Subic

I got this from today's issue of The Philippine Star:

Trump, 2 partners to invest over $1B in Subic
By Ma. Elisa P. Osorio
Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Three international real estate firms, including the Trump Organization of real estate mogul Donald Trump, announced yesterday they will invest more than $1 billion in the country for the development of a high-end leisure facility in Subic.

The Trump Organization, which is the primary company of Trump, oversees nearly all of the business development interests of the real estate mogul- such as real estate, hotels, golf clubs, etc. (but excluding the casinos).

The Trump Organization signed a memorandum of agreement with two of its partners, Korean firm Heung-A Property Group (HAPG) and Westgate Resorts Asia Ltd., for the construction of an integrated leisure, sports and entertainment facility.

“Our initial foray in the Subic Freeport zone signals the extreme confidence of various highly funded multinationals with respect to both the near and long- term economic and investment prospects in the Philippines,” Seung Guk Yang, chairman of Subic Neocove Corp. said.
Neocove is a wholly owned subsidiary of HAPG, formed to oversee and manage the project while the Trump Organization will be the lead and master developer of the Subic project.

The billion dollar investment will be built in 457 hectare beachfront facility in Subic. The master plan includes several hotels, residential villas, retail shops, casinos, educational and medical facilities, a convention center, a water park and a spa anchored on a 54-hole golf course.

The entire project will be done in three stages.
The first stage is expected to start in the first quarter of 2009. First to be constructed are the golf course and infrastructure projects like roads. Neocove said they will be spending $250 million for this and will be completed by 2011.
Also expected to be competed first are the basic accommodations like the hotels, the school and the convention center.

The second phase will cost $500 million. The whole project will take 10 years to complete. Youn Jae Lee, chairman of HAPG said the slowdown in the world economy will have no impact on their plan because not only are they adequately capitalized, their target market are high end clients.

The target, he said, are long staying and community tenants mostly coming from the US and Korea. “We hope to maximize the long-term opportunities provided by the various growth areas in this region tapping the future growth of lifestyle, health and real estate investment spending,” Lee added.


My reaction to this is that it's nice that there are still people, let alone a real estate mogul named Donald Trump, who are willing to invest in the Philippines. This also shows a good sign that the Philippines is on the right track on being a "respectable" country and that the we are on our way up as contrary to popular belief that we are spiraling down further. My only concern here is that I hope that they still won't forget their responsibilities and obligations involved, whether it may arise during or after the project.

PACOLI J.

doing our part

“Don’t ask what the government can do for you; ask what you can do for the government.” The words of the great JFK John F. Kennedy himself, it really has impacted a lot of Americans during his time. Hopefully it can also reach all of us Filipinos. The problem with us is that we want everything instant. Instant solutions, instant relief, instant everything, and if we don’t get what we want, we blame it all on the government for their deficiencies and start handing out complaints, instead of just doing their jobs. Sometimes I just wish that I can tell the people that complain to be and the leaders’ shoes and tell them when they say they want out, “I told you so.” I’m not saying that I’m a pro-administration person, I know they really have to clean out some of the mess they did, what I’m saying is that the people should just do their jobs and don’t add to the burden of our leaders. Because in reality, there isn’t anything instant. Our problems here can’t be worked out overnight. We all have our responsibilities to help our country. We need to do our part too. We just can’t rely on our leaders to provide the solution. We need to help them. Don’t be part of the pollution, be part of the solution.

PACOLI, J.

"positive" social rsponsibility

“Positive” social responsibility. In my previous post, I discussed about the negative side, now it’s about the positive one. It is a responsibility that’s an obligation. It arises when some of the entities’ rights have been violated thus an obligation arises to make up for it. It is largely associated with the big companies who expand a lot. They usually build structures that invade into the nature which drives environmentalists nuts. The responsibility of the companies is to make sure that the “nature” will still be there so that everyone’s happy. Another example is that it is a company’s responsibility to give back to society after society has given to them what they want. Popular examples are McDonald’s participation in the Gawad Kalinga, Shell planting trees, and Nescafe’s current projects which are seen on TV commercials.

This is also another way of companies to look good to the public, or in other words, to keep looking good. When people see that they support these projects, they will think that they’re a good company so they’ll buy more products from them.

PACOLI, J.

helping others....

