Sun*Star Cebu
Monday, May 12, 2008
By Rachel Chloe Palang
UP Mass Comm Intern
THE usual creatures of the see had to make way as 73 pairs of arms and swigning legs braved through the five kilometer swimmer-meets-sea challenge through the Gilutungan channel last Saturday at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort.
Malu Largo, one of the organizers of the event and a member of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) said the objective of the unique swimming challenge was “to promote awareness of drowning incidents in the Philippines and raise funds for school buildings and livelihood opportunities in Olango Island.”
The first-ever open sea swimfest was made possible through the collaboration of PBSP and the Philippine Amateur Swimmers Association (Pasa).
Akiko Thompson, an Olympian and renowned swimmer and the secretary general for Pasa also took part in the swimming challenge for a cause.
“Swimming is my sport, I’ve always been passionate about it,” she said. “And the event was really timely. We had a great tie up with PBSP and hopefully this will become an annual event.”
The event was also a first in the Philippine swimming.
“This is the first open water swimming recorded in the Philippines,” said race director and coach Richard Luna of Pasa.
Aside from the bragging rights of being one the brave few who had crossed the channel, the top four swimmers who finished the race for the male and female categories will represent the country in the open water competition in the first Asian Beach Games in Bali, Indonesia this year.
Aboitiz’s idea
“This event was the idea of Tony Aboitiz and with the help of PBSP,” Luna said, “This event also allowed us to identify talents for open water swimming.”
The five-kilometer stretch made it an almost impossible feat and it comes as slight surprise that the first to finish the race was one of the youngest in the batch.
University of Cebu high school student and bemedaled swimmer Paula Abigail Vega, 15, was the first in the women’s category to finish the race.
“I’ve been swimming for 11 years,” she said, “and I really wanted to join this event because I know it will help a lot of people.”
Vega trains everyday including Saturdays. What led her to push forward and to finish the race was the frightening idea of sharks lurking beneath her.
“I was thinking about sharks. It was a good thing that my brother was beside me. He suddenly left me so I had to catch up.” Vega was also afraid that if she didn’t finish the race she would get envious.
“I was scared that I would be envious. I didn’t want to see only others finish (instead of me).”
Nikita Dacena, 17, and the first male to finish the race was excited that he could represent the Philippines in Bali.
“This is my first event and I did a lot of hard training for this,” he said, “since I finished first, I get to represent the Philippines in Bali.”
He trains everyday excluding weekends and goes to Trace College in Los Baños.
Alexander Reyes, 28, who finished last and wrapped up the whole event with his heroic arrival, joined the event for the fun and the cause.
“If I was swimming for myself, I would have given up,” he said, “and it feels great to finish it.”
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
RP water polo squad set for big splash
By Tina Arceo-Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: May 17, 2008
MACTAN, CEBU -- THEY POSSESS a buffed, well-defined build that even competitive swimmers gaze at with envy.
With their above-average height, broad shoulders, slim waist, trim hips, washboard abdomen and strong legs, they finished the 1st Olango Challenge: Swim for a Cause event held here last May 10 looking more like underwear models than athletes.
But the members of the Philippine water polo team are bona fide, elite athletes with legitimate achievements tucked under their elastic waistbands.
The national squad finished with a bronze medal during the 2003 Southeast Asian Games and silver medals during the next two meets in Manila in 2005 and Thailand last year.
Coach Ed San Pedro told the Inquirer that the team is confident it would eventually get its hands on the elusive gold as the current roster is one of the strongest ever assembled.
The 13-man team came from all over the Philippines and from different backgrounds, said San Pedro.
The oldest is 32-year-old Fraser Alamara from the Air Force and the youngest is 18-year-old Juancho Abejo of the University of the Philippines.
But they are all strong swimmers—some, like San Pedro, are former medalists in individual events—with the endurance and the strength required to hold their own against their opponents, who will kick, grab and pound them during the often brutal competitions.
Similar to football, the objective of water polo is to get the ball—a little bigger than a volleyball and with traction—past the opposing goalie and into the net. The playing field measures 25 x 30 meters.
There are seven players to a side, one goalie and six players—wingmen who set up the play, center forward and center back who are the main defenders and the drivers who are like strikers in football.
A game is divided into four quarters lasting eight minutes each. There is a two-minute break in between quarters and a five-minute rest at halftime.
It sounds like a short game, but it feels like an eternity to the players who jostle and fight for ball possession while treading water in the pool about seven meters deep.
“Any longer than eight minutes a quarter and we’ll die,” San Pedro said in jest.
The training routine is equally unforgiving.
San Pedro said that the water polo players start practice as early as 5 in the morning at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. They start off with stretching and running before they dive into the swimming pool and do laps for about an hour and a half.
Then they move on to ball handling skills—like throwing and juggling—and running through plays, which will take them another hour and a half. They cap off their routine with practice games until they knock off at 9 a.m.
The team—composed of 16 main players with eight in the training pool—is deep into practice sessions these days as they are preparing for a competition in Hong Kong and a friendly competition with the team from Romania later this year.
San Pedro said participating in the Olango Challenge—a five-kilometer open water swim across the Gilutongan Channel from Olango Island to Mactan Island—is part of the training.
It’s a big bonus that the team also helped raise funds to continue the sustainable efforts of the Philippine Business for Social Progress in Olango.
Olango is an island on the eastern side of Cebu province that is a vital component of the East Asian Migratory Flyway route of migratory birds, such as the Chinese egret, Asian dowticher and Eurasian curley.
For two months every year, tens of thousands of these birds make a pit stop in the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary and funds from the swim would be used to enhance the sanctuary and provide the residents with additional income.
“We are happy to take part in the program to test our endurance,” San Pedro said, “We are also glad to help in the program to raise funds for Olango.”
