7/27/2019 Good News Monday

1/2

Largest CSR: 5,000 homes for Sendong victims

Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. on Wednesday unveiled the single largest corporate social responsibility project in the country for

victims of Tropical Storm Sendong.

In a statement, the countrys largest business group by market value said it would donate P500 million to build 5,000 homes initially for the

thousands of families left homeless by flooding last month in the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Dumaguete.

This is our way of sharing our blessings from the heart, San Miguel chairman Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. said. We want to give our fellow Filipinos

hope by providing them the means to start over again. Were looking at providing livelihood opportunities on top of the houses that we will build

for them.

San Miguel is partnering with Gawad Kalinga and Habitat for Humanity to build the houses, and with local government units to help identify

relocation sites for the displaced families. Each house will be built at an estimated cost of P100,000.

More than just building houses, this is about rebuilding peoples lives and building safe communities, San Miguel president Ramon Ang said.

He hopes the conglomerates donation would inspire more private entities to help in the rehabilitation of the affected provinces.

Flash floods spawned by the storm left 1,257 dead and 182 missing, and damaged a total of 51,757 houses, according to National Disaster Risk

Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Sendong, which swept through northern Mindanao on Dec. 16 and 17, displaced thousands of

families.

NDRRMC placed the damage to infrastructure, crops and schools at P1.455 billion.

Flagship project

San Miguel recently signed a memorandum of understanding that will start the process of building the houses with GK and Habitat.

Witnessing the signing ceremony was Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Dinky Soliman.

The conglomerate may adopt this housing project, if successful, as its flagship corporate social responsibility program over the long term, company

sources said.

The P500-million donation adds to the groups earlier assistance of P12 million in cash and products through San Miguel Foundation and Petron

Foundationfor the victims of Sendong.

The donations, channeled through various government agencies, government officials and nongovernment organizations, included 480,000 bottles

of purified water and hundreds of noche buena packs. These were distributed to affected families last Christmas and New Years Eve.

Employees of various companies under San Miguel also participated in relief operations and organized soup kitchens in over 21 evacuation centers,

benefiting 6,000 families from the hardest-hit areas in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.

Roofing materials donation

Philsteel Holdings Corp., through its subsidiary Steel Corp. of the Philippines, recently turned over P2.9 million worth of roofing materials as a

donation to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for housing projects for the victims of Sendong in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.

Philsteel Holdings chair Abeto Uy said the roofing materials would be good for 1,500 core-shelter houses, which he hopes can help many victims

have new houses as a starting point for rebuilding their lives and restoring their dignity.Daxim L. Lucas

Goldilocks donates P5.4M to save Pasig River

By: Faizza Farinna Tanggol

Goldilocks raised the bar for corporate social responsibility last November 5 as they bestowed 5.4 million pesos to the latest

undertaking of ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. Bantay Kalikasan (AFI-BK): the Pasig River Rehabilitation Project (PRRP).

Goldilocks is just the beginning, said Pinky Yee, Goldilocks marketing director, as she anticipates a ripple effect where other

companies from the private sector will follow suit in saving Pasig River.

7/27/2019 Good News Monday

2/2

The P5.4 M donation is projected to fund a complete set of community-based waste management facilities in the form of a

composting facility and vegetable garden, biogas digester including a generator and piping system, materials recovery facility

(MRF), plastic shredder, and styro oven. These facilities will then go to the Goldilocks-adopted Clean River Zones (CRZs) in Manila

(PUP-Sta. Mesa), Mandaluyong (Brgys. Pag-Asa, Daang Bangkal, and Harapin and Bukas), and Quezon City (Brgy. San Antonio).

AFI-BK in partnership with Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) under the Department of Natural Resources, envisions

putting up a total of 260 CRZs to contribute to the overall goal of restoring Pasig River to Class C where fish can be propagated,

recreational activities like wading, fishing and boating can be done, and its water can supply industrial manufacturing processes

after treatment.

Meanwhile, the local government also demonstrated their support for the rehabilitation project by showing up in full force for the

Goldilocks turn-over ceremony.

City administrator Jesus Marzan, in behalf of the city of Manila, expressed their complete commitment for the Pasig River

campaign.

Mayor Benjamin Abalos, Jr., representing Mandaluyong city, outlined some of the steps that their city has already taken such as

the closing of all factories and relocation of 500 families along Pasig River. Mayor Abalos further urged the local, non-government

and private sector to synergize saying, We must act together and let it [Pasig River] live again.

Architect Deogracias Tablan Jr., executive director of PRRC, similarly stressed the importance of working together for the

campaign. For their part, PRRC is planning the dredging of Pasig River, bringing down the river bottom sediments to six meters.

AFI already has plans for a series of activities to broaden the involvement of different sectors to the campaign such as a TV and

radio plugs, a tie-up with Bayanijuan, a telethon, and concerts. It is absolutely essential that we get the river cleaned, said Gina

Lopez, managing director of AFI, Pasig River is more than just a river; its connected to our history and identity.

World Vision and Robinsons Supermarket launch Ice Cream Festival

World Vision together with Robinsons Supermarket recently launched Ice cream Mo, Kalusugan ko an ice cream festival and CSR

(Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative that aims to promote child nutrition to supermarket goers and ice cream aficionados in

56 Robinsons Supermarket branches nationwide.

Philippines top ice cream brands have also expressed support for the project --- Magnolia, Nestle Ice Cream and Selecta are hand

in hand in promoting this cause-related marketing initiative this summer. A portion of the ice cream sales donated to World Vision

will fund a 6-month supplementary feeding project for 250 underprivileged school children from World Visions Urban

Development Program in Malabon. World Vision children beneficiaries are also in for a treat as part of the program includes

monthly childrens birthday celebrations and ice cream plant visits from June to December.

Bringing together three leading ice cream brands in this CSR initiative, Jody Gadia, General Manager of Robinsons Supermarket

has high hopes for the project More than just social responsibility, this is our way of giving back.

Jun Godornes, Jr. Direct Marketing Manager of World Vision cited the ice cream festival as a unique corporate engagement. We

thank Robinsons Supermarket and our ice cream partners for supporting the cause of child nutrition and bringing it closer to the

hearts of the public. Their valuable commitment to the well-being of Filipino children makes this CSR partnership all the more

meaningful.

Robinsons Supermarket has been an active partner of World Vision since 2005 when they started supporting World Visions Noche

Buena Christmas Caravan. Since then, Robinsons Supermarket has been an active partner assisting 15 World Vision sponsored

children under the Lunchbox of Hope campaign with Unilever in 2009. The supermarket chain also assisted World Visions relief

efforts during the Ondoy and Pepeng Emergency Response last 2010.