It is very easy for us to fall into the trap of thinking that we must think of what is best for “me”…when in reality what is good for “me” can also be good for someone else…. both purposes can co-exist together. I think most of us in our hearts want to be good…but because of the past or certain experiences we’ve been subjected to in life we tend to get sidetracked and forget in some ways how to be good or look upon goodness as some form of weakness. For me, with the problems that I face I find that each week I have to keep re-learning certain good habits and disregarding the bad ones. What scares me is how easy it is to forget to be kind. With all we deal with we get so caught up in our own lives that we start to forget the things that matter to us the most. I have started each day to try to think of something that I can do to touch someone in a positive light. It could be a smile, or a thoughtful comment, but at the end of the day it does give you a good feeling inside. Yes some people won’t appreciate it….but most will.

Corporations today

Corporations today in our country like HSBC, Smart, Globe, Ayala, Coke and other profit organizations are jumping into the wagon of corporate social responsibility. It has been a big effect. The companies today are now helping their consumers in many ways. Like they are giving back what they have earned. The concept of karma can be applied in these kind of situation. As it is stated in the golden rule “Do not do unto others as you would expect they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same “. This is being applied by the companies today. They are now helping the poor and needy, They have earned a big profit from their consumers. This is just one way to giving them back what they have earned. This is way is through corporate social responsibility.

CSR

Corporate social responsibility is a concept whereby organizations consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, communities and other stakeholders, as well as the environment. This obligation is seen to extend beyond the statutory obligation to comply with legislation and sees organizations voluntarily taking further steps to improve the quality of life for employees and their families as well as for the local community and society at large.

There is a tendency for the companies to take a paternalistic view of their role in society, or be reactive to the inequality and poverty around them. Some have been made their community involvement more strategic, however. For example, a logistics company is involved in teaching school kids how to cross the street (because street accidents were hampering their delivery services), while a car manufacturer has engaged college students in road safety planning (because they want to be known not just for selling cars but as advocates of responsible driving too). The company funded the students’ implementation of a plan to redesign the traffic scheme in the school’s vicinity and was taught road safety skills.

Studies have shown that CSR proponents in companies, which have recently joined the bandwagon, are looking outward, rather than inward (how they do business), when they design their CSR agenda. The impulse is to look for target beneficiaries who have no direct impact on how their products are manufactured, sourced, or delivered, or who are investing and managing the company. CSR to them is still largely equated to community philanthropy.


Corporate Social Responsibility in ASEAN. Presented by Dr. Filemon A. Uriarte, Jr.

UNICEF

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.

UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children's rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children.

UNICEF insists that the survival, protection and development of children are universal development imperatives that are integral to human progress.

UNICEF mobilizes political will and material resources to help countries, particularly developing countries, ensure a "first call for children" and to build their capacity to form appropriate policies and deliver services for children and their families.

UNICEF is committed to ensuring special protection for the most disadvantaged children - victims of war, disasters, extreme poverty, all forms of violence and exploitation and those with disabilities.

UNICEF responds in emergencies to protect the rights of children. In coordination with United Nations partners and humanitarian agencies,

UNICEF makes its unique facilities for rapid response available to its partners to relieve the suffering of children and those who provide their care.

UNICEF is non-partisan and its cooperation is free of discrimination. In everything it does, the most disadvantaged children and the countries in greatest need have priority.

UNICEF aims, through its country programmes, to promote the equal rights of women and girls and to support their full participation in the political, social, and economic development of their communities.

UNICEF works with all its partners towards the attainment of the sustainable human development goals adopted by the world community and the realization of the vision of peace and social progress enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.

The NBA Cares Commitment

BA Cares is the league's social responsibility initiative that builds on the NBA's long tradition of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. Through this umbrella program, the NBA, its teams and players have committed to donating $100 million to charity, providing a million hours of hands on service to the community and creating 250 places where kids and families can live, learn or play.

Since October 2005 through NBA Cares, the league, players and teams have raised more than $88 million for charity, donated more than 660,000 hours of hands-on volunteer service to communities worldwide, and built more than 310 places where kids and families can live, learn or play.

The NBA is dedicated to demonstrating leadership in social responsibility, using the popularity and visibility of its teams, players and the league to effect positive change around the world. NBA teams and players understand the responsibility they have to giving back to the communities that support them, and they do so through a diverse array of outreach programs and events. The larger NBA Family (including current and former players and coaches, parents, wives, referees, and league and team employees) is committed to giving back, motivated by the unique opportunity to make a profound difference.