He is even more happy because one of the members of his team—23-year-old Raphael Evan Grabador—came in fourth with a time of one hour, nine minutes and 30 seconds, qualifying him and the three top placers to represent the Philippines in the marathon swimming event at the 1st Asian Beach Games in Bali, Indonesia on Oct. 18-26 this year.
San Pedro said the Philippines has actually been competing in international water polo competitions for more than two decades, but hardly anyone outside Metro Manila even know that the sport exists.
Popularity somehow picked up in 2005 when the water polo team bagged the first medal for the Philippines during the SEA Games, but San Pedro said that the team still has a long way to go in terms of recall.
“My vision is for the sport to be known outside the national capital region, for more universities to have a school team because it is really an enjoyable sport. It is challenging, both physically and mentally,” San Pedro said.
Not to mention that it sculpts bodies, too.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: May 17, 2008
MACTAN, CEBU -- THEY POSSESS a buffed, well-defined build that even competitive swimmers gaze at with envy.
With their above-average height, broad shoulders, slim waist, trim hips, washboard abdomen and strong legs, they finished the 1st Olango Challenge: Swim for a Cause event held here last May 10 looking more like underwear models than athletes.
But the members of the Philippine water polo team are bona fide, elite athletes with legitimate achievements tucked under their elastic waistbands.
The national squad finished with a bronze medal during the 2003 Southeast Asian Games and silver medals during the next two meets in Manila in 2005 and Thailand last year.
Coach Ed San Pedro told the Inquirer that the team is confident it would eventually get its hands on the elusive gold as the current roster is one of the strongest ever assembled.
The 13-man team came from all over the Philippines and from different backgrounds, said San Pedro.
The oldest is 32-year-old Fraser Alamara from the Air Force and the youngest is 18-year-old Juancho Abejo of the University of the Philippines.
But they are all strong swimmers—some, like San Pedro, are former medalists in individual events—with the endurance and the strength required to hold their own against their opponents, who will kick, grab and pound them during the often brutal competitions.
Similar to football, the objective of water polo is to get the ball—a little bigger than a volleyball and with traction—past the opposing goalie and into the net. The playing field measures 25 x 30 meters.
There are seven players to a side, one goalie and six players—wingmen who set up the play, center forward and center back who are the main defenders and the drivers who are like strikers in football.
A game is divided into four quarters lasting eight minutes each. There is a two-minute break in between quarters and a five-minute rest at halftime.
It sounds like a short game, but it feels like an eternity to the players who jostle and fight for ball possession while treading water in the pool about seven meters deep.
“Any longer than eight minutes a quarter and we’ll die,” San Pedro said in jest.
The training routine is equally unforgiving.
San Pedro said that the water polo players start practice as early as 5 in the morning at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. They start off with stretching and running before they dive into the swimming pool and do laps for about an hour and a half.
Then they move on to ball handling skills—like throwing and juggling—and running through plays, which will take them another hour and a half. They cap off their routine with practice games until they knock off at 9 a.m.
The team—composed of 16 main players with eight in the training pool—is deep into practice sessions these days as they are preparing for a competition in Hong Kong and a friendly competition with the team from Romania later this year.
San Pedro said participating in the Olango Challenge—a five-kilometer open water swim across the Gilutongan Channel from Olango Island to Mactan Island—is part of the training.
It’s a big bonus that the team also helped raise funds to continue the sustainable efforts of the Philippine Business for Social Progress in Olango.
Olango is an island on the eastern side of Cebu province that is a vital component of the East Asian Migratory Flyway route of migratory birds, such as the Chinese egret, Asian dowticher and Eurasian curley.
For two months every year, tens of thousands of these birds make a pit stop in the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary and funds from the swim would be used to enhance the sanctuary and provide the residents with additional income.
“We are happy to take part in the program to test our endurance,” San Pedro said, “We are also glad to help in the program to raise funds for Olango.”
He is even more happy because one of the members of his team—23-year-old Raphael Evan Grabador—came in fourth with a time of one hour, nine minutes and 30 seconds, qualifying him and the three top placers to represent the Philippines in the marathon swimming event at the 1st Asian Beach Games in Bali, Indonesia on Oct. 18-26 this year.
San Pedro said the Philippines has actually been competing in international water polo competitions for more than two decades, but hardly anyone outside Metro Manila even know that the sport exists.
Popularity somehow picked up in 2005 when the water polo team bagged the first medal for the Philippines during the SEA Games, but San Pedro said that the team still has a long way to go in terms of recall.
“My vision is for the sport to be known outside the national capital region, for more universities to have a school team because it is really an enjoyable sport. It is challenging, both physically and mentally,” San Pedro said.
Not to mention that it sculpts bodies, too.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Group, firms present 5-year plan for Cebu watershed development
Sun*Star Cebu
Monday, April 28, 2008
A five-year plan that will ensure safe drinking water for Cebu’s future generations was unveiled last Saturday by a group of business leaders and participated in by various Cebu-based companies.
In the plan, a nature center, butterfly sanctuary and camp site will be developed within the Buhisan Watershed.
The Buhisan Watershed covers 630 hectares out of the 29,000-hectare Central Cebu Protected Landscape.
The Save the Buhisan Watershed activity was in line with the Buhisan Watershed Integrated Development Project under the environmental advocacy program of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).
The project is also in line with the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG) led by Lexmark International Philippines Inc., being the head of the Visayas MDG Business and Environment Cluster.
Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. also co-heads the program.
Eileen Mangubat, chairperson of the PBSP Hillyland Development Committee, said the development will bring a “true park” for Cebuanos.
“It will make us appreciate the wealth we have in our backyard,” she said.
Jun Sarmiento, chairman of the MDG Business and Environment Cluster, said the activity manifests volunteerism on the part of the companies and allows participants to take part in a global movement.
“Protecting our environment is (like ensuring that) our children have a better future,” he added.
