by Penny Angeles-Tan | Feb 15, 2020 | Advocacy
Manila, Philippines – Leading food and beverage kiosk operator, Fruitas Holdings, Inc. (FHI), listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange under the symbol FRUIT, has donated Php100,000 cash and Php100,000 worth of goods including water and juices to the municipality of Taal. The residents of Taal were affected by the major ashfall brought about the Taal volcano eruption.
“It has been always our mission to give back to the community and help our countrymen in times of need,” said FHI President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Lester Yu. “Since our listing on the PSE, we are more empowered to provide meaningful service to Filipinos,” he added.
The mayor of the heritage town of Taal, Hon. Pong Mercado, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Fruitas for generously contributing towards the repair of rehabilitation of the community.
Fruitas had also donated 200 boxes of Fruitas bottled water last January 14 and 15 for the displaced individuals and families from the volcanic disaster. Bottled water was disseminated through the help of ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya and GMA Kapuso Foundation, the company’s partners for this endeavor.
These latest initiatives form part of the Touched by Fruitas program, which also community feeding, scholarship grants, basketball clinics, and local community support. The growth of the company has enhanced its ability to extend service and give back to Filipinos.
About Fruitas
Fruitas Holdings Inc., listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange under the symbol FRUIT, is the leading group in the food kiosk industry in the Philippines.
From a single Fruitas stall opened in 2002, the group ended 2019 with 1,068 stores across the country and over 20 brands in its portfolio, which includes well-loved food concepts Fruitas Fresh from Babot’s Farm, Buko Loco, Buko ni Fruitas, De Original Jamaican Pattie, Johnn Lemon, Juice Avenue, Black Pearl, Friends Fries, The Mango Farm, 7,107 Halo Halo Islands, Shou La Mien Hand-Pulled Noodles, and Sabroso Lechon.
For more information, visit http://fruitasholdings.com. #Fruitas #AlwaysFresh #HappyNaHealthyPa #FruitasPh #ShakeMuna