NBA Cares works with internationally-recognized, youth-serving organizations that are geared toward these key social issues:

1. Education
2. Youth and Family Development
3. Health-Related Causes

Starbucks Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility

Giving back to communities and the environment. Treating people with respect and dignity. Serving the world’s best coffee. Every day, we demonstrate our beliefs in the guiding principles of our mission statement in the way we do business.

In fact, corporate social responsibility at Starbucks runs deeply throughout our company. Here are some of the commitments they've made to do business in a socially responsible manner.

Helping protect the Environment

By taking steps to reduce waste from our operations and recycle, we can preserve the earth’s natural resources and enhance the quality of lives around the globe. Starbucks actively seeks opportunities to minimise our environmental impact. Starbucks in your Community The local Starbucks coffeehouse has become a central part of many neighbourhoods by serving as a place for people to gather, talk and share. But Starbucks believes it can contribute even more to local communities, by encouraging our partners to become responsible neighbours and active participants in the places where they live, work and play. It is an important part of our company’s culture and values.

Commitment to Partners

More than 5,000 people work for Starbucks in the UK, (over 100,000 people world-wide) and these people – whom we call “partners” – have been instrumental in our success. And because we owe so much of our success to their passion and dedication, we make it a priority to show how much we appreciate, value and respect them. In fact, the first two guiding principles in our Mission Statement speak to our commitment to partners. Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity. Embrace diversity as an essential component of the way we do business.

Fuel Responsibility

PETRON FOUNDATION. Corporate citizenship and social responsibility are values firmly held in Petron Corporation. This is highlighted in the company’s corporate mission: caring for the community and the environment. In pursuit of this mandate, Petron Foundation implements programs to secure the future of the Filipino children and fuel their hopes through corporate social responsibility endeavors in the areas of education, environment, health & human services and advocacy.

Fuel HOPE. Petron’s CSR programs are under the umbrella program called Project H.O.P.E. - Helping Filipinos Overcome Poverty through Education. It is focused on providing a specialized learning program for the underserved children and youth. For the children, the focus will be on sending elementary-aged kids from Grades 1 to 6, keep them there, keep them well, and make sure that they learn. Support programs for the scholars’ parents are also provided. Parallel to this is the building of Petron Schools in areas where the need for a venue for education is greatest. The program for the youth, on the other hand, will be focused on promoting entrepreneurship among the youth by undertaking, creating, coordinating and acting as catalyst in entrepreneurship education and development, with the end-goal of making them creators of wealth.

Programs. Petron also undertakes other initiatives on the environment, health and human services, and advocacy. The Bataan Integrated Coastal Management Program, a comprehensive and long-term program with Petron, through the Foundation, is a prime mover. It seeks to manage the coastal and marine resources of the province and, in the long term, help rehabilitate the Manila Bay.

These are the short-term projects initiated by line and undertaken in partnership with the community & business partners. Included in this category are regular medical missions, tree planting/reforestation, coastal clean ups and motorist assistance and air traffic programs (in partnership with the Marketing Division).

Advocacy campaigns, which are deemed essential to promote public awareness, include active participation in the Corporate Social Responsibility Week, engaging the children of Petron employees through a Summer Camp, staging an annual Christmas program for our scholars and other indigent children and other related activities.

Much of the success of every social development program where Petron is involved comes from an active involvement in organizations that foster CSR, such as the League of Corporate Foundations and the Philippine Business for Social Progress. It likewise counts on strategic partnerships with government institutions, business community, international agencies and civil society groups, as well as from its employees, who regularly engage their time and talents to help make a difference in the lives of others.

source: http://www.petron.com/socres.asp

"negative" social responsibility

"Negative" social responsibility. As what I have said in the pervious post, it is responsibility by not doing things that will be harmful to someone or something. It can also be a responsibility arising from a disaster that could have been avoided if the proper procedures were done. Almost all examples of this type of resposibility are associated with corporations. It can create a positive impact or a negative impact, or even both, to a corporation.

One example was with Johnson & Johnson. They had an incident in which it was reported that there were Tylenol bottles that had cyanide in it. Upon knowing that, they immediately recalled all those bottles and had to make a new design to make them tamper-resistant. They had to lose money to be socially responsible. Even though that had to happen, they are now recognized as one of the most trusted brands in the world because they care more about their customers than their pockets. The exact opposite scenario happened when Union Carbide made the news on the infamous Bhopal Disaster in India on 1984 where tons of methyl isocyanate were accidentally released into the atmosphere which caused plenty of deaths and a big rise on cancer and various other diseases in the area. Instead of being responsible for their mistakes, they even hid the true amount of contamination on the area and claimed that they cleaned out the area even though there are still traces left. As a result, the company received plenty of criticisms. The more popular example is the melamin scandal of China. Not only did it affect China, but it also affected plenty of countries around the world. Right now it's not only their milk products, but there's also danger that it could be passed on to their meat products because reports say that there are also traces of melamin on the feeds that they produce.