Aside from the environmental efforts, PBSP and the MDG Business and Environment Cluster will also implement livelihood projects that will help 498 households within the Buhisan Watershed.
The groups observed that it is important to extend alternative livelihood to Buhisan watershed residents since most of them rely on cutting trees that are converted to charcoal for income.
Buhisan Barangay Captain Rustica Asid said the activity is “very much welcome” since it will help the residents.
Since the activity was in line with the country’s Earth Day Celebration, the group also held a tree planting activity participated by employees of Lexmark International, Pilipinas Shell, Celestica, Airlift Asia and the Cebu Private Power Corp. (DME)
Monday, April 28, 2008
A five-year plan that will ensure safe drinking water for Cebu’s future generations was unveiled last Saturday by a group of business leaders and participated in by various Cebu-based companies.
In the plan, a nature center, butterfly sanctuary and camp site will be developed within the Buhisan Watershed.
The Buhisan Watershed covers 630 hectares out of the 29,000-hectare Central Cebu Protected Landscape.
The Save the Buhisan Watershed activity was in line with the Buhisan Watershed Integrated Development Project under the environmental advocacy program of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).
The project is also in line with the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG) led by Lexmark International Philippines Inc., being the head of the Visayas MDG Business and Environment Cluster.
Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. also co-heads the program.
Eileen Mangubat, chairperson of the PBSP Hillyland Development Committee, said the development will bring a “true park” for Cebuanos.
“It will make us appreciate the wealth we have in our backyard,” she said.
Jun Sarmiento, chairman of the MDG Business and Environment Cluster, said the activity manifests volunteerism on the part of the companies and allows participants to take part in a global movement.
“Protecting our environment is (like ensuring that) our children have a better future,” he added.
Aside from the environmental efforts, PBSP and the MDG Business and Environment Cluster will also implement livelihood projects that will help 498 households within the Buhisan Watershed.
The groups observed that it is important to extend alternative livelihood to Buhisan watershed residents since most of them rely on cutting trees that are converted to charcoal for income.
Buhisan Barangay Captain Rustica Asid said the activity is “very much welcome” since it will help the residents.
Since the activity was in line with the country’s Earth Day Celebration, the group also held a tree planting activity participated by employees of Lexmark International, Pilipinas Shell, Celestica, Airlift Asia and the Cebu Private Power Corp. (DME)
Buhisan dam eyed as ecotourism site
Cebu Daily News
27 April 2008
THE BUHISAN Watershed Rehabilitation Project will help ensure sustainable water for Cebu and at the same time improve the lives of local residents.
Plans include the development of a nature park, which broke ground yesterday with a tree-planting activity led by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) - Visayas.
“The goals of this project are to ensure sustainable water to the city, improve the quality of life of 498 families in Buhisan, and promote Buhisan as an eco-tourism destination,” said Engr. Jun L. Sarmiento, manager of Lexmark International Philippines Inc.
The rehabilitation of the Buhisan Watershed, which is part of a five-year plan of the PBSP - Visayas to realize the country’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for social development.
A tree-planting activity was done yesterday as part of the launching of the Save the Buhisan Watershed project.
It was participated by Lexmark, Shell, PBSP, Aboitiz, Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and the LGU of Buhisan. Cebu Daily News, as PBSP member, is a supporter of the project.
A nature park for families is in the blueprint. It includes plans for a picnic ground, view deck, campsite, nature center and a butterfly sanctuary, which will house 300 exotic species of butterflies.
Buhisan dam, built in 1910, is a a century-old public infrastructure that is part of a 631 hectare watershed.
It has a nine-hectare pond and can provide 5,000 to 10,000 cubic meters of water.
The watershed, which is a primary source of water to thousands of households, is part of the 29,000-hectare central Cebu protected landscape.
The project is also good economic opportunity for the Buhisan community and its neighboring barangays.Correspondent Marian Z. Codilla
27 April 2008
THE BUHISAN Watershed Rehabilitation Project will help ensure sustainable water for Cebu and at the same time improve the lives of local residents.
Plans include the development of a nature park, which broke ground yesterday with a tree-planting activity led by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) - Visayas.
“The goals of this project are to ensure sustainable water to the city, improve the quality of life of 498 families in Buhisan, and promote Buhisan as an eco-tourism destination,” said Engr. Jun L. Sarmiento, manager of Lexmark International Philippines Inc.
The rehabilitation of the Buhisan Watershed, which is part of a five-year plan of the PBSP - Visayas to realize the country’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for social development.
A tree-planting activity was done yesterday as part of the launching of the Save the Buhisan Watershed project.
It was participated by Lexmark, Shell, PBSP, Aboitiz, Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and the LGU of Buhisan. Cebu Daily News, as PBSP member, is a supporter of the project.
A nature park for families is in the blueprint. It includes plans for a picnic ground, view deck, campsite, nature center and a butterfly sanctuary, which will house 300 exotic species of butterflies.
Buhisan dam, built in 1910, is a a century-old public infrastructure that is part of a 631 hectare watershed.
It has a nine-hectare pond and can provide 5,000 to 10,000 cubic meters of water.
The watershed, which is a primary source of water to thousands of households, is part of the 29,000-hectare central Cebu protected landscape.
The project is also good economic opportunity for the Buhisan community and its neighboring barangays.Correspondent Marian Z. Codilla
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Guinsaugon gets new school building
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 03:40pm (Mla time) 03/03/2008
St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, Philippines — The survivors of the Guinsaugon landslide have received another school facility at their relocation site.
The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), the corporate social responsibility arm of various companies in the Philippines, turned over the four-classroom high school building to the municipality and the Department of Education in a ceremony here on Thursday.
Citigroup and United Way International funded the construction of the building.
The PBSP also handed over encyclopedias and other books for the school.
Children's Hour executive director Teresita Villacorta and Development Bank of the Philippines assistant vice president Bernardino Olayvar also handed out scholarship certificates to 13 elementary pupils from Guinsaugon.
