Binalot wins award for environment CSR

MANILA, Philippines - Binalot Fiesta Foods, a restaurant that offers traditional Filipino preparation of food – binalot style – cooked native dishes, steamed, wrapped and served in banana leaves, was named the 2010 Intel-Asian Institute Management (AIM) Corporate Responsibility Awardee (IACRA) for being a truly environmental-friendly organization and for successfully promoting a “win-win” approach wherein both the corporation and the community beneficiary benefit from its sustainable programs over the long term. Binalot Fiesta Foods, established in 1996, and with over 40 branches in the Philippines, was given the honor at the culmination of the recently concluded 9th annual Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. IACRA was launched as a special award at the AFCSR four years ago to pay tribute to Asian companies that integrate CSR into the way they conduct business. The award aims to promote good corporate citizenship in Asia in keeping with the shared advocacies of premier business and management graduate school AIM, and Intel, an organization with long-standing commitment to CSR.

“We congratulate Binalot and hope that their example is emulated by many more businesses in the region,” says Dr. Anjan Ghosh, Corporate Affairs Director of Asia Pacific, Intel.

The winning company’s main CSR program is DAHON or “Dignity and Livelihood for the Community.” Binalot purchases banana leaves directly from banana farmers. Through the DAHON Program, Binalot, provides an extra income of $5 to $8 daily to about 30 families in Nagcarlan and an $25 additional income per week for every Aeta family in the Zambales community. The program empowers Women and Elderly in the adopted communities and helps the indigenous communities develop additional skills and capacity.

The company is also working on developing another community to provide another type of sustainable packaging: the tampipi-boxes made from woven palm leaves. Binalot is also actively engaged in environmental efforts such as being early supporters of the Makati Green Route project that provides free electric jeepney rides within Makati’s Central Business District. Binalot also uses electric motorcycles for its delivery system. In selecting Binalot to receive the Intel-AIM Corporate Responsibility Award for 2010, the board of judges recognized its integration of CSR into the way it conducts business and improves its competitive advantage with a significant positive impact in indigenous communities.