Established in 2000 and registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission, Clark Water Corporation (CWC) operates in the water utility industry and is fortunate to be in a position where its core business interrelates with one of life’s basic necessity. Aside from the fact that all people need water, the company has the opportunity to reach a wider scope in terms of programme beneficiaries.
Over the years, CWC has implemented a programme called OPLAN C.A.R.E. that extends the company’s expertise and resources to communities with water related concerns, be it to address a current environmental problem, or for their own consumption and use.
The OPLAN C.A.R.E. programme is broken up into Cleanup, Aid giving, Rehabilitation and Education and represents the company’s efforts to make a difference through environmental protection, provision of water to crisis-stricken and depressed communities, and local information drive.
For an Aeta community such as Sitio Monicayo, the team had to tailor fit a programme based on the community’s needs, in order to supply them with a clean drinking water source that could also double as a potential source of income, thereby helping the community in the area of industry and enterprise.
To realise their programmes, CWC earned the support of its corporate social responsibility arm, Manila Water Foundation (MWF), and Clark’s local government unit, Clark Development Corporation (CDC) for the full financing of the facility and to foster community acceptance and understanding.
This project costs approximately PHP 3.5 Million or USD70,000 and carries the main objective of giving back to those in need by doing what it does best – making clean and potable water accessible to all, regardless of race or social status.
What CWC takes away from this project is strengthened relationships with its regulator, the CDC, as well as building a culture of trust and goodwill among the indigenous people located in Clark’s periphery, plus the added value to the CWC brand. Additionally, the company is committed to producing socially and environmentally aware employees who will continue to carry on the values of the social responsibility, as it believes that its employees are the greatest testament of its sustainability efforts.
The company’s designated CSR champion is CWC’s Regulatory and External Affairs (REA) Department, which handles all the company’s sustainability programmes from womb to tomb. Effective communication is the key in strengthening each employee’s resolve to take part in the company’s CSR initiatives. Doing so encourages a culture of volunteerism anchored on the company’s mission to make clean and potable water accessible to all.
Part of what makes this happen is their top management’s efforts in ensuring that all the needed resources and support is provided and that their commitment and support is visible to all employees within the organisation.
In terms of focus, CWC’s CSR programmes address various water-related concerns of the local communities, be it as grand as the provision of water facilities to communities in need, or as simple as teaching children the proper way of hand washing with soap and water. CWC is in fact, very fortunate that water is a part of a person’s daily life, making it easier to extend its reach to a larger pool of beneficiaries.
Social responsibility is essential for CWC as the company understands that while its survival may depend largely on financial gains, it also recognises that it exists in a world where all things are interrelated with each other, and that the collapsing of one will disorient the system. Nature provides CWC the water it needs to do business, and so it recognizes its moral responsibility to give back to nature as well as the people living in it.