The school building was the 15th that the Citigroup has built in the country under its project B.L.U.E (Building Literacy, Understanding and Education), according to Tomas Yap of Citigroup Philippines. /Inquirer
First Posted 03:40pm (Mla time) 03/03/2008
St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, Philippines — The survivors of the Guinsaugon landslide have received another school facility at their relocation site.
The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), the corporate social responsibility arm of various companies in the Philippines, turned over the four-classroom high school building to the municipality and the Department of Education in a ceremony here on Thursday.
Citigroup and United Way International funded the construction of the building.
The PBSP also handed over encyclopedias and other books for the school.
Children's Hour executive director Teresita Villacorta and Development Bank of the Philippines assistant vice president Bernardino Olayvar also handed out scholarship certificates to 13 elementary pupils from Guinsaugon.
The school building was the 15th that the Citigroup has built in the country under its project B.L.U.E (Building Literacy, Understanding and Education), according to Tomas Yap of Citigroup Philippines. /Inquirer
PBSP inducts 8 new members
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 08:23:00 02/23/2008
AT least eight new member-companies were added into the roster of the Visayas chapter of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Visayas chapter, a private and non-profit organization that promotes the advocacy towards corporate social responsibility.
“Member-companies are the lifeblood of PBSP because they volunteer their resources for worthy causes,” said Jose Levi S. Villanueva, PBSP Visayas membership committee during the induction of new members held on Wednesday at the Casino Español de Cebu.
The new members are A.B. Soberano International Corp., Cebu Graphicstar Imaging Corp., Cebu Northwinds Hotel, Julie's Franchise Corp., Professional Placement and Recruitment Agency, Recovery House, Shangri-la's Mactan Island Resort and Spa and Valiant Bank of Iloilo.
Villanueva said the PBSP-Visayas started in 1970 with only 50-member companies. Now, its membership has grown to 236. The member-companies are required to allot a portion of their income for social development.
The new members signed a commitment of support that states, among others, as a “private enterprise, by creatively and efficiently utilizing capital, land and labor, generates employment opportunities, expands the economic capabilities of our society and improves the quality of our national life.”
The new members said that PBSP “shall be private enterprises’ social development arm dedicated to the empowerment of the poor and self-reliance of communities.”
During the annual meeting, a coffee table book entitled “A Better Life” was also launched.
The book introduced by Cebu Daily News publisher Eileen Mangubat is composed of success stories of PBSP member-companies, including Cemex, Penshoppe and Juanito King and Sons.
PBSP Visayas executive committee chairman Jose Antonio Y. Aboitiz also announced the group's plan to launch a race across Hilutungan Channel as part of the celebration of Environment Month.
He said the activity will also be participated by the Philippine Olympic swim team. Editorial Assistant Ma. Bernadette A. Parco
First Posted 08:23:00 02/23/2008
AT least eight new member-companies were added into the roster of the Visayas chapter of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Visayas chapter, a private and non-profit organization that promotes the advocacy towards corporate social responsibility.
“Member-companies are the lifeblood of PBSP because they volunteer their resources for worthy causes,” said Jose Levi S. Villanueva, PBSP Visayas membership committee during the induction of new members held on Wednesday at the Casino Español de Cebu.
The new members are A.B. Soberano International Corp., Cebu Graphicstar Imaging Corp., Cebu Northwinds Hotel, Julie's Franchise Corp., Professional Placement and Recruitment Agency, Recovery House, Shangri-la's Mactan Island Resort and Spa and Valiant Bank of Iloilo.
Villanueva said the PBSP-Visayas started in 1970 with only 50-member companies. Now, its membership has grown to 236. The member-companies are required to allot a portion of their income for social development.
The new members signed a commitment of support that states, among others, as a “private enterprise, by creatively and efficiently utilizing capital, land and labor, generates employment opportunities, expands the economic capabilities of our society and improves the quality of our national life.”
The new members said that PBSP “shall be private enterprises’ social development arm dedicated to the empowerment of the poor and self-reliance of communities.”
During the annual meeting, a coffee table book entitled “A Better Life” was also launched.
The book introduced by Cebu Daily News publisher Eileen Mangubat is composed of success stories of PBSP member-companies, including Cemex, Penshoppe and Juanito King and Sons.
PBSP Visayas executive committee chairman Jose Antonio Y. Aboitiz also announced the group's plan to launch a race across Hilutungan Channel as part of the celebration of Environment Month.
He said the activity will also be participated by the Philippine Olympic swim team. Editorial Assistant Ma. Bernadette A. Parco
‘It’s good business to fight corruption’
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 11:34am (Mla time) 02/22/2008
CEBU CITY, Philippines - Landless farmers, fisherfolk and the poor benefit from businesses that practice corporate social responsibility (CSR), a United Nations official said.
“One cannot claim to be practising CSR unless the markets are linked with concepts of human rights, human development and good governance,” said Nileema Noble, UN resident coordinator.
“We have to ensure that the people’s rights are protected and fulfilled. People are no longer seen as consumers of goods. There must be a shift from shareholders to stakeholders,” she said in her speech during the 20th annual Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Visayas membership meeting on Wednesday at the Casino Español in Cebu City.
Noble said the focus of CSR should be in improving the quality of life of society at large.
“Companies should not only be aware of the issues but be actively involved,” she said in the fight against poverty.
She said graft and corruption has “severely affected” the country’s economy.
“It makes good business to fight corruption,” she added.
PBSP is the largest social development foundation in the country and counts major companies in its roster of members. The Visayas committee, which marked its 20th anniversary, is headed by Jose Antonio Aboitiz, PILMICO chief finance officer.
Noble commended the PBSP Visayas for its anti-poverty projects in reforestation, coastal management, farming, education, emergency relief, business advisory services and others.
