Aquino cites business foundation's role in uplifting lives of the poor

Aquino cites business foundation's role in uplifting lives of the poor
U.S. News Agency
January 27, 2011

President Benigno S. Aquino III thanked all the officers and members of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) for their social commitment and active participation in creating a meaningful social change and embracing the idea of true corporate social responsibility in uplifting the lives of the marginalized sectors.

Addressing the 40th annual membership meeting and foundation day celebrations of the PBSP with the theme: “Celebrating 40 Years of the Great Philippine Merger for Social Development,” the President hailed its officers and members for their continued assistance to provide relief and seek solutions to reduce, if not eliminate, the long-decade problem of poverty.

“To the Philippine Business for Social Progress, thank you for proving me right. Thank you for your social commitment and for actively participating in uplifting the lives of the vulnerable sectors of our society,” the Chief Executive said in his speech at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City.

The President noted that the PBSP is very important for him because he worked in the organization after the assassination of his late father, Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.

“PBSP was not naive. PBSP took a realistic view of what needed to be done to accomplish its goal. It took the discipline that you need to run a corporation and to apply that discipline to the projects to various disadvantage communities,” he said.

The President pointed out that PBSP responded without hesitation when he called upon all Filipinos in his first State of the Nation Address in July last year to make a commitment and participate in the fight to reduce poverty in the country.

As a private sector, he said, PBSP plays a vital role on his call not just as an economic driver but also as catalyst for positive changes in the lives of the Filipinos.

In exchange for their continued partnership to the government, the President assured them that his administration “will continue to operate under the banner of transparency and accountability, under daylight, under the guidance of his parents that gave birth to the freedom and democracy that our people currently enjoy.”

Meanwhile, Manny Pangilinan, PLDT chair and PBSP chairman of the board of trustees, presented to the President the organization’s symbolic renewal of commitment and support to the administration’s development agenda.

Afterwards, the President presented the plaques of recognition to the pioneer members of PBSP, namely: Washington Sycip of the accounting firm SGV, Sixto Roxas III, Jose M. Soriano Jr. of Atlas Consolidated Mining, and Don Emilio Abello (posthumous) of Meralco.

The President also presented plaques of recognition for active service to Ambassador Bienvenido Tan Jr. of Philippine Tobacco and Modern Glass, and Ma. Luisa Perez-Rubio, respectively.

The recognition in creating impact to uplift the lives of the Filipinos was given to Angelo King Foundation for the 200th building they built.

PBSP, the country’s oldest and largest business group into social development, is a pioneer in Asia as a corporate-driven development foundation. Since its establishment in 1970, PBSP has been involved in corporate citizenship and social responsibility practices.

In the past 40 years of existence, PBSP has raised P5.2 billion, benefited 6.4 million Filipinos, and assisted over 6,500 social development projects such as in education, health, sustainable livelihood and micro, small and medium enterprise development, farmland area resource and coastal resource management, disaster coordination and risk reduction and caring for the rainforests and watersheds.