In my mind, all this incidents taught lessons to the companies the hard way. But it's the way they handled the situations that makes it worthwhile. As for China, (sorry for those Chinese people. don't worry I'm not hating on the Chinese) their "cheap" tactics are now getting exposed. I've always known that products made in China are somewhat "flawed," but I didn't imagine that it would go to this magnitude before they come to their senses and clean up their act.

PACOLI, J.

Beauties for A Cause

Miss Earth, one of the three largest beauty pageants held annually, was mainly organized to promote environmental awareness. From 2001 up to the current year, 2008, the pageant has been held in the Philippines. In the year 2003, Miss Earth adopted created the slogan "Beauties for A Cause."In 2004, Miss Earth Foundation was made to further enhance and promote environmental causes.
The pageant is looking mainly for women who are ready to stand up for environmental protection and preservation. The candidates are toured to different places in the country and engaged in activities like tree planting ceremonies, environmental and cultural immersion programs and sponsor visits. The finalists are asked one environmental question, an assessment necessary to be able to come up with the final decision on who will be crowned as Miss Earth. The winner is then expected to get involved in international environmental activities. She becomes the spokesperson for Miss Earth Foundation, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other environmental organizations. But in case the winner cannot live up to these responsibilities, the 1st runner-up will assume the title. The projects and activities of the candidates are shown in advertisements like tv commercials all throughout the pageant time so that people can see and get inspired by what the candidates are doing.

by: Fadul, Anthea

what is social responsibility?

What really is social responsibility? We now hear it more commonly nowadays, usually in the business world. But what the hell does it really mean? Hopefully, I can shed light into it with this post.

By meaning, social responsibility is an ethical or ideological theory that an entity whether it is a government, corporation, organization or individual has a responsibility to society. This can be "negative," when it is a responsibility to refrain from doing it, or "positive," when it is a responsibility to do it. It is usually associated in the business world, but can also be associated with activist groups and local communities. These entities have their own specific responsibilities, like ensure the civil and human rights of the citizens, but still make sure the citizens still follow the laws. It can also imply that corporations have implicit obligations to give back to society.

To put it in a more blunt term, corporations use this to make them look good to the public. They do projects as the "positive" part like plant trees while they clean up a mess as the "negative" part.

Corporate Social Events

Many companies nowadays have corporate social events to promote their company. it is very important that companies should have a department for Corporate Social Responsibility, to promote their company. The company will do such events to the upliftment of societal standards. Example of such events are outreach programs, fund raising concerts and fun run.
Indeed, big local companies have their own foundationto support the happenings in their community at large. IN recent news half of the Filipino-Chinese business community are now committed towards social projects toward our country. This is not to say that everyone else should do the same. What is important is own and manage businesses that do not exploit human and natural resouces and in the process of earning that decent living, consider those who have none.

Environment Awareness

Pollution and global warming are some off our biggest concerns. Global Warming is the progressive gradual rise of the earth's surface temperature thought to be responsible for changes in global climate patterns. It is an increase in the near surface temperature of the Earth. Global warming has occurred in the distant past as the result of natural influences, but now it is most often related to the warming expected to occur as a result of increased emissions of greenhouse gases.

One of the main causes of global warming is the green house effect. There are 4 steps in the Greenhouse effect process. The first is, sunlight radiates from the sun, through space, to the Earth’s atmosphere. The second is, sunlight enters the atmosphere and hits the Earth. Some of that sunlight turns into heat energy in the form of infrared light. Surrounding air and land, which in turn makes the heat warm, absorbs the heat. Third, the greenhouse gases trap infrared rays that are remitted into the atmosphere. Finally, the gas then absorbs the light and is remitted back to the Earth’s surface and warms it even more. This process occurs naturally and has kept the Earth's temperature about 59 degrees F warmer than it would otherwise be. Current life on Earth could not be sustained without the natural greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, halogenated fluorocarbons (HCFCs), ozone, perfluorinated carbons (PFCs), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

Effects of global warming include a rising sea level and changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation. These changes may raise the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, heat waves, hurricanes, and tornados. Other penalties include higher or lower agricultural yields, glacier retreat, reduced summer stream flows, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors. Warming is expected to affect the number and magnitude of these events; however, it is difficult to connect particular events to global warming. Although most studies focus on the period up to 2100, even if no further greenhouse gases were released after this date, warming (and sea level) would be expected to continue to rise for more than a millennium, since CO2 has a long average atmospheric lifetime.