Noble said the UN Global Compact asks companies to align their activities with ten principles in the areas of human rights, environment and anti-corruption practices.
Global Compact is the world’s largest, global corporate citizenship initiative.
The ten principles include:
•Businesses should support the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights
•Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and recognize the right to collective bargaining and stamp ou all forms of forced labor.
•Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges and encourage the use of environmentally friendly technologies.
•Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
Noble said the Philippines is halfway from reaching its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce poverty significantly by 2015.
“The Philippines has made considerable progress in terms of fighting diseases like malaria and providing people access to clean water,” she said. But the same cannot be said for other targets such as the universal access to education.
“There is a decline in net enrollment rate. The cohort survival rate, students who stay from primary school to high school, of 100 students enrolled only six are able to graduate from high school,” she said.
“Poverty incidence shows there is an uneven progress among the regions. This is a reflection of the global trend. There is no equity in economic growth,” she added. /Editorial Assistant Ma. Bernadette A. Parco
First Posted 11:34am (Mla time) 02/22/2008
CEBU CITY, Philippines - Landless farmers, fisherfolk and the poor benefit from businesses that practice corporate social responsibility (CSR), a United Nations official said.
“One cannot claim to be practising CSR unless the markets are linked with concepts of human rights, human development and good governance,” said Nileema Noble, UN resident coordinator.
“We have to ensure that the people’s rights are protected and fulfilled. People are no longer seen as consumers of goods. There must be a shift from shareholders to stakeholders,” she said in her speech during the 20th annual Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Visayas membership meeting on Wednesday at the Casino Español in Cebu City.
Noble said the focus of CSR should be in improving the quality of life of society at large.
“Companies should not only be aware of the issues but be actively involved,” she said in the fight against poverty.
She said graft and corruption has “severely affected” the country’s economy.
“It makes good business to fight corruption,” she added.
PBSP is the largest social development foundation in the country and counts major companies in its roster of members. The Visayas committee, which marked its 20th anniversary, is headed by Jose Antonio Aboitiz, PILMICO chief finance officer.
Noble commended the PBSP Visayas for its anti-poverty projects in reforestation, coastal management, farming, education, emergency relief, business advisory services and others.
Noble said the UN Global Compact asks companies to align their activities with ten principles in the areas of human rights, environment and anti-corruption practices.
Global Compact is the world’s largest, global corporate citizenship initiative.
The ten principles include:
•Businesses should support the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights
•Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and recognize the right to collective bargaining and stamp ou all forms of forced labor.
•Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges and encourage the use of environmentally friendly technologies.
•Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
Noble said the Philippines is halfway from reaching its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce poverty significantly by 2015.
“The Philippines has made considerable progress in terms of fighting diseases like malaria and providing people access to clean water,” she said. But the same cannot be said for other targets such as the universal access to education.
“There is a decline in net enrollment rate. The cohort survival rate, students who stay from primary school to high school, of 100 students enrolled only six are able to graduate from high school,” she said.
“Poverty incidence shows there is an uneven progress among the regions. This is a reflection of the global trend. There is no equity in economic growth,” she added. /Editorial Assistant Ma. Bernadette A. Parco
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Highlights of the UN Resident Coordinator's Keynote Address during PBSP's 20th VAMM
The Keynote Speaker of PBSP’s 20th Visayas Annual Membership Meeting (VAMM) is Mrs. Nileema K. Noble, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations (UN) Philippines and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Mrs. Noble has over 25 years of work experience in the UN system. These include the UNDP and the Commonwealth Secretariat - Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-Operation in London, United Kingdom. In the Commonwealth Secretariat, she specialized on multi-sector engagement on international programs that focus on poverty reduction and sustainable human development.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts, with Honors, in Political Science and History from the University of Bombay, Mumbai, India. Mrs. Noble also has a Masters Degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Boston, USA.
The UN is a very important development partner of PBSP. PBSP’s poverty reduction, education, health, environment and corporate citizenship programs are aligned with the UN’s Millennium Development Goals or MDG. Through the MDG, the UN and PBSP contribute to the reduction of poverty and improvement of the Filipinos’ quality of life by year 2015.
The 20th VAMM, attended by over 200 officers from the business sector, government, civil society, academe and media, among others, was held last February 20, 2008, at the Casino Español de Cebu, Cebu City. The discussions that follow are culled from Mrs. Noble’s keynote address during the 20th VAMM:
On CSR vis-à-vis human rights, human development and good governance
Doing business on human terms is what Corporate Social Responsibility is all about. One cannot claim to be practicing CSR unless the traditional business concepts like enterprise, markets, shareholders and profits are properly contextualized within the larger concepts of human rights, human development and good governance.
FROM BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO DUTY-BEARERS. Companies are no longer expected to shy away from their obligations to the people. The State does not have the monopoly of obligations. Companies are also expected to ensure that the people’s rights are respected, protected and fulfilled.
FROM MARKETS TO CLAIM HOLDERS. People are no longer expected to be viewed as mere consumers of goods, and production of goods is not based on needs alone, but based on fundamental human rights of people as claim-holders, especially the poor and marginalized.
FROM SHAREHOLDERS TO STAKEHOLDERS. Companies are no longer viewed as merely addressing needs of their shareholders alone. They form part of a bigger community of stakeholders. As such, companies are increasingly balancing the needs of all stakeholders, with the need to make a profit for their shareholders while ensuring environmental responsibility.
FROM CHARITY TO CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP. It is important to distinguish CSR from charitable donations and “good works”. CSR is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large.
FROM PROFIT TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. Companies do not live by profit alone. They are expected to do business that does not only generate profits for the company and their shareholders, but equally important it ensures that their workers and their families and the community they work in will benefit from it. The practice of CSR is not measured by the number projects or the resources they have invested but more importantly by their significant contribution to society’s social and economic progress.
