Corporate responsibility

All over the world, more and more companies are embracing corporate social responsibility or CSR practices in the way they conduct their business, realizing that they can maintain profi-tability while giving positive contributions to society. In the Philippines, the concept of CSR (also known as corporate responsibility or corporate citizenship) has been practiced for more than three decades under the aegis of the Philippine Business for Social Progress.

A lot of discussions have been made and so many reading materials have been written about CSR, but to this day, there is still that perception that it’s only the big companies who practice CSR. That’s because giant firms have the capability to build foundations that would sustain their activities as they reach out not only to communities within their immediate vicinity but more often than not, those in far-flung areas in the countryside.

For instance, Jollibee Foods has developed an innovative program that helps farmers achieve a more sustainable livelihood – while ensuring their company’s supply of raw material requirements like rice and vegetables. Jollibee partnered with the National Livelihood Development Corp. and the Catholic Relief Services to provide training for farmers in select municipalities in several provinces on how they can increase their productivity and learn skills in enterprise management.

At the same time, these farmers’ access to credit was improved through partnerships with financial institutions. The success of the project’s initial phase has encouraged Jollibee to increase the number of farmer-beneficiaries and expand to other areas where LGUs and other local institutions are supportive of such an initiative. Clearly, this is an example of a win-win situation for both the business entity and society at large.

Small businesses in the country have also been practicing corporate responsibility although they may not realize it, since the concept of CSR is wide ranging. It can come in simple forms like donating books, providing scholarships, conducting livelihood training programs, teaching people about proper waste management, building a deep well for the immediate community, providing protective gear for workers, and making sure the workplace is safe.

It can also be an on-the-job training scheme where medium-scale enterprises partner with educational institutions to accommodate students in need of practicum units and give them the edge when they go job hunting. In fact, the practice of corporate responsibility can also come in something as basic as eliminating child labor in the workplace. In some plantations in Mindanao for example, minors are employed to grow and harvest agricultural products. There are some who argue that this is helpful because it gives impoverished families additional income, but this is a practice that must not be encouraged because it is against the law, and in many instances, the child workers are exposed to harmful chemicals.

Hopefully, such corporations and businesses that continue to disregard their social responsibility will soon become the exception rather than the rule as the advocacy for CSR continues to gather momentum. In fact, the two-day Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility or AFCSR (being held at the Crowne Plaza today and tomorrow) is opportune, because it gathers together the best and the brightest minds in the world who will talk about their experiences and share their thoughts on CSR.

Over 400 delegates from 20 countries are joining, with industry experts exchanging ideas on how to sustain corporate responsibility in business especially during these critical times. Our friend, Weber Shandwick-Manila CEO Atty. Mike Toledo, will discuss the use of non-traditional channels like the Internet and mobile devices in creating advocates of CSR practices. Raffy Alunan of the Lopez Group Foundation will share his thoughts on how the ideology of corporate responsibility can be spread within an organization, while Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala will be talking about sustaining CSR in difficult times.

These are timely topics especially after typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng hit the country, disrupting the lives of millions of Filipinos in many parts of the country. Perhaps one of the few positive things that came out of the recent calamities (whose effects are still felt to this day) is that it showed the spirit of CSR at its finest, with both local and international business communities helping in whatever way they can to help the victims rebuild their lives.

Bayantel for instance made extra funds available and released paychecks and incentives early to help employees cope with the devastation. DRAFTFCB through the InterPublic Group gave P1 million for employees whose homes were devastated by the flooding. Some, like leading global money transfer company MoneyGram International, donated P1 million for disaster relief operations through the GMA Kapuso Foundation. That’s aside from the $20,000 the company gave to the American Red Cross for similar purposes, and distributing home repair kits through Habitat for Humanity.

Certainly, local businessmen, entrepreneurs, academicians, and even politicians can learn a thing or two from the AFCSR. As one CSR advocate put it, the bottom line in corporate responsibility is simply adopting good ideas around you and translating them into sound business practices. –Babe Romualdez (The Philippine Star)

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Email: babe_tcb@yahoo.com