Concrete CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is now an established practice for Philippine business and industry. Starting with the establishment of the Philippine Business for Social Progress, a nongovernmental organization where member companies committed to contribute yearly a percentage of their profits and which implemented a wide array of projects for the poor and needy, large business conglomerates have created their own foundations to undertake socially relevant projects in the community they operate.

Much of the work resulted from the realization that government alone could not cope with the myriad of problems faced by Philippine society as well as the reality that certain administrations had no credibility with both donors (domestic and foreign) and beneficiaries. Private foundations with professional management brought in a new dimension to the ongoing activities of charitable organizations and expanded their reach beyond charity (giving the least and the lost, fish) to entrepreneurship and livelihood ( teaching them how to fish). Others more ambitious and also endowed with more resources embarked on total community development efforts in partnership with community leaders.

Whatever the reason (a tax avoidance mechanism, an altruistic corporate leader, a vehicle for political ambitions), the practice of social responsibility has done so much good to Philippine society. Beyond the people helped, companies have shaped the culture of their organization towards caring and sharing and influ- enced the younger generation to adopt a stewardship mindset as they meet the challenges and grasp the opportunities in these, the best and worst of times.

The decision of the Benita & Catalino Yap Foundation (BCYF) to broaden their programs from scholarships, disaster relief and rehabilitation (as a result of the Pinatubo eruption), sports and institution building activities to research on Corporate Social Responsibility) is timely and necessary. As Mr. Antonio Yap, founder and chairman of the board expresses it, “the wonderful work of various corporations in helping various segments of society, based on anecdotal and other evidence, would only be better served with CSR research at academic institutions, BCYF and other organizations.”

Last September, BCYF held its 4th Philippine Conference on Research in CSR in partnership with the Asian Development Bank and supported by the Management Association of the Philippines and the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations with the endorsement of the Department of Science and Technology and the Commission on Higher Education. With the theme, “CSR Enhances Human Dignity”, participants engaged plenary speakers – DOST Secretary Mario Montejo on “Science, Technology, Manufacturing and CSR: Drivers for Economic Development”; Ms. Angela Kang Joo-hyun, founder of the Global Competitiveness Empowerment Forum on “CSR Enhances Human Dignity”; and panel presentations on “Making CSR a Lifestyle” and researches from 5 university academics.

Previous conferences had dealt on “CSR Basics”, where Dr. Wayne Visser shared the idea that “philanthropy and corporate good works were not CSR but these traditional charitable activities still deserve mention”; “Doing Good is Not Good Enough” keynoted by Mr. Thomas Thomas; and the 3rd conference on “CSR is Not Just for Business”, where Dr. Rebecca Kim Chung- hee explained that human value must be a top concern.

As more practitioners are encouraged to share and more academics engage in CS research, it is hoped that future CSR activities will accelerate in quantity and quality and more corporations in the Philippines become CSR advocates, making CSR more concrete.

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