MDG Updates
To date, over 1,000 companies have been reached by MDG advocacy and promotion activities particularly in Luzon and Visayas.
In the Mid-Term Progress Report of the Philippines on the MDGs released late last year, it was pointed out that halfway to the target year 2015 to achieve the MDGs, the Philippines has made considerable progress particularly in poverty reduction, nutrition, reducing child mortality, combating HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases and access to safe drinking water and sanitary toilet facility.
But the country needs to work harder on targets concerning universal access to education, maternal mortality and access to reproductive health services. Access to primary education worsened in School Year (SY) 2005-2006. This represented a decline in the net enrolment rate from the 2000 level of 96.8% to 84.4%, thereby setting back the 2015 target of universal access. The decline in number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births has slowed down, from 209 deaths in 1993 to 162 deaths in 2006. It is unlikely that the 2015 target of 52 deaths in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) will be met.
Access to reproductive health care improved at a modest rate for currently married women ages 15-49, from 49% in 2001 to 50.6% in 2006. At this rate, the 2015 target of 80% access is difficult to achieve.
On poverty reduction, while the national average shows that poverty has declined, comparison across regions shows uneven progress, inequity and wide disparities which are increasing. In all the goals and targets, existing indicators exhibit significant disparity by region. Only three (3) regions, namely, Ilocos Region (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2) and the National Capital Region (NCR) are consistently above national averages. The rest of the regions lag behind in most of the targets, with large pockets of poverty noted in these areas. This situation of disparity in the Philippines is actually a reflection of the global trend that indicates that the benefits of economic growth are not equitably shared.
On good governance
The MDG progress report made several recommendations on how to move forward and make 2015 a future within reach. Good governance is a cross cutting theme in all the recommendations. It means an effective government, a socially responsible private sector and an enlightened civil society that is able to forge public-private partnerships to address wide ranging issues.
In the Global Report on the MDGs released last July 2007, it was underscored that large-scale progress towards MDGs have been possible in some countries that had strong government leadership, policies and strategies combined with adequate financial and technical support; countries that have been able to mobilize additional resources and targeted public investment that benefit the poor; countries that used strategies that adopted a wide ranging approach to achieve inclusive growth including the creation of a large number of additional opportunities for decent work; countries that undertook programmes for human development, particularly education and health, as well as building productive capacity and improved physical infrastructure.
On business' strategic position
Business and private sector play an important role in the attainment of the MDGs because of its potential to contribute to development by capitalizing on its three (3) spheres of influence.
First, through core business activities in the workplace, the market place and along its supply chain.
Second, by social investment and philanthropic activities outside business operations towards helping communities.
And third, through private sector engagement in public policy dialogue and advocacy. These three areas of influence of the business and private sector must continue to be explored and up scaled to further enhance and intensify what can contributed to the attainment of the MDGs.
Continued.
Mrs. Noble has over 25 years of work experience in the UN system. These include the UNDP and the Commonwealth Secretariat - Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-Operation in London, United Kingdom. In the Commonwealth Secretariat, she specialized on multi-sector engagement on international programs that focus on poverty reduction and sustainable human development.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts, with Honors, in Political Science and History from the University of Bombay, Mumbai, India. Mrs. Noble also has a Masters Degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Boston, USA.
The UN is a very important development partner of PBSP. PBSP’s poverty reduction, education, health, environment and corporate citizenship programs are aligned with the UN’s Millennium Development Goals or MDG. Through the MDG, the UN and PBSP contribute to the reduction of poverty and improvement of the Filipinos’ quality of life by year 2015.
The 20th VAMM, attended by over 200 officers from the business sector, government, civil society, academe and media, among others, was held last February 20, 2008, at the Casino Español de Cebu, Cebu City. The discussions that follow are culled from Mrs. Noble’s keynote address during the 20th VAMM:
On CSR vis-à-vis human rights, human development and good governance
Doing business on human terms is what Corporate Social Responsibility is all about. One cannot claim to be practicing CSR unless the traditional business concepts like enterprise, markets, shareholders and profits are properly contextualized within the larger concepts of human rights, human development and good governance.
FROM BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO DUTY-BEARERS. Companies are no longer expected to shy away from their obligations to the people. The State does not have the monopoly of obligations. Companies are also expected to ensure that the people’s rights are respected, protected and fulfilled.
FROM MARKETS TO CLAIM HOLDERS. People are no longer expected to be viewed as mere consumers of goods, and production of goods is not based on needs alone, but based on fundamental human rights of people as claim-holders, especially the poor and marginalized.
FROM SHAREHOLDERS TO STAKEHOLDERS. Companies are no longer viewed as merely addressing needs of their shareholders alone. They form part of a bigger community of stakeholders. As such, companies are increasingly balancing the needs of all stakeholders, with the need to make a profit for their shareholders while ensuring environmental responsibility.
FROM CHARITY TO CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP. It is important to distinguish CSR from charitable donations and “good works”. CSR is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large.
FROM PROFIT TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. Companies do not live by profit alone. They are expected to do business that does not only generate profits for the company and their shareholders, but equally important it ensures that their workers and their families and the community they work in will benefit from it. The practice of CSR is not measured by the number projects or the resources they have invested but more importantly by their significant contribution to society’s social and economic progress.
MDG Updates
To date, over 1,000 companies have been reached by MDG advocacy and promotion activities particularly in Luzon and Visayas.
In the Mid-Term Progress Report of the Philippines on the MDGs released late last year, it was pointed out that halfway to the target year 2015 to achieve the MDGs, the Philippines has made considerable progress particularly in poverty reduction, nutrition, reducing child mortality, combating HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases and access to safe drinking water and sanitary toilet facility.
