Companies told to innovate on CSR programs

CEBU, Philippines - Stakeholders from both the government and private sector urge companies to actively participate in the German-funded program that aims to partner with communities from the grassroots level rather than just staying stuck with the traditional approach of corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Launched in 2004, the Strategic Corporate-Community Partnership (Scope) is a program that is jointly developed by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

It is an innovative business approach which addresses the needs of companies by working along the value chain and engaging communities as suppliers of semi-processed materials or skilled labor.

PBSP Visayas Executive Committee Vice Chairperson Philip Tan urged more companies to adopt the SCOPE program and promote social consciousness within their businesses.

“We encourage them to come out and apply. It’s time to be more open-minded with other possibilities of helping poor communities rather than just the usual CSR approach. With Scope, you empower them to become reliable economic players while achieving your business goals at the same time,” he said.

Partnering with the communities that supply their requirements, companies in return give back through the provision of access to enhanced skills training and values education.

Doing such supports the country’s inclusive growth agenda and promotes a unique way of conducting corporate social responsibility that is mutually beneficial and sustainable, Tan said.

Tan also said that to date, there are more than 30 companies who are mostly from the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

He said that the collaboration with the government could be further strengthened with the provision of wider market access.

Department of Trade and Industry provincial director Nelia Navarro noted that the trade department could actually help in promoting the Scope products by including them in the trade fairs and expositions in the region such as those during the Sinulog and Sandugo Festivals held every year.

She also lauded the efforts done by the private sector, admitting that the government could not sustain such program due to lack of manpower and money.

She added that the private sector, on the other hand, could provide the market and capital for both the participants and beneficiaries of the program.

She further encouraged other entrepreneurs particularly exporters to be part of the Scope program.

Navarro advised companies to actively approach PSBP instead of waiting the latter to reach out to them.

Wolfgang Möllers, GIZ portfolio manager and deputy regional director for the Philippines and the Pacific, firmly believes in the strong cooperation of the communities and private sector but admitted that they are currently working on major marketing efforts to make more companies be aware of Scope.

“We want to emphasize that this is private sector driven and what we really want to point out is that we try to do it differently from the common CSR approach,” he added.

He shared that the GIZ aims to concentrate its efforts in the Visayas and Mindanao regions as their key priority areas.

Although marketing their products remains a challenge for businesses, Möllers cited that constant quality is expected from companies wherein grassroots communities could play a significant role in the value chain once properly trained with skills enhancement program.

Meanwhile, Southern Partners and Fair Trade Center (SPFTC) managing director Geraldine Labradores suggested that the fair trade principles that are also geared towards poverty alleviation can be integrated with the models of the Scope program to have a more concrete actualization of helping the grassroots communities.

Tan, however, cited that such principles could actually be applicable to some companies particularly those who are directly exporting to Europe and United States but may not support the subcontractors. /JMD (FREEMAN)