Friday, April 14, 2007 NCCC named child-friendly firm
NEW City Commercial Corporation (NCCC)-Davao receives a Child Friendly Company award from the Employer's Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop) and the International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labor of the International Labor Organization (ILO-Ipec).
The award gives recognition to company policies and programs that ultimately work for the benefit of children and preventing worst forms of child labor in the workplace.
NCCC joins the roster of 17 firms, from the business and non-business categories, which were named as finalists to this year's awards.
Ecop and ILO-Ipec cites NCCC's programs for regular personnel that provides medical clinics with doctors and nurses in its branches; a scholarship program for its employee's children who maintain good scholastic grades; mandatory annual health assessment; and company-wide summer excursions and yuletide celebrations.
Marites Nacionales-Zaballero, People manager explains that, "At NCCC, we strive to partner with our employees, who we refer to as associates, because they are our primary customers. Serving them first equals better service to our store customers. That is also why instead of human resources, our office is called "people."
"On a seasonal basis, we hire working students as part time employees. The students must commit to passing their subjects every semester and ultimately finish their college education," she said.
"These conditions will enable them to renew their tenure or after they graduate, they can opt to work for the company and skip the probation period of six months given a favorable recommendation from their supervisor. These programs exemplify our core values of hard work, excellence, humility, care and fun," she added.
The award also cites the programs of its foundation, NCCC Cares.
According to Christine Joy Zapanta, program officer, "We provide tuition fees to indigent children, from primary to the tertiary level, who commit to finish school with a passing grade. The child, who benefits from the tuition grant, are then supported two ways: a mentoring program is in place where high achieving scholars teach low achieving grantees; and parents of the grantees are given access to credit and livelihood opportunities. For school year 2007-2008, we are adding 200 more to our existing list of almost 200 educational grantees."
"Our medical assistance program benefits indigent pediatric patients with surgical or cancer-care needs. The foundation's focus is children aged 0 to 17 years old because they heal faster. The grantees of both programs are non-employees," she said.
"The educational and medical assistance program gets it funding from our garbage recycling program," Zapanta added.
NCCC is the first chain of stores in Mindanao to have three breastfeeding stations for the use of its employees and customers.
NCCC Mall Davao, Mall Tagum and Main Magsaysay simultaneously inaugurated these breastfeeding stations with the Department of Health in August 2006.
The award was given on March 20 during the 28th National Conference of Employers at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel.