But the country needs to work harder on targets concerning universal access to education, maternal mortality and access to reproductive health services. Access to primary education worsened in School Year (SY) 2005-2006. This represented a decline in the net enrolment rate from the 2000 level of 96.8% to 84.4%, thereby setting back the 2015 target of universal access. The decline in number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births has slowed down, from 209 deaths in 1993 to 162 deaths in 2006. It is unlikely that the 2015 target of 52 deaths in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) will be met.
Access to reproductive health care improved at a modest rate for currently married women ages 15-49, from 49% in 2001 to 50.6% in 2006. At this rate, the 2015 target of 80% access is difficult to achieve.
On poverty reduction, while the national average shows that poverty has declined, comparison across regions shows uneven progress, inequity and wide disparities which are increasing. In all the goals and targets, existing indicators exhibit significant disparity by region. Only three (3) regions, namely, Ilocos Region (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2) and the National Capital Region (NCR) are consistently above national averages. The rest of the regions lag behind in most of the targets, with large pockets of poverty noted in these areas. This situation of disparity in the Philippines is actually a reflection of the global trend that indicates that the benefits of economic growth are not equitably shared.
On good governance
The MDG progress report made several recommendations on how to move forward and make 2015 a future within reach. Good governance is a cross cutting theme in all the recommendations. It means an effective government, a socially responsible private sector and an enlightened civil society that is able to forge public-private partnerships to address wide ranging issues.
In the Global Report on the MDGs released last July 2007, it was underscored that large-scale progress towards MDGs have been possible in some countries that had strong government leadership, policies and strategies combined with adequate financial and technical support; countries that have been able to mobilize additional resources and targeted public investment that benefit the poor; countries that used strategies that adopted a wide ranging approach to achieve inclusive growth including the creation of a large number of additional opportunities for decent work; countries that undertook programmes for human development, particularly education and health, as well as building productive capacity and improved physical infrastructure.
On business' strategic position
Business and private sector play an important role in the attainment of the MDGs because of its potential to contribute to development by capitalizing on its three (3) spheres of influence.
First, through core business activities in the workplace, the market place and along its supply chain.
Second, by social investment and philanthropic activities outside business operations towards helping communities.
And third, through private sector engagement in public policy dialogue and advocacy. These three areas of influence of the business and private sector must continue to be explored and up scaled to further enhance and intensify what can contributed to the attainment of the MDGs.
Continued.
Continuation of the highlights of the UN Resident Coordinator's Keynote Address during PBSP's 20th VAMM
On global warming
[At this point] I want to make special mention of the issue of global warming and climate change, the effects of which are now beckoning and being felt worldwide in weather pattern changes that have wreaked havoc and costs in many countries. Global warming is now unequivocal. Emissions of carbon is alarming, something that humankind has control of, and if not impeded, may affect the achievement of MDGs.
The threat posed by global warming warns about unprecedented reversals in poverty reduction, nutrition, health and education. The private sector is a critical partner in the promotion of a sustainable environment. Adaptation to climate change, the search and use of alternative and renewable forms of energy and the promotion of changes in lifestyle, specifically how humankind uses resources are areas that the private sector can look into, for example, opportunities in carbon trading.
Challenges to the business sector
Undertake advocacy and awareness raising partnerships with stakeholders.
Companies especially PBSP can partner with other stakeholders to take a leadership role in championing, advocating for, and contributing to resolving different issues, including the sensitive issue of corruption. It is important for business to be aware of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC)and to be active in shaping the regulations that will guide industry.
Assist in scaling-up what works, and expand your experiences and share CSR best practices to those that may benefit from them.
There is a need to facilitate more discussions among the various business associations because much can be done through the collective action of companies. The most significant contribution of the private sector to the MDGs is to invest and to be successful and to do so in a socially and environmentally responsible manner – thereby creating enormous social benefits including employment and income generation. The challenge for governments, business, NGOs and other societal actors is to find ways to scale-up collaborative efforts in order to achieve wider impact.
Assist and serve markets at the “bottom of the pyramid.”
The approach to the Bottom of the Pyramid is about creating the conditions for a growing and thriving economy able to meet the MDG. Businesses are constantly developing new products to suit the increasing demands of the consumers, to better please their needs. Unfortunately, few businesses are focusing on the world biggest market in terms of number of consumers, a market bigger than China, the US and the European Union together: The Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP). Globally, the BOP is made up of 4 billion people who earn less than US$ 1,500 per year.
Research shows that the poor consumers usually pay more than the rich consumers for basic services, while the quality of goods that the poor people purchase is almost always substandard. The Bottom of the Pyramid is largely served by the informal sector and the advantages of economies of scale are thus missing at the
bottom of the pyramid.
But pursuing the Bottom of the Pyramid approach requires public-private partnerships to minimize risks and bring the risk and reward ratios into balance. This partnership would then facilitate access to financing, assist in the development of skills and knowledge, and enable sustainable delivery of basic services. This partnership can include support for initial exploration of innovative ideas, field-testing, and appropriate investments in infrastructure and capacity building. Essentially, public sector can help to reduce risks that prevent private companies from reaching to the Bottom of the Pyramid.
Forming ecosystems and building/strengthening local networks.
One of the most compelling ways to help companies succeed is by increasing the power of the linkages and networks they are part of. Local networks can bring many benefits by:
a. Enabling the transfer of skills, technology and quality.
b. Ensuring that foreign direct investment has positive spillover effects.
c. Bringing companies into the formal sector.
d. Creating the capacity to govern transactions through commercial contracts.
e. Opening markets and the supply of inputs to smaller firms through networks of larger partners.
f. Improving the ability of small and medium enterprises in such networks to get financing on commercial terms.
g. Increasing the wages, employment standards and productivity of local companies.
h. Increasing the choice and lowering the prices for poor consumers by bringing a greater variety of goods to market.
In social investment and philanthropy partnerships, the private sector can provide financial support, contribute volunteers or expertise, or make in-kind contributions, including product donations.