We humans are the sole reason why this is happening. Why there is global warming and why it has become a misfortune that is hard to stop. It is like a growing epidemic that is needed to be stopped as soon as possible; before it eats the entire life-being of the planet. Through our daily activities greenhouse gases are released. Actions such as burning of fossil fuels, land clearing, and agriculture add on to the increasing amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. If we carry on with "business as usual" when it comes to the emission of greenhouse gases, then we will not have to wait till the end of the century to see disastrous consequences. Long before then, a combination of floods, droughts and famine will have destroyed states in many poorer parts of the earth. Thinking of the effects of global warming scares me because at the back of my mind, I can picture people in pain and struggling. What if these things happen in my lifetime, in your lifetime? I really have no idea what would it be like. I’m not even sure if I want to think about it. What scares me the most is the fact that there is a possibility of extinction and since we are inhabitants of this deteriorating planet, human extinction is not far to happen.

Social Responsibility for our Country

Patriotism is a feeling of love and devotion to one’s homeland. It is about being able to willingly sacrifice for your country and to think not only of yourself but also for the betterment of your fellowmen and country as a whole.

I would have to agree and disagree with others have to say that we Filipinos lack a sense of community, a sense of home, and a sense of pride being Filipino. Yes I am aware that we lack a sense of community and others because we don’t trust the people around us who happen to be in the same race as we are. Every time we go out of the car or our house, we immediately cling on tight to our bags in fear of someone might get it who happen to be Filipinos who are financially incapable. That there are corrupt politicians in our government who take away money that are supposed to be for our own country and transport it to their pockets so they could sleep like babies in their luxurious houses while some sleep on the sidewalks enjoying nothing more than a piece of carton. That there are those who are educated but stupid enough not to share their knowledge to other people and choose to go abroad to educate the educated. Abandoning the chance that maybe if only they could stay to educate those who we usually call “uneducated”, one of them could be someone who is great enough to save the country or even look for cure for AIDS and save the world. Then there are those people who wear money on their sleeves and are rich enough to actually support a small African community but are as cold and heartless as the dead and think of no one but themselves and how they can improve more on their businesses. So heartless that their gazillion amount of money actually equates to how selfish and greedy they are. Too greedy to share, too greedy to actually even care. This is the sad reality and these things actually hold up our country’s prosperity. Nonetheless, I am keeping my fingers crossed and my hopes high that our country is due to the fact that although there are pathetic citizens that only serve as burden to success, there are still those who are worthy of being called a Filipino. They are the ones who work hard for and represent the Philippines to bring glory and honor to the country. These people such as athletes, OFW’s, etc. endure any kind of pain may it be physical, emotional, or mental and bear the loneliness of being away from their homes. People who actually stay here to see if they can do anything and offer almost their entire being just for the sake of their people and country. Teachers who impart their knowledge to students with hopes that they will return the favor in much greater or should I say nationalistic scale. Policemen and soldiers who actually protect us and risk their lives for us to be able to have a piece of mind. And other Filipinos who actually choose to stay here not because they can teach, protect, or lead but because they have something to offer or contribute. They may not be the richest or most educated but they are more than that because they believe.

As long as there are these kinds of people, I will always believe that the Philippines has a chance on improving. As long as there are people who think that Philippines will always be a better place than any other and that Philippines will forever be their home, no matter how few they are, there will always be Philippines. These things actually make me feel proud to be kayumanggi. Giving in to misconceptions actually means accepting downfall. I didn’t want to agree because admitting what he said will only prove how lacking we are and I didn’t want that. We may be lacking but we have something. We may be lacking but we are not losing. We may be lacking but we are Filipinos. That makes a lot of difference.

Taking Care of our Environment

“Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the

Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”

- Genesis 2:15

The word "nature" derives from the Latin word natura, or "the course of things, natural character.” Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical universe, material world or material universe. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. This includes all things animal, plant, and mineral; all natural resources and events (hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes). Ever wonder what will happen if we continue to pollute our environment? If we continue to use up all our resources and take Mother Nature for granted? Personally, I don’t want to think about because it scares me. It’s like going way back to the Genesis where everything was in shambles.

As human beings, I believe that we have a role to play in this environment since it was entrusted to us by God. We are to take care of our environment and as much as possible try to preserve it. Especially in our time today, age of science and technology, our environment is put to a greater risk of getting destroyed. So we are called to protect other creatures, the environment, and life itself. We can do a lot of things to help save and protect our environment. By simply putting our trash in the proper place, we’re making a lot of difference already. Another way is by conserving, through this we lessen the possibility of our resources getting all used up. Connected to conserving is preserving, like preserving something that is endangered. By doing this, we help prolong things and help lengthen life of things so that other generations will be able to see it. Another thing that we can do to help care for the environment is to inform and make ourselves aware of what is happening around us. Knowledge and awareness can help us and guide us on what to do. Ignorance is never an excuse when it comes to this matter because we will be the one caught off guard and will be the loser in the end if we do not know how to think, act, and react to the things happening in our environment. As stewards of the earth, we should use our capacities and God-given talents into better use and try our utmost best to balance and make things live harmoniously.

Our environment is something God has given us to enjoy and to experience. It is something that we most definitely can’t live without so I think it is time to make ourselves useful and be better and responsible inhabitants of the earth. We must take action now for procrastinating will not do us good for every wasted second is a wasted chance to save Mother Earth. Let’s not wait for the time when Mother Nature is about to take all things back and is about to take its wrath upon us for we humans constantly abuse her. We should start to be responsible citizens of this place called earth. We should all unite to help save the environment for it is now staring to diminish. We are experiencing God’s work at its finest. We are experiencing all the great things nature can give us so it’s just right to preserve it if we want our children and grandchildren to experience what we’re experiencing. Don’t wait for tomorrow, do it now. Don’t wait for the time to come when water is nothing but a sea of trash and everything that is clean, even the air is for sale.

Citizen Paticipation

Citizen participation presents a new way of thinking about growth and development. It exemplifies the idea that citizens can actually assist themselves; that they can express their own needs and find the solutions to address them; that they can be active participants rather than mere beneficiary of development processes. Citizen participation presents a whole new interpretation of ideas of citizenship and governance. Before, citizens mean “had to be governed.” As good citizens, people were expected to abide by rules and fulfill certain obligations to other citizens and to leaders. The leaders in return had the duty to provide citizens with protection and assistance to help them solve problems and make their lives better. Citizen participation suggests that citizens can govern themselves by influencing decision-making processes that affect their lives, their livelihoods, their communities, their environments and their societies. They have governments to rule them but not to rule them completely and not without question.

Citizen participation is important because first, citizens elect people into government thinking they can represent their needs and interests. No matter how government tries, however, it is impossible for them to reach all citizens. It has to rely on assumptions about what citizens need and cannot possibly know everything about their situation. Citizen participation can help to fill this gap. Through active participation, citizens are able to directly voice out needs and concerns. They can complement government initiatives with their own and thereby put their voice forward. Second, Citizens cannot just wait for governments to solve their problems for them. Neither can they expect all government officials to perform their tasks well without exacting accountability to ensure that they do these efficiently and effectively. Government’s power to make decisions has to be checked. Politics cannot be left to politicians alone. Being citizens does not start and end with electing public officials. Governments are, essentially, bureaucracies. They are large-scale organizations with defined rules and hierarchical structures. The task of citizen participation is to ensure that bureaucracies work for the constituencies they were meant to serve. Third, Citizens know best what they need and therefore should take part in creating solutions to these needs. Conventional technical expertise can not do the job for them. It is the farmers, for instance, who know best where to build farm-to-market roads. An engineer might do the job but it should not be up to him or her where these markets should be located and how they should be built. There is a need to complement technical expertise with local knowledge and homegrown skills.Toward this end, participatory methods of information gathering, collective analysis and aggregation of interests are highly significant. And lastly, for many, government is distant. Government matters only, or mostly, when people go to the polls to vote or pay their taxes. More often than not, they refuse to trust public officials at the same time feel powerless to change the way they do politics. A society cannot be considered truly democratic if its citizens feel powerless to change things. The point is to make governments work for citizens rather than against them. Citizen participation allows this to happen because citizens and governments are able to create spaces for working together. This does not mean a conflict-free partnership. It can mean, however, that citizens are claiming their space as equal partners in development and governance and thereby make government responsive to their needs. Citizen participation allows them to negotiate with government and not simply accept the terms of development.

Being A Good Citizen

A citizen is defined as a formal member of a political community, membership of which confers rights (such as the right of political participation) and responsibilities (adherence to the rule of law). A citizen is a member of a political society who owes allegiance to the government and is entitled to its protection. A person who has full rights privileges and protection.

Being a good citizen not necessarily mean following rules, obeying those who are more powerful than you, etc. Being a good citizen is being far more than that. Far more than following, far more than obeying. It is more like being who you are while keeping in mind that you belong to a much greater community. A citizen has rights but a good citizen knows his rights, is practicing it, and most importantly doesn’t abuse these rights. A citizen has privileges but a good citizen understands that with these privileges come with responsibilities. They have a responsibility to the community, environment and law. You feel the need to respond to the call of your community. To be able to share your gifts and talents to other people and live with them in peace. A good citizen feels the need to preserve and be a steward of the environment. He or she realizes that our environment is a gift from God and must take good care of it. A good citizen recognizes authority and abides by the law. He or she knows that for a community to remain orderly, rules are needed to be followed. Being a good citizen means being wholistic. It means that you don’t only concentrate on one aspect of your life but actually look at other things and see where you can improve on. But not concentrating on yourself much and realize that you have to be sensitive to the needs of others as well. Not prosper as an individual but prosper as a community.

It takes so much to be a good person but it takes so much more to be a good citizen. One has to be less selfish and think of others and our Creator as well. A good citizen must be able to give thanks to our Creator and realize that without Him, all will be nothing. We have to think that being a good citizen not only means showing what we are capable of and investing on ourselves. It is also about appreciating the things around you, it may be something grand or something that is as simple. A good citizen is able to be glad about the things that are less tangible but are more concrete loyalty, passion, nationalism, and love.

Companies Take the Lead

Companies do not just offer to consumers goods and services but also engage themselves in different advocacy activities. As said in my previous blog, this new trend, corporate social responsibility has taken the business world by storm. Here are some examples of companies who have taken a step further into nation building.

1. Ayala Corporation

“It important to engage in businesses that not only create value for shareholders but also result in a developmental impact on society.”

The Ayala Group has been committing itself in raising the quality of education of the youth, the key to help eliminate poverty. It engages in building school houses, providing scholarships and innovative learning materials. They also have been involved in environmental campaigns such as clean water, reforestation and waste management. They maintain 81 hectares of land for reforestation and have planted 7,403 trees in various areas of the country. Self-fulfillment is also experienced by Ayala’s employees. They are one of the reasons why Ayala’s programs have been a success. Strategies that further encourage the spirit of volunteerism throughout the Ayala group of companies are developed continuously.

2. Banco De Oro

“Adhere to its long standing commitment to corporate citizenship and national development.”

SM Foundation, a socio civic arm of the SM Group of Companies, helps the less fortunate in the areas near the vicinity of SM malls. They provide scholarship programs and donations to schoolhouses, medical missions and religious community projects. They also practice yearly gift giving during the Christmas season in Makati.

3. Acer Philippines Inc.

“Empowering the nation through information communication technology and computer literacy”

Involvement to socially-relevant activities that empower people is given the most importance because they believe that everyone has a role in nation building. They donate computer desktops to charitable institutions such as Childhope Asia Philippines, a testament in providing assistance meant for sustainable development.

by: Fadul, Anthea

Annual International Coastal Clean-up

Last September 20 2008 the second annual international coastal clean-up took place at the Coastal Road, Parañaque City. Many schools, organizations, families, Ms. Earth delegates and other private sectors joined the said event that was led by the city government of Parañaque and sponsored by Coca-Cola Phil, Jollibee and other corporations. The event was a sequel to last year’s successful international coastal clean-up wherein Philippines was the second country to have cleaned a great number of waste along coastal road second to the United States with a 99% of trash that includes plastic, glass, tin can and other non-biodegradable materials were cleaned-up. The said event was a successful one and a fun way to help save our mother earth.

If everyone will do their responsibilities like this one, the world will be a better place. So everyone should start practicing such acts especially the youth for they are the ones who’ll gain much from it and so that they can hand this practice over the next generations that will come, plus such events like this one could be a great way of bonding and both literally and figuratively a way of clean fun.

by: Fadul, Anthea

Gawad Kalinga is Beyond Self-Fulfillment

People join the Gawad Kalinga movement for various reasons but the most prevalent one is that of the search of self-fulfillment. There is greater joy in giving and serving others rather than being consumed of the desire to accumulate for oneself. This has been the experience of many professionals who were once fully preoccupied in furthering career. The same goes to many who live the life of party and celebration. Now, all has come together to serve and pursue the goal of nation building. Many have seen the greater purpose of taking part in Gawad Kalinga to help our poor brothers and sisters.

But there is a greater calling that we all have to see beyond self-fulfillment.

While it is amazing to have found an inner satisfaction and purpose in serving others, it must not be the sole driving force of all our efforts. Gawad Kalinga reminds us that our focus is not on ourselves, but on others. And to search for mere self-fulfillment makes it all a bit superficial. Gawad Kalinga is offered to everyone who wants to take the first call of all human beings – that is to obey God… to obey Him, and to love our neighbor.

Gawad Kalinga shoots two birds in one stone. It is life giving to both the volunteer and the beneficiary. But more than anything else, it provides us an opportunity to go not just after self-fulfillment, but to please and obey our God. And that brings the highest level of satisfaction and inner peace.

Social Responsibility

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Social responsibility is a moral or ideological premise that an individual, whether it is a government, corporation, or organization has a responsibility to society. It is usually associated with business and administration practices that can be perceived as either negative, meaning to avoid from acting or positive which means that there is a responsibility to act.

Corporate social responsibility, on the other hand, is a concept that considers the interest or common good of society by being in charge of the activities and well being of its members. This aspect of social responsibility includes the following components: ethical, economical, legal and philanthropic. For the ethical component, they need to make wise business decisions that do not go against their code of demeanor. The main economic responsibility is to convey in income, compensate their accountabilities and bring in revenue. This is very important because people will depend on this in order for them to live accordingly. People also have the legal responsibility to obey the law, otherwise they will be held responsible for their misconduct and suffer the consequences of not abiding by the rules. Giving back to the community is one way of applying philanthropic responsibility. It is very important for all corporations to have responsibility to their employees, investors, workers and general public. They should provide fair working stipulations, avoid discrimination, endow with economic security and be fair and honest to them. In this way, they would all work harmoniously and everyone would be satisfied.

Simple Things Big Differences

To be socially responsible entails a lot of things to do. However, I believe that it will be to our greatest advantage if we would start caring NOW. I'm sure everyone has heard of Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth." A very disturbing documentary but I can say a very effective eye awakening for us. Its hard to believe that we've done this grave damage to Mother Earth in such a span of time. God has given us the freedom to do anything we like but we forgot to THINK BEFORE ACT. We are assigned to be stewards of His creation but what did we do? Instead of taking care of what is given to us, we damaged it. Mother Nature will have its own way of getting back to us. As the cliche says, prevention is always better than cure but IT IS NEVER TOO LATE. We may engage ourselves in environmental activities but if you are too preoccupied with all the work you have to do, you can act in simple ways such as not throwing garbage anywhere. If you are going out and buy something nearby there is no need to bring a car, you can just walk. Less contribution to pollution plus you'll get some exercise for yourself. We should also start segregating our garbages and recycle the things we can still use. We should remember that there is money in trash. We can collect tin cans and exchange it for money when we sell it. We already helped lessen trash we also got money.

There are still many other ways where in we can help save the environment. If every one of us acts reponsibly. we can make a big change.

By: Fadul, Anthea

The New Trend in the Business World

There are many ways on how people can show their concern for society and the environment. It can be done in their little ways like segregating the garbage at home and can be carried on up to their place of work, the business organization where they belong to.

There are two contrasting views on what a business organization should focus on. First is the classical view, supported by Milton Friedman, which states that the main objective is to maximize profit. The other view states otherwise, that the management of a business organization should also take into consideration the welfare and the better good of the society and not just give importance to making profit. This socioeconomic view is supported by Paul Samuelson .

The new trend in the business society is known as “corporate social responsibility” wherein an organization obliges itself to satisfy its own interests and serve the society. To be able to fully perform this, there are four levels of strategies to be followed; namely obstructionist, defensive, accommodative and proactive. For the first level, the obstructionist strategy, it only acts within its economic priorities and social demands not related to these priorities are not given value. Defensive strategy, second level, the organization conforms to legal requirements to protect itself. For accommodative strategy, it already operates within economic, legal and ethical criteria. The activities conform to the norms, values and expectations of society. And for the proactive strategy, the highest level, the organization takes lead in responding to societal issues. At this point it satisfies all criteria of social responsibility, including discretionary acts. It must be noted that as the entity shifts to a higher level, the commitment to social performance also increases.

Posted by: Fadul, Anthea Mikhaela L.
Source: Schermerhorn,2008