Cocreating the future is an ambitious undertaking.
But the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) has boldly declared its readiness to participate in this venture, acknowledging the bigger role of businesses in economic growth while seeking social relevance.
The league is holding its 15th Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Expo until today at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, which is expected to “bring the business community and other sectors together to discuss the latest trends, models and practices in CSR, and promote a common framework to support a sustainable national development,” according to Ricky de Castro, 2016 conference chair.
LCF, which seeks to professionalize corporate foundations, defines CSR as a continuing commitment to improve the quality of life of the workforce, as well as the communities and environments where companies operate.
With the conference theme “Cocreating the future through CSR,” the expo focuses on how businesses can adapt strategies and projects in support of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The goals cover every aspect of life—health, education, environment, social equity, diplomacy and economic development.
SDGs
Achieving the SDGs, which seek to solve the greatest challenges faced by humanity today, require the participation of UN member states, other stakeholders and partner communities.
The league admits the SDGs are overwhelming.
Sustainable social development involves elimination of poverty, zero hunger, reduction of inequalities, decent work and economic growth, sustainable cities and communities, climate action, affordable and clean energy, and peace, justice and strong institutions, among other things.
“We have to align ourselves with a larger set of goals,” former Education Undersecretary Mario Deriquito said.
“I think the SDGs are a very good platform to make ourselves relevant, not only in the country but also internationally,” he added.
LCF chair Natalie Christine V. Jorge of Bato-Balani Foundation and keynote speaker Ong Boon Hwee, chief executive officer of Stewardship Asia Center in Singapore, opened the conference and expounded on the vital role of SDGs in inclusive growth.
The expo will promote the incorporation of CSR in businesses.
It will teach the importance of CSR and help delegates determine ways to capitalize on their brands and their strengths, aligning them to their social development strategies and projects.
Not costly
The conference also aims to allay fears that CSR requires spending millions of pesos. It will focus on how even start-ups and SMEs, as well as individuals, can pursue CSR initiatives.
“CSR doesn’t have to be a million-peso project. Even if you’re a small business—a start-up or an online seller—you don’t have to spend millions of pesos. Pay the correct taxes, treat your employees well. In the community where you operate, make sure that it is growing just as you are growing as a company,” De Castro said.
During the plenary session led by Jorge and Ola Almgren, resident UN coordinator in the Philippines, delegates identified which of the UN’s 17 SDGs goals they would pursue, taking into account their companies’ capability to create a bigger impact.
Currently, the LCF is divided into committees that represent major areas of social development, including arts and culture, education, environment, enterprise development and health.
Another plenary session will discuss new approaches the different committees can use to address the needs and also develop the communities where their member business corporations operate.
Driver of growth
The league aims to underscore the idea that CSR is a driver of growth, not only in the communities it helps but also for the business itself.
According to ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. managing director Susan Afan, Philippine organizations need to understand that CSR is essential to “attract, sustain and maintain talent within their organizations.”
“There’s a war for talent—more and more people are going to choose who they want to work for. And when you are trying to attract the best people … many of these people do not just look at what the companies are doing, or how much profit they make but what they do to give back to the communities,” Afan said.
“CSR is not something incremental. It shouldn’t be detached from the business. As a matter of fact, many companies include CSR as part of their corporate goals, using [it as another] measure how they performed in a particular year,” De Castro said.
LCF stresses that a major task of corporate foundations and the business sector is to make sure that the benefits of any economic growth, or profits and progress its sectors make, will trickle down to every socio-economic level.
“The … Aquino administration has really improved our social, economic and political structure … But people are impatient and they think nothing has been done. Things have been done and have improved … (but) they have not gone down to (the people’s) level,” LCF Advisory Council member Lydia Sarmiento-Enrile said.
The Duterte administration had not clearly indicated the direction it would take in terms of social development and intersectoral CSR partnerships.
But based on Duterte’s Cabinet appointments, specifically those of Professors Judy Taguiwalo and Leonor Briones, De Castro said CSR appears to have a good future.
“These (appointees) are people who are very well known and respected in civil society. If the (administration’s CSR and social development) agenda will follow what these two people have been fighting for ever since, the future is bright,” De Castro said.
“Hopefully the aspirations that they have been fighting for to enhance the standard of living though social development activities in the NGO sector will be (adopted by) the new government,” he said.
The 2016 expo coincides with the league’s celebration of its 20th year.
Seven of the founding members have remained in those two decades: ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya, Andres Soriano Foundation Inc., Ayala Foundation Inc., BPI Foundation Inc., Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines Inc., Metrobank Foundation Inc., and UCPB-CIIF Foundation Inc.