Aboitiz Group anchors sustainability journey on ‘shared value’
The Aboitiz Group and its various business units (BUs) are gearing up for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability initiatives that will center on “shared value” — advancing both business and communities to drive change for a better world.
“Sustainability is the singular thread that weaves through the fabric of our company’s history, which shows our constant pursuit for opportunities. We are always on the lookout for opportunities that not only help accelerate our country’s economic growth per se but, more importantly, become catalysts of positive change through our products and services,” Erramon I. Aboitiz, Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer, told the participants of the first-ever Advancing Business & Communities Summit last September 17 in Bonifacio Global City.
“We agree that financial gains should translate into meaningful benefits for society, creating shared value in the long run,” Aboitiz noted.
Businesses, according to Aboitiz, have to be able to advance both businesses and communities in order to fully realize economic progress. The Aboitiz Group in particular is into power, banking and financial services, food, infrastructure, and land.
“We all realize that there is still so much more that has to be done. This underscores the role of business in ensuring that any degree of human-centric economic progress should bring about sustainable and equitable welfare for a country’s population. That said, the Aboitiz Group, just like other private sector participants have a vital role to play,” Aboitiz explained.
Over the last 30 years, the Aboitiz Foundation, the Aboitiz Group’s corporate foundation, has touched the lives of beneficiaries through an integrated approach to CSR. The Aboitiz Foundation’s integrated CSR strategy is a combination of projects across different program components: education, enterprise development, and environment.
This CSR innovation impacts more than one beneficiary group. For greater reach and impact, Aboitiz BUs are challenged to collaborate on projects implemented in specific and common areas to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
The ABC Summit featured various BU projects tackling waste management, supporting community projects, disaster resilience, youth empowerment, and greening initiatives, all of which concretely illustrate the Aboitiz Group’s commitment to sustainability.
AboitizPower Chief Operating Officer (COO) Emmanuel Rubio, UnionBank Chief Technology & Operations Officer Henry Aguda, Pilmico COO Tristan Aboitiz, AboitizLand First Vice President-Operations Rafael de Mesa, and Republic Cement President and Chief Executive Officer Nabil Francis also discussed in-depth how their respective businesses help fulfill the UN SDGs — by providing reliable and ample power supply at a reasonable and competitive price with the least adverse effects on the environment and host communities, elevating lives and fulfilling dreams through smart banking, providing solutions and building partnerships for growth, helping people live better lives by building deliberately designed residential, commercial, and industrial communities, and by being the trusted solutions partner for building a greener, stronger republic.
In addition to Aboitiz leaders, business, government, and non-government organization representatives from Ayala, Facebook, UN in the Philippines and the Department of Trade and Industry-Board of Investments also shared success stories of how they contribute in driving change for a better world.
Over the past 10 years, the Aboitiz Group has allocated P4.2 billion for CSR-related activities and programs undertaken by over 31,000 team members nationwide.“True to our sustainability mindset, we match our business expansion with investments in our communities and social infrastructure,” Aboitiz said.
The ABC Summit also celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Aboitiz Foundation, the corporate foundation of the Aboitiz Group, and feature the launch of new digital initiatives — KINDer, crowdfunding application that will feature various CSR advocacies across the country, and Weather Solutions, an application that promotes weather knowledge through weather data.
