Aboitiz supports enterprise development with P29.3-million loan grants

To help bring inclusive growth to the grassroots, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of the Aboitiz Group has provided loans for small-scale businesses amounting to P29.3 million to date.

Funded through microfinance institution Center for Agriculture and Rural Development, the credit facility under the enterprise development of the Aboitiz Foundation benefited 2,597 individuals with 719 livelihood kits under Pilmico’s sustainable entrepreneurship campaign Mahalin Pagkaing Atin, benefiting 705 families.

The amount forms part of the total allotment of P245 million for all the CSR initiatives of the Aboitiz Foundation. In 2016 alone, P123 million, or more than half, went for the implementation of “CSR 2.0” projects—higher than the 16-percent and 7-percent budgets in 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Apart from enterprise development, the foundation invested the largest portion of its budget in the academic sector being the key private partner of the Department of Education.

This included adopting 35 technical-vocational high schools and 10 special-science elementary schools, constructing 932 classrooms and 246 Aklat, Gabay, Aruga tungo sa Pag-Angat at Pag-asa Foundation classrooms, rewiring 4,331 classrooms, and the donation of 1,695 stand-alone and 2,185 thin-client computer units. Also, a total of 561 college students nationwide have been granted scholarships.

As to environmental protection, the Aboitiz Group, through this appropriation, ended 2016 with 3.8 million trees planted groupwide, with an average seedling survival rate of 80 percent as of end-2015. A portion of this was planted under the National Greening Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Given the figures, the company is on track to growing 9 million seedlings by 2020.

The Aboitiz Cleanergy Center and the Aboitiz Cleanergy Park have already hosted 28,791 and 3,763 visitors. The former is the country’s first and only renewable-energy education facility. The latter is an 8-hectare outdoor biodiversity park and marine-protected area with 8,517 planted mangroves; 2,726 discovered and 2,655 transferred pawikan eggs from 17 discovered nests; 1,876 released pawikan hatchlings and 55 discovered bird species. Roderick L. Abad.

The Foundation likewise has funded its health and well-being efforts, which to date constructed 15 health centers and 20 daycare centers and donated 49 water systems to host communities nationwide.

Meanwhile, WeatherPhilippines Foundation already deployed 792 automated-weather stations, and trained 3,060 individuals on basic Weather 101.

Going beyond mere one-time dole-outs (CSR 1.0), the Aboitizes started implementing in 2015 the CSR 2.0 projects, where the Foundation executes community projects that deliver longer-term benefits, are aligned to the Group’s core competencies, encourage team member engagement, and are scalable initiatives with positive sustainable impact of national scope.

“Thanks to the active efforts of our partners and team members, we were able to significantly champion more CSR 2.0 projects in 2016,” said Maribeth L. Marasigan, first vice president of Aboitiz Foundation. “We will continue building on our progress and deliver more shared value to our beneficiaries as we help advance business and communities that are safe, sustainable, and empowered.”

Original post: Business Mirror