Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc.

2016

Top CSR Advocates in Asia

Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc.

Top CSR Advocates in Asia

2016

Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc.

“Through all of its CSR programs, the Aboitiz Group is guided by its sustainability mindset of doing well by doing good, always making the right long-term decisions that balance the interests of people, planet, and profit. In 2015, the Group’s CSR programs were able to make a positive impact on the lives of half a million beneficiaries thanks to an investment of over 400 million pesos.“

A Cebu-born enterprise that has operated for over 100 years, the Aboitiz Group holds a strong track record in its wide-ranging commitment to good corporate citizenry.

The Group’s social development arm, Aboitiz Foundation, implements various corporate social responsibility interventions especially in communities where Aboitiz companies operate.

There are four key programs on which Aboitiz focuses its CSR initiatives: education, enterprise development, environment, and health and well-being. They also follow seven parameters, which include addressing a community need, creating a competitive advantage for business units, encouraging skills training and capacity building, and encouraging volunteerism. In 2015, the Group’s CSR programs were able to make a positive impact on the lives of half a million beneficiaries thanks to an investment of over 400 million pesos.

In aiming to achieve universal public education, the Aboitiz BetterWorld schools program was established with the promise of creating a better learning environment for Filipino students. Under this, the Foundation is helping to provide kindergarten classrooms, build and repair regular classrooms, teacher skills training and much-needed scholarships, as well as financial assistance to deserving students. Additionally, it continues to develop special science elementary schools (SSES) and technical-vocational high schools. With such a comprehensive approach, the Aboitiz Group has been cited by the Philippines’ Department of Education as its biggest private partner in public education in the country.

In reaching out to organised groups, Aboitiz provides enterprise development opportunities and livelihood skills training, benefiting households through increased income and job generation. Likewise, this has made countryside entrepreneurs more empowered to run their businesses, cooperative-type or otherwise.

Environmental conservation and biodiversity enhancement is also part of the Aboitiz CSR agenda. The company is one of the government’s biggest partners in a nationwide reforestation undertaking, evidenced by the signing of an MOU with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in 2015, which enlisted the Aboitiz A-Park initiative under the National Greening Program. And with the annual groupwide simultaneous treeplanting event, Aboitiz team members are playing a central role in growing 9 million trees by 2020 under the reforestation programme.

Additionally, the carbon sink management project in Mindanao aims to grow trees in an identified 1,000-hectare parcel of land in the Marilug district. This project sees the collaboration between Aboitiz and 250 families as partners under a community-based forest management approach.

Caring for communities extends to health and well-being initiatives and primary among these is WeatherPhilippines Foundation. With a nationwide network of automated weather stations, the Aboitiz-led initiative is building a #WeatherWiser nation that is reducing weather-related disaster risks. It provides critical and free localized weather information via weather.com.ph and mobile application.

Through all of its CSR programs, the Aboitiz Group is guided by its sustainability mindset of doing well by doing good, always making the right long-term decisions that balance the interests of people, planet, and profit.