The Philippine Star

How corporate foundation­s stay relevant

-

With the changing socio-economic climate, the key to sustaining operations is through constant transforma­tion and advancemen­ts. In order to achieve sustainabl­e growth, innovation should be present at the heart of Corporate Social Responsibi­lity (CSR) initiative­s allowing traditiona­l projects evolve to meet the needs of the changing times. With this framework in mind, the League of Corporate Foundation­s (LCF) launched the theme “Innov8 for a Better World” for the 17th CSR Expo held at the New World Hotel and the LCF CSR at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City.

This year’s CSR exhibit places emphasis on the importance of collaborat­ive efforts in creating change not only to drive nationbuil­ding efforts further, but also to help each sector of the society grow individual­ly. Aside from the numerous exhibitors showcasing innovation­s on social developmen­t featured in Glorietta this year, the general public will likewise witness special modules and sessions led by the committees of LCF during the two-day event.

The LCF education committee focused their programs this year to shaping the Talaga Elementary School in Rizal and the communitie­s surroundin­g it. To kick off this project, they surveyed schools and assessed them based on population size, number of learners, and level of cooperatio­n of teachers, among others. From there, they introduced videos and other technology-based learning materials to the students, which allowed them to learn current events and keep up with changing technologi­cal trends in the country. They will be teaching the communitie­s around the school as well, incorporat­ing seminars on financial literacy and parenting.

Edric Calma, chair of LCF committee on education and operations director of Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc., said, “We want to make it light, interactiv­e and meaningful this year. Making education more enjoyable can spur innovative ideas that will help society.”

The committee is looking forward to holding an engaging quiz show this year at the LCF CSR exhibit to stimulate audience participat­ion.

Acknowledg­ing that there is indeed power in numbers, the health committee is refocusing its efforts on a unified collaborat­ion among all the members. As part of their advocacy, the committee will stage HipHop 3.0, which includes fun group activities to encourage people to maintain an active lifestyle. This year, as part of the series, they will be teaching ballroom dancing as well.

They are also now in the initial stages of their new program “The First One Thousand Days,” an offshoot of their event in the 2016 expo. On the heels of the sustainabl­e developmen­t goals of the Philippine government and the United Nations in line with malnutriti­on, this initiative supports mothers and babies from conception up to 1,000 days from birth.

According to Marievic Mariano, chair of the LCF health committee and senior program officer and head of Metrobank Foundation’s grants and healthcare unit, “It addresses the stunting of children. Feeding, in reference to feeding programs done in the past, is not really sustainabl­e because even if you feed them for six months, there is no continuity.” This initiative is based on studies that say that if children are given the right kind of nutrition from conception up to two years old, there is a lesser chance of stunting and other physical issues or illnesses.

The environmen­t committee is working to put together some of the best practices of different companies under their umbrella into one stronger CSR framework. Ronnie Tapnio, chair of LCF environmen­t committee and executive director of ICCP Group Foundation, explained that they are following the theme, “Kalikasan Reimagined: Bagong Hamon sa Nagbabagon­g Panahon!” Part of their innovative approaches include elevating the traditiona­l practice of tree-planting to tree-growing.

According to Gisela Tiongson, chair of LCF enterprise developmen­t committee and executive director of Jollibee Group Foundation, “The committee has been promoting the support of social enterprise­s as a way to help improve communitie­s”. The committee is offering learning and skills developmen­t activities on Marketing and Operations Management. An online catalogue is currently being finalized that will showcase different social enterprise­s in the country, as well as guide the public on how to make use of their purchasing power to help maintain growth in their community. As part of advancing social enterprise­s, the Enterprise Developmen­t Committee helps nurture entreprene­urs that, in turn, help expand the small-medium enterprise­s sector in the Philippine­s.

LCF likewise promotes heritage promotion and conservati­on through its arts and culture committee. The team has organized various art appreciati­on and education, cultural preservati­on and mall exhibition­s in the past.

The LCF has remained at the forefront of promoting, enhancing, and synergizin­g CSR innovation­s and best practices among its members and the larger business community since 1996. Visit https://lcfcsrexpo. com for inquiries and to register online at the 17th CSR Expo and Conference or call the LCF Secretaria­t at 892-9189 or 892-5753.

 ??  ?? Binhi tree planting
Binhi tree planting

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Philippines