Thursday, May 01, 2008 Firm commits to help local communities
CEBU Holdings Inc. (CHI) has increased its community outreach projects to help improve the living conditions of residents in areas where its businesses are located in.
CHI president Francis Monera cited CHI’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) program during his speech at the company’s annual stockholders meeting Tuesday.
CHI conducts tutorial programs participated in by employee-volunteers in Barangay Hipodromo and provide assistance to Barangay Luz’s solid waste management project called, “Kwarta sa Basura.”
“We, as a market leader, do not just participate in economic activities, but also promote social projects. We formed alliances with the neighboring barangays to help in the community,” said Monera, adding that CHI recently donated a truck for neighboring barangays’ waste management program.
CHI helped organized the Cebu Business Park and Neighboring Barangays Altruistic Alliance Inc. (CBP-NBAAI), comprised of locators at the Cebu Business Park and nearby barangays: Luz, Hipodromo, Camputhaw, Mabolo, Apas and Carreta.
Tetta Baad, CHI vice president for marketing and sales, said that the company also supports livelihood projects in the community under its CSR program.
“For our giveaways, for example, we (also) buy environment-friendly products of livelihood programs in the community” Baad said.
ICT, tourism
For 2008, the company envisions to expand its CSR program to include information and communications technology (ICT) and tourism areas.
“Our CSR initiatives will be in line with tourism and ICT because these sectors are the industry drivers this year”, Monera said.
He added that CHI is forging partnerships with certain agencies to improve ICT education.
“We support the human resource development of CEDF-IT (Cebu Educational Development Foundation for Information Technology) and the business strategies of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry,” he said.
At the national perspective, Jaime Ayala, chairman of the board of CHI, said that the company has started to look into the demands of the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in the country.
“The Ayala Land and Ayala Corp., together with Business Process Association of the Philippines and other agencies, are involved in providing facilities that address the specific needs of the BPOs. We are also working on the educational and vocational programs that will help the laborers,” Ayala said. (Karen D. Nacario/UP Mass Comm Intern)
