Businesses investing in social good
Corporate impact is typically measured by profits and revenues, yet efforts to support communities, which arguably deliver results just as consequential, receive far less attention.
On Nov. 19, the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (AmCham Philippines) recognized these efforts at the second AmCham Corporate Social Impact Awards, honoring programs in fields such as health care, education, livelihood, environment and disaster response.
US ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson emphasizes the crucial role that purpose-driven businesses play in addressing social needs.
“You are demonstrating what it means to lead with a purpose,” she says. “Together, we can advance the vision of prosperity that is inclusive, sustainable and full of opportunity for Americans, for Filipinos and for all of our partners.”
Here are the winning programs and the companies behind them.
Pilmico Foods
The Aboitiz Group’s Pilmico Foods Corp. earned the Impact Excellence Award—the top recognition contested by gold awardees from both the November and May cycles—for Project Silk, cited under the economic empowerment and livelihood development category.
Launched in 2017, this program has supported 2,835 corn farmers across six cooperatives in four provinces through end-to-end assistance, including skills training, market access and inclusive sourcing.
Implemented with the Aboitiz Foundation, the project has generated P48.36 million in sales and increased farmers’ revenues by more than 1,500 percent.
It has also enabled corn farmers to earn even outside the harvest season, with beneficiaries opening agri-supply stores, cassava chip lines, vulcanizing shops and lending services.
With the award, Pilmico says it plans to expand the program to more cooperatives.
“In the coming years, we aim to increase the volume we purchase from local cooperatives and expand the number of farmer groups we work with,” says Pamela Liwag, assistant vice president for brand and reputation.
“There’s still a lot of work ahead, but our focus remains on long-term, inclusive growth that supports farmers while helping build a stronger and more resilient food value chain,” she tells the Inquirer.
Other programs recognized in the same category were those by Philip Morris-Fortune Tobacco Corp., Aboitiz Power Corp. and Science Park of the Philippines Inc.
Education
Outsourcing recruitment firm Nezda Technologies Inc. was cited for its Free Education for Eligible Students program, which provides funding and enhanced learning spaces to more than 200 students, particularly in underserved communities.
Also recognized were programs by Frontier Tower Associates Philippines Inc., Quezon Power (Philippines) Limited Co. & San Buenaventura Power Ltd. Co. (SBPL) and Hamlin-Iturralde Corp.
Sustainability
Aboitiz Power Corp., particularly its coal plant, Therma Visayas Inc., was recognized for its Carbon Sink Management Program, which has planted more than 1 million trees across 1,250 hectares in Cebu since 2016.
The initiative, carried out with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, has supported 701 farmers and mitigated an estimated 12,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
Trees planted under the program were mostly native too, including species such as toog, kalumpit, ilang-ilang, amugis and banaba.
Other awardees under environment sustainability and resource efficiency were Converge ICT Solutions Inc., Reckitt, Quezon Power & SBPL and Raslag Corp.
Health care
Philippine banking giant BDO Unibank Inc. earned the top merit in the health-care equity and support category for rehabilitating 191 rural health units, benefiting an estimated 9 million people with the help of the BDO Foundation.
Reckitt and AstraZeneca Philippines received the bronze and silver awards, respectively.
Disaster response
GMA Network Inc. was recognized for Operation Bayanihan, a disaster response initiative under GMA Kapuso Foundation that assisted 318,086 Filipinos affected by floods, typhoons, droughts and other natural disasters in 2024 alone.
This initiative included housing reconstruction, rebuilding of a three-classroom school and distribution of 600,000 backpacks.
GMA also mobilized support during Typhoon “Kristine” in October 2024 through a telethon fundraising drive.
Other awardees in this category are BDO Unibank, Reckitt and Clark International Airport Corpo.
Community impact
Wire agency Thomson Reuters bagged the top award for community impact and civic engagement for its outreach initiative for children living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), implemented with the Duyan Foundation.
This program provides workshops, psychosocial support, creative activities and mental health sessions for families. It also promotes internal HIV awareness and screening among employees.
Other cited programs were those by Pilmico Foods Corp., Vena Energy and Gerodias Suchianco Estrella Law Firm.
