CORPORATE foundations and business groups across Metro Manila and Cebu are reorganizing their budgets and operations to respond to the recent string of disasters that struck the region, according to leaders from the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF), the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), and the Primary Structures Educational Foundation Inc. (PSEFI).
LCF executive director Celine Santillan said the organization is managing expectations for its two-day CSR convention, which usually draws around 150 participants in Metro Manila.
With each day having a specific focus, the group hopes to gather at least 120 participants per day.
Beyond the event, she explained that handling budgets for disaster response remains a persistent challenge for corporate foundations.
Santillan said most member companies allocate annual budgets for corporate social responsibility, including disaster relief. However, major calamities often force them to seek additional funds.
“Companies have disaster or calamity budgets, but when something hits, they have to go back to their parent companies and ask for more,” she said.
She added that other organizations raise support from buyers, consumers, and employees to meet urgent needs.
LCF chairperson Shem Jose Garcia, who also oversees CSR operations at Vivant, echoed Santillan’s experiences, especially after back-to-back disasters.
He said Vivant had originally used only a small portion of its annual disaster-relief budget, but the recent earthquake consumed the entire allocation. Soon after, a typhoon struck, forcing the company to pause its medium-term rebuilding plans.
“We had to redirect funds that were reserved for long-term rehabilitation because the immediate needs after the storm were overwhelming,” Garcia said.
To cope, Vivant pulled additional resources from other business units and split rebuilding funds across the current and upcoming fiscal year.
“We’d love to say we have unlimited resources, but the reality is that we have to juggle budgets when disasters happen one after another,” he added.
In Cebu, businesses themselves were not spared from damage. Mark Anthony Ynoc, president of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said he was moved by how many companies chose to help despite suffering heavy losses. He cited factories in Mandaue City, including textiles and paint manufacturers, that experienced unusually high flooding.
“Many of our members were badly affected, yet they still reached out to the community,” he said, noting that the chamber must also manage donor fatigue among its members.
Beyond corporate contributions, employee-led efforts continue to play a major role in disaster response.
Jessie Cubijano, executive director of the Primary Structures Educational Foundation Inc., said that while their core CSR program focuses on education and scholarships, disaster relief has become a natural extension of their work, especially given their expertise in construction.
Their disaster response began 12 years ago during Super Typhoon Yolanda, when employees initiated a program to adopt and rebuild an entire community a model that continues today.
In the latest series of disasters, the group sent food and water to Northern Cebu and prepared skills-training programs for affected households.
Although the recent typhoon delayed their rollout, they remain committed to rebuilding homes and training residents in construction-related skills for livelihood.
The foundation has also canceled its upcoming Christmas celebration.
“We realized it wasn’t the right time to hold a party. Instead, we’re redirecting the entire budget to help reconstruct the homes of families affected by the disaster,” Cubijano said.
Recent assessments from the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office show that around 15,000 families across 10 local government units lost their homes far beyond what CSR groups alone can cover. Still, corporate foundations emphasize that helping even a fraction of these families can make a meaningful difference.
Despite budget constraints and operational setbacks, corporate foundations and businesses say they remain committed to providing immediate relief and supporting long-term recovery efforts in communities devastated by consecutive calamities. (ABC)