Mobilizing resources such as capital, products, skills and volunteers, private-sector organizations can deliver a wide range of essential services, including educational training, micro-credit schemes, environmental management, as well as critical goods such as anti-malaria bed nets and condoms.
Partnering with the United Nations through the UN Global Compact
Partnerships between the private sector and the UN have become increasingly popular in recent years, producing innovative solutions across a broad spectrum of local and global initiatives and laying the foundation for greater engagement.
[At this point] I want to make special mention of the issue of global warming and climate change, the effects of which are now beckoning and being felt worldwide in weather pattern changes that have wreaked havoc and costs in many countries. Global warming is now unequivocal. Emissions of carbon is alarming, something that humankind has control of, and if not impeded, may affect the achievement of MDGs.
The threat posed by global warming warns about unprecedented reversals in poverty reduction, nutrition, health and education. The private sector is a critical partner in the promotion of a sustainable environment. Adaptation to climate change, the search and use of alternative and renewable forms of energy and the promotion of changes in lifestyle, specifically how humankind uses resources are areas that the private sector can look into, for example, opportunities in carbon trading.
Challenges to the business sector
Undertake advocacy and awareness raising partnerships with stakeholders.
Companies especially PBSP can partner with other stakeholders to take a leadership role in championing, advocating for, and contributing to resolving different issues, including the sensitive issue of corruption. It is important for business to be aware of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC)and to be active in shaping the regulations that will guide industry.
Assist in scaling-up what works, and expand your experiences and share CSR best practices to those that may benefit from them.
There is a need to facilitate more discussions among the various business associations because much can be done through the collective action of companies. The most significant contribution of the private sector to the MDGs is to invest and to be successful and to do so in a socially and environmentally responsible manner – thereby creating enormous social benefits including employment and income generation. The challenge for governments, business, NGOs and other societal actors is to find ways to scale-up collaborative efforts in order to achieve wider impact.
Assist and serve markets at the “bottom of the pyramid.”
The approach to the Bottom of the Pyramid is about creating the conditions for a growing and thriving economy able to meet the MDG. Businesses are constantly developing new products to suit the increasing demands of the consumers, to better please their needs. Unfortunately, few businesses are focusing on the world biggest market in terms of number of consumers, a market bigger than China, the US and the European Union together: The Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP). Globally, the BOP is made up of 4 billion people who earn less than US$ 1,500 per year.
Research shows that the poor consumers usually pay more than the rich consumers for basic services, while the quality of goods that the poor people purchase is almost always substandard. The Bottom of the Pyramid is largely served by the informal sector and the advantages of economies of scale are thus missing at the
bottom of the pyramid.
But pursuing the Bottom of the Pyramid approach requires public-private partnerships to minimize risks and bring the risk and reward ratios into balance. This partnership would then facilitate access to financing, assist in the development of skills and knowledge, and enable sustainable delivery of basic services. This partnership can include support for initial exploration of innovative ideas, field-testing, and appropriate investments in infrastructure and capacity building. Essentially, public sector can help to reduce risks that prevent private companies from reaching to the Bottom of the Pyramid.
Forming ecosystems and building/strengthening local networks.
One of the most compelling ways to help companies succeed is by increasing the power of the linkages and networks they are part of. Local networks can bring many benefits by:
a. Enabling the transfer of skills, technology and quality.
b. Ensuring that foreign direct investment has positive spillover effects.
c. Bringing companies into the formal sector.
d. Creating the capacity to govern transactions through commercial contracts.
e. Opening markets and the supply of inputs to smaller firms through networks of larger partners.
f. Improving the ability of small and medium enterprises in such networks to get financing on commercial terms.
g. Increasing the wages, employment standards and productivity of local companies.
h. Increasing the choice and lowering the prices for poor consumers by bringing a greater variety of goods to market.
In social investment and philanthropy partnerships, the private sector can provide financial support, contribute volunteers or expertise, or make in-kind contributions, including product donations.
Mobilizing resources such as capital, products, skills and volunteers, private-sector organizations can deliver a wide range of essential services, including educational training, micro-credit schemes, environmental management, as well as critical goods such as anti-malaria bed nets and condoms.
Partnering with the United Nations through the UN Global Compact
Partnerships between the private sector and the UN have become increasingly popular in recent years, producing innovative solutions across a broad spectrum of local and global initiatives and laying the foundation for greater engagement.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
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Taiyo Yuden Philippines plants 10K seedlings at Buhisan
Employees of Taiyo Yuden Philippines planted 10,000 native and endemic tree seedlings on a four-hectare site in Toong, Cebu City.
The activity is led by their EMR Director Koichi Iguchi, General Managers Toshihiko Uemura and Akira Takahashi, Assistant General Manager Keiichi Kimura, and EMs Shozaburo Kanai, Satoshi Miyamae, Toshiaki Nakano, and Koji Taketome.
Taiyo Yuden Philippines has been a partner of PBSP for its reforestation efforts since 2001. The company will continue to adopt four hectares for reforestation every year until 2015.
Veco employees plant trees with PBSP
More than 70 employees of the Visayan Electric Company (Veco) planted 12,500 seedlings over five hectares of the Buhisan Watershed and Forest Reserve.
This activity is in partnership with the Visayas Regional Office of PBSP.
In 2010, Veco also partnered with PBSP for a five-year reforestation park project in the Cebu Hillylands. The Veco Refo Park Project aims to plant 1 million trees over 540 hectares of the Cebu Hillylands.
Art 'N' Nature's Venus Genson is Woman Entrepreneur of 2012
Congratulations to Ms. Venus Genson for bagging the Women Entrepreneur award for her trailblazing feats in social entrepreneurship and community development through Art 'N' Nature Manufacturing Corporation.
The award is one of the citations given during the recently capped Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines 2012 awarding ceremonies.
Ms. Genson is also the president of the Venus Group of Companies, a member company of PBSP.