THROUGH its member-companies and other private and government sector partners, the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) is determined to help reduce poverty by promoting and implementing the member-companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) for the benefit of different communities in the country.
PBSP is a non-profit organization with a mission to reduce poverty by promoting business sector leadership and commitment to programs that lead to self-reliance. It was first established in 1970 and thus was the first of its kind in Asia.
During its Mindanao Membership meeting on September 29 at Marco Polo Hotel, it celebrated the milestones of their member-companies that support PBSP’s focus on health, education, environment, and livelihood of their beneficiary communities.
PBSP has 200 member companies empowering about five million Filipinos through their respective CSR together with different partners and donors.
Their recent meeting's theme was "Road to 50: Scaling Up Solutions Together”. PBSP Mindanao regional executive committee chair Miguel Rene Dominguez said they have already implemented several projects totaling to about P60 million for the year.
Most of these projects were from grants by international government agencies while some were by different business sectors. The projects were done in partnership with Intellicare, Citibank, PLDT, Australian Aid, Coca Cola, ICTSI, and the Generics Pharmacy, among others.
Dominguez said they have already implemented P60 million worth of projects for Mindanao which includes giving information and services on Maternal Child Newborn Health and Nutrition to 8,000 women of reproductive age (WRA). They have also given potable water access to about 420 individuals and have reforested two hectares of land.
They also give career orientation to high school students and education assistance to elementary students. This year, classrooms were built in select regions in Mindanao including the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm), Caraga, Soccsksargen, northern parts of Mindanao, Davao City, and Siargao.
Around 1,066 households had been engaged in livelihood with 41 persons with disabilities given training on employable skills.
PBSP Mindanao currently has 25 member companies including the two recent ones - Plaza de Luisa Development, Incorporated and Maharlika Agro-Marine Ventures Corporation.
Plaza de Luisa Development, Inc. managing director Jason Huang, in their recently joining PBSP, said they are willing to participate in projects that go in line with their CSR. “We want our CSR to be professionalized that’s why we joined PBSP because it is better to have one umbrella company managing your CSRs,” he said.
Maharlika Agro-Marine Ventures Corporation, for its part, had seen how their activities or those that they plan to do are aligned with what PBSP is also committed to doing. Thus, they decided to also join PBSP.
“These are development indicators that PBSP can help guide the member companies and craft direction for their development endeavors. And this is how we want our member-foundations to be actively involved in creating synergy and leverage on our other partners’ plans, programs in their respective communities,” Dominguez said.