'ECOmmitment': Corporate Social Responsibility programs highlight environmental protection
MANILA, Philippines — Air pollution, plastic pollution, marine pollution and rising sea levels – these are the top four environmental issues in the Philippines in 2024, according to the research of Earth.org.
Thus, in time for Earth Month, the following companies shared their sustainable practices as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts:
PLDT Home launches Gawad Madiskarte for moms championing sustainability
Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH)’s Gawad Madiskarte powered by PLDT Home, the awards that pay tribute to mompreneurs, is back. This year, MMPH is putting the spotlight not only on hardworking and successful moms, but also on businesses that champion sustainability.
In a time when the Philippines is facing environmental and economic challenges, Gawad Madiskarte is looking for “mompreneurs” that are leading by example, demonstrating that sustainable business practices are not only possible but also profitable. By supporting and celebrating these visionary women, Gawad Madiskarte hopes to inspire other entrepreneurs and businesses to create a brighter, more sustainable future for all.
This year’s major awards are Diskarteng Eco-Friendly, for the mompreneur who is leading the charge in environmental responsibility and pioneering green solutions with vision and progress; Diskarteng Angat, for the mompreneur who achieves exceptional sales growth in her business while leading the way in sustainability; and Diskarteng May Puso, for the mompreneur who creates a positive change by fulfilling her social responsibility to her communities.
There will be two winners per major award. One winner will come from the Start-Up category and the other one from the Scale Up category. For the Start Up category, the mompreneur’s business should be running for at least six months; for the Scale Up category, it should be running for at least 13 months with supporting documents such as a DTI and BIR permits. Owners must also have an online shop in any e-commerce platforms or social media accounts.
To join, fill out the Google Form with your answers and requirements. Mompreneurs may access Gawad Madiskarte application form by joining the community. Submission of all entry forms starts on March 8, 2024, International Women’s Day.
MMPH is an online community established to support and provide education, and business opportunities for Filipino mompreneurs., it boasts over 172,000 community members and15,000 trained mompreneurs.
In its advocacy to help and educate mompreneurs, MMPH has partnered with local and international brands. MMPH has also won various industry awards, such as the Silver Award from the Asia Pacific Stevie Awards, Grand Anvil, the highest PR award in the country, from the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, Gold Award for Best PR Program in Southeast Asia from the ASEAN PR Network and the Prosperity Award from the UN Global Compact Network Philippines.
City of Dreams Manila champions 'sustainable luxury'
Having a holistic sustainability strategy already in place since 2019, City of Dreams (COD) Manila’s advocacy for caring for the planet is becoming more vital than ever, as it presents an immense opportunity to engage, if not inspire guests and stakeholders to share a common vision of a sustainable and better future.
To support this purpose, the integrated resort conducted the third “green tour” of the property, immersing corporate and travel trade clients, event organizers, and media in a sustainability tour, activities, product display, and refreshments that depict COD’s eco-luxury practices that are seamlessly embedded in its hospitality operations.
COD Manila took the guests to an insightful exploration around the property to showcase its journey towards becoming a carbon neutral and zero waste resort by 2030, in alignment with the ‘Above and Beyond’ sustainability strategy of its parent company Melco Resorts & Entertainment. The tour explored five of the resort’s green facilities – NORDAQ glass bottling and water filtration system; e-bike charging station for colleagues; solar solutions; vermicomposting facility; and herb garden -- allowing them to delve into a few of the sustainable practices that provide a meaningful facet to the resort’s brand of hospitality service.
The US$370K Nordaq water filtration and glass bottling system supplies the property with superior quality of water all produced onsite in a circular system. This project, along with other initiatives that replace single use plastics with reusable, and other eco-friendly alternatives around the property enabled City of Dreams Manila to reduce and divert about 11.6 million single-use plastics away from landfills annually.
The e-bike charging station encourages colleagues on the use of sustainable transportation. Complementing this are the 3,120 PV solar panels that can generate 1,600MWh annually, which also contribute to the property’s decarbonization efforts. To further harness solar energy, an additional P30 million 612 PV solar panels generating 400 MWH annually are currently being installed. The first among integrated resorts to utilize this renewable energy and cleaner energy resource, the solar solution reduces COD Manila’s reliance on fossil-fuel-based energy sources.
The guests also visited the vermicomposting facility and herb garden at the parking building’s rooftop where they got to discover how vermicomposting reduces the property’s food waste. They saw how both facilities result in a circular and regenerative system. In 2022, 145 metric tons of food waste were composted through the onsite vermicomposting facility, providing a nutritious soil amendment for the gardens.
Continually nurtured, the vermicompost system has produced over seven metric tons and 3,300 liters of vermicast and vermitea, respectively, over the year. These nutritious fertilizers then support the herb garden, which then provides about 276kg of fresh herbs for the resort’s kitchens. Other efforts to reduce food waste is through the installation of a food waste composting machine on property, which harnesses a microbial technology to compost food waste. The byproduct is an immature compost that can be used as soil amendment in various horticulture applications, which the property gives to farmers. In March 2024, the property turned over about 896 kg of compost to its partner farmers.
The tour continued at Wave, where guests were welcomed by Director of Hotel Operations Steve Sasso and led to an herb re-potting activity and a display highlighting the resort’s food and beverage sustainable initiatives. Innovative Filipino cocktails that showcased the use of fresh herbs from its rooftop garden and sustainably sourced local produce and carbon neutral beef were also highlighted.
“Sustainable Luxury resonates with everyone these days, and through this tour, we wish to share with you our commitment to sustainability. We thank you for this opportunity to show you how our resort seamlessly integrates green practices in our guests’ experiences,” stated Director of Sales and Marketing Jennylyn Santillan who together with her team hosted the green tour, an initiative to support the ethos of the property enunciated by Steve Sasso, that “sustainability and luxury can be woven together."
For its sustainable initiatives, Forbes Travel Guide, the globally recognized rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants, and spas, named COD Manila in 2023 as Finalist in the inaugural Responsible Hospitality Award, for its outstanding level of commitment to sustainable practices at the luxury level. City of Dreams’ three FTG-rated hotels are also recipients of the 2022-2024 ASEAN Green Hotel Award for upholding sustainable tourism through environment-friendly principles, resource consumption reduction, and local community involvement.
Procter & Gamble spearheads Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program
Access to clean water gives infants and young children a fighting chance to grow up healthy and free from diseases. Without this, they may suffer from dehydration and waterborne infections, which can stunt their growth, impair cognitive function, and other serious health problems.
In the Philippines, 53% of households lack access to a safely managed water supply and 39% lack safe sanitation, according to UN and UNICEF data. Additionally, 55% of schools lack access to clean water supply and 26% lack safe sanitation.
This is the reality of thousands of Filipino children, particularly in vulnerable areas with unimproved sources of drinking water, like Agusan del Sur in Mindanao. The Agusan Marsh covers 15 percent of the country’s freshwater resources. Manobo families mostly live in floating houses, and they rely on rainwater or a nearby spring for water they use for drinking and bathing. But they are also at risk of their primary water source getting contaminated due to flooding and landslides.
Contaminated water and poor sanitation are major contributors to the spread of waterborne diseases affecting children and infants in the Philippines. Waterborne illnesses like Diarrhea and Typhoid Fever pose health risks, and even death if it isn’t treated right away.
As part of its purpose to improve consumers’ lives in small but meaningful ways, Procter & Gamble (P&G) launched the not-for-profit Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program. Since launching CSDW in the Philippines in 2012, it has been working with World Vision Philippines to bring P&G Purifier of Water packets and disaster relief to communities that lack access to a steady and clean supply of potable water.
The P&G Purifier of Water is a groundbreaking invention created by P&G scientists in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This innovative powder is formulated with coagulants and disinfecting properties, designed to effectively eliminate dirt and disease-causing microbes from up to 10 liters of potentially unsafe water in just 30 minutes. This innovation makes it possible for Filipino children and adults in far-flung areas to have clean drinking water, which they can use for their daily routines and to prevent stomach problems.
Young beneficiaries like 11-year-old Krisha from Brgy. Sabang Gibong, Agusan Del Sur said that the CSDW Program helped give them potable drinking water. Previously, Krisha and her family relied on water from a nearby river, which unfortunately led to them contracting amoebiasis. Thanks to the distribution of the P&G packets, they’re now able to treat the water from the river to ensure that it’s clean to drink.
Krisha is just one example of the many children in communities supported by World Vision Philippines and P&G who have witnessed transformative changes through access to clean water. With P&G’s Purifier of Water innovation, they are now able to drink water without the constant worry of disease. This allows them to enjoy playing with their friends and attend school. Similarly, adults in these communities experience relief knowing their children are happier and more active in their everyday lives.
P&G’s CSDW program, in collaboration with World Vision Philippines, is committed to transforming lives through the power of clean water. Its goal to deliver 3.4 million packets to 29,000 families in the most vulnerable areas with limited access to clean drinking water in the country by 2025. Both organizations, P&G Philippines and World Vision Philippines will continue supporting and educating people on how the P&G Purifier of Water technology can improve children's lives.
Canva Philippines collaborates with Philippine Eagle Foundation
As part of its commitment to be a force for good, Canva Philippines supports environmental recuperation through Project RegAIN (Forest Restoration and Regenerative Agroforestry for Indigenous Well-being and Nature), a collaborative initiative with the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF). This project aims to plant three million trees in select areas in Mindanao to counteract the effects of deforestation and preserve the region's biodiversity.
Project RegAIN is one of the local implementations of Canva’s global initiative, “One Print, One Tree” Program, in which the company plants a tree for every print order made on its platform.
"As a company, we recognize our responsibility to promote sustainable living and environmental care. This commitment reflects Canva’s Two-Step Plan, where we aim to be one of the most valuable companies in the world by doing the most good that we can. We support PEF in its goal of restoring the natural habitat of the Philippine Eagle and protecting the lands of indigenous groups in Mindanao," said Yani Hornilla-Donato, Country Manager of Canva Philippines.
With the support of the restoration organization Reduce. Reuse. Grow. (RRG), Canva Philippines and the PEF collaborate to oversee the tree-planting process and monitor the cultivation of various crops to support local farmers and their livelihoods. The partnership also plays a vital role in safeguarding the habitat of indigenous peoples and endangered species such as the Philippine Eagle. With only over 390 pairs remaining in the country, the Philippine Eagle urgently requires habitat protection measures to ensure its survival.
Dr. Jason Ibanez, Director for Operations at the Philippine Eagle Foundation, highlights why saving the Philippine Eagle is crucial to communities at large. "The first step to saving Philippine Eagles is to bring back the forest that’s been lost. Forest restoration will not only save the species but also save Filipinos, because the forest is the foundation of our livelihoods and indigenous culture. It will bring back the quality of life that we once had and also address our global climate crisis,” he shared.
Since its global launch in 2021, Canva’s One Print, One Tree Program has supported 27 project sites in 13 countries, including the Philippines. Over five million trees have already been planted globally. — With reports from Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo
