 provinces. Of the total projects, 75% focused on poverty reduction and enterprise development, while the other 25% were dedicated for education, health and water, and environmental conservation.


The efficient registration process was made possible by Ng Khai Development Corporation – a proud PBSP member company.

A Better Life: Stories of Corporate Social Responsibility

YELLOW means freedom from ignorance.
At PBSP, we empower children and youth through quality education.

BLUE means better health and cleaner water.
At PBSP, we secure access to clean water and quality health care for the poor.

RED means a little less poverty.
At PBSP, we provide sustainable livelihood to reduce poverty in many communities.

GREEN means giving back what we take out.
At PBSP, we go the distance to heal the environment.

ORANGE means growing healthy enterprises.
At PBSP, we pool technical and financial resources to spur the growth of small business.


A Better Life honors Corporate Social Responsibility. The dimensions of A Better Life are 12 x 12 inches and 12 x 24 inches when spread. There are 200 full color pages. Proceeds of A Better Life will fund reforestation projects in the Central Cebu Protected Landscape and Olango Island. A Better Life is coming out this July 2009!

Be part of A Better Life. Be a Cebu Flowerpecker sponsor at P100,000. Flowepeckers get two (2) pages and a one-hectare reforestation site named after the company. Or be a Cebu Black Shama or Siloy sponsor at P50,000. Siloys get one page and will be involved in the PBSP’s reforestation caravans. Sponsors will receive complementary copies of A Better Life and will be featured in the project’s promotional activities.

For more information, please contact Jessie Cubijano (jmcubijano@pbsp.org.ph) or Malu Largo (mblargo@pbsp.org.ph) at (032) 232-5270 or 232-5283. Visit PBSP in the Visayas at the 4/F PLDT Building, Juan Luna Ave., Mabolo, Cebu City.

Be part of A Better Life!

Firms urged to do CSR

Sun.Star Cebu
February 19, 2009

THE chairman of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Visayas executive committee is encouraging more homegrown companies to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs.

PBSP Visayas executive committee chairman Jose Antonio Aboitiz said that if more local companies implement CSR projects, the community would reap more benefits.

Aboitiz, who represents the Aboitiz group in the PBSP, said out of 54 PBSP member companies in Cebu, 45 are local firms while the others are branches of multinational corporations.

But this number is only 25 percent of the 241 total member-base of PBSP nationwide.

Aboitiz, in an interview during the PBSP Visayas annual membership meeting yesterday, said recruitment for new members was “fairly good” last year.

New members

Yesterday, PBSP welcomed three new members, all homegrown Cebuano companies. These are Virginia Foods Inc., Mayflower Inn and Espina, Perez and Espina, a professional service provider for architecture, engineering and planning. The companies committed to allot a part of their income to social development.

Stanley Go, vice president for sales and marketing of Virginia Foods, told Sun.Star Cebu that the company was first interested to adopt a school near its plant in Compostela town through the “Balik Baterya Program.”

Under the program, the adopted school will receive P40,000 in school supplies once the host company collects a certain number of batteries for recycling.

“It will allow us to give back to the community where we are operating,” he said.

Go heard that PBSP’s programs are aligned with what Virginia Foods intends to do. “So we (decided to) course (our project) through PBSP since we don’t have a foundation,” he added.

Despite present financial conditions, Aboitiz said, PBSP will not cut its budget for different programs. Instead, the group will focus on expanding its flagship Area Resource Management (ARM) program, he added.

At present, there are 10 ARM areas nationwide, eight of which are based in the Visayas. The ARM program aims to provide basic health services, education and access to clean water, as well as raise awareness on environmental protection among underprivileged communities in the country. (DME)

21st Visayas Annual Membership Meeting

21st Visayas Annual Membership Meeting
Wednesday, February 18, 2009, Casino Español de Cebu, Cebu City

Corporate Citizenship in the Face of Challenges

Cebu Daily News
18 February 2009

The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) in the Visayas is holding its 21st Visayas Annual Membership Meeting (VAMM) today, February 18, 2009, at the Salon de España, Casino Español de Cebu, Cebu City. The theme of the 21st VAMM is “Corporate Citizenship in the Face of Challenges.” PBSP is a private and non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting business sector commitment to social development.

More than a decade ago, the Philippines was also gripped by the Asian Economic Crisis, which retrenched thousands of workers. At that time, PBSP was implementing the Metro Cebu High Growth Area Program. Our goal then was to equip Cebuano workers with skills that would match the requirements of new industries, majority of which focused on exports. The financial crash turned the city’s priority on its head with the issue no longer on the quality of workers, but the availability of jobs itself.

PBSP responded to the challenge and launched the Metro Cebu Workforce Development and Education Program (MCWDEP). PBSP organized the retrenched workers into workers’ cooperatives. Today, assisted coops continue to earn income through production of furniture, fashion accessories and house wares, food processing, and community-based enterprises. MCWDEP is one of eight poverty reduction programs managed by PBSP in the Visayas.

Promoting Corporate Citizenship in the Visayas

The commitment of the Visayas business sector to PBSP’s efforts in the region became indelible with the creation of the Visayas Executive Committee in 1987. The following year, the PBSP Visayas Regional Office was opened. By 1989, PBSP partnered with the Cebu City Government and Cebu business sector for the Cebu Hillyland Development Program to address two challenges – poverty and environmental degradation in the hillylands. Through the years, 12 more provinces in the Visayas were reached through 1,400 projects worth P498.9 million.

Poverty reduction in Cebu

In the Cebu hillylands, the Cebu Watershed Management Program is making positive changes in the lives of 2,500 families. Before, hillylands residents were unaware of the high value crops that can be yielded by their vast agricultural lands. With PBSP’s assistance, they now produce high value vegetables, cutflowers, abaca and organic fertilizers,and raise livestock to augment their income.

More than 5,000 hectares have been reforested through partnerships with business, government, donor agencies and communities. In 2008, the Save the Buhisan Watershed Project was launched. PBSP aims to rehabilitate Buhisan, provide income opportunities for its poor residents, and transform it into an eco-tourism destination.

The Metro Cebu Workforce Development and Education Program (MCWDEP) continues to assist workers cooperatives and community-based organizations. Under the quality education advocacy of MCWDEP, PBSP supports the high school division of the Science and Technology Education Center, which pools together the best elementary graduates and provides them with information and communication technology (ICT)-based instructions recommended by the business community.

Meanwhile, Coalition for Better Education brings together representatives from business, academe, government and civil society to improve the education curriculum, hones teachers for competence in ICT for education, in teaching Science, Mathematics, English and values, and involves the larger community as education stakeholders.

PBSP further responded to poverty and environmental degradation in Olango Island. Through the Olango Island Development Program, PBSP provides family health services such as medicines, consultations, feeding and family planning counseling while sanitary toilets and potable water systems were constructed. Twenty hectares of mangrove sites have been reforested while environmental education is taught in the island’s public elementary schools.

In 2008, PBSP in partnership with the Philippine Amateur Swimming Association and Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa, held the first Olango Challenge: Swim for A Cause. Seventy-three swimmers crossed the five-kilometer wide Gilutungan channel to vie for gold, raise funds for livelihood and education projects, promote environmental conservation and educate the public about the importance of swimming.

Rebuilding lives through sustainable disaster response

In 2006, the landslide in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte almost buried the dreams of people in the village of Guinsaugon. PBSP and its donors and partners helped the landslide survivors spring back to life through productive activities such as the production of concrete hollow blocks and bamboo-based furniture, skills training on masonry and carpentry, vermiculture, growing of vegetables and ornamental plants, and processing of food and virgin coconut oil. Water, education and other basic social services were channeled to the rehabilitation site so the survivors are encouraged to start their lives anew.

The Southern Leyte Rehabilitation Program also made mariculture a viable livelihood option in the community. Today, Guinsaugon survivors have made St. Bernard an important supplier of large quantities of milkfish and high value fish species in Region 8.

In August 2006, a massive oil spill in the island province of Guimaras affected its primary source of income: fishing. PBSP provided alternative livelihood projects such as vegetable growing and hog raising. The people now also grow and market seaweeds to areas like Cebu.

In June 2008, Typhoon Frank ravaged Iloilo. Among the ravaged areas were the rice bowls of the province. In response, PBSP provided immediate relief assistance. As a long-term support, PBSP provided rice farmers access to financial assistance for training, technical support, and marketing of farm yields.

Innovative marine and upland technologies

Bohol used to be one of the poorest provinces in the country and the limited knowledge in farm productivity was one of the main causes of poverty. PBSP responded by implementing projects on palay trading and rice farming, which transformed the farmers into net rice exporters. Vegetable growing, livestock raising, agroforestry and consumer store operations were also introduced while households have accessed water for irrigation and domestic use.

Samar is the home of PBSP’s innovative Coastal and Upland Technology Testing and Verification Center. The center is located along Maqueda Bay, which provides food to 14 towns in Western Samar. The center has a multi-species hatchery containing fish fry and fingerlings that have high market values. Counteracting the depletion of Maqueda Bay, the center tests and validates culture systems of high value marine species. Tested technologies are adapted by fisher folk yielding for them better income.

Planting the seed of Corporate Citizenship

The eight ARM programs in the Visayas reached 27,000 families in 2008 alone. After 21 years in the Visayas, PBSP commits itself to more years of business empowering the poor. In the face of challenges, PBSP will continue planting the seeds of corporate citizenship to realize a collective goal – a better life for all Filipinos.

The establishment of PBSP in 1970 was a revolutionary move by the Philippine business community---strategic response to the socio-economic turmoil of the times. Fifty of the country’s top business leaders consolidated their efforts to uplift the quality of life of the Filipino poor through PBSP. Since then, PBSP’s programs on livelihood and enterprise development, health and water, education and environmental conservation have reached four million Filipinos.

In 2008, PBSP’s membership grew to 238 companies from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. PBSP members contributed P75.84 million, which were leveraged to generate additional P247.60 million from donor agencies and other partners. More than 200,000 poor Filipinos benefited from PBSP’s grants and financial assistance in 2008 that reached P300.92 million.



PBSP’s Area Resource Management (ARM) Program

The Area Resource Management (ARM) is PBSP’s flagship poverty reduction program. ARM provides sustainable livelihood opportunities and enterprise development support to disadvantaged groups---landless rural workers, sustenance and marginal farmers and fisherfolk, disaster victims, and urban poor.

To ensure sustainability, ARM employs an integrated approach involving provision of access of the poor to basic social services, environmental conservation, livelihood generation, and creation of cooperatives and community-based organizations that will eventually implement the projects on their own when PBSP phases out.

Eight ARM programs are currently implemented in Cebu, Western Samar, Bohol, Guimaras, Southern Leyte, and Iloilo.

Message of Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

MESSAGE

Congratulations to the Philippine Business for Social Progress as you hold your 21st Visayas Annual Membership Meeting!

PBSP has shown that corporate citizenship can indeed improve lives. For nearly four decades, your 238 member companies and corporate social responsibility partners have vigorously implemented projects to fight poverty in the Philippines. Your programs on poverty reduction, health and water, education and enterprise development have improved the quality of life of many Filipinos in the Visayas, most especially in the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Guimaras, Iloilo, Samar, and Southern Leyte.

The theme of this year’s gathering, “Corporate Citizenship in the Face of Challenges,” demonstrates once again PBSP’s firm commitment to human development amidst the global economic crisis. More than ever, it is during these times that your corporate social responsibility would manifest their relevance. Our people, especially those in the depressed areas, would need your continued support.

Together, let us continue to enrich more lives and give hope to our people.

Mabuhay ang PBSP!


GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

MANILA
18 February 2009

21st Visayas Annual Membership Meeting

PBSP's 21st Visayas Annual Membership Meeting will be held this February 18, 2009, 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. at Salon de España, Casino Español de Cebu, V. Ranudo St. Cebu City. The Keynote Speaker is respected economist Prof. Solita Collas-Monsod.

For more information about PBSP's 21st Visayas Annual Membership Meeting, please call the PBSP Visayas Regional Office at (032) 232.5270 or 232.5283. You can also email at jmcubijano@pbsp.org.ph or mblargo@pbsp.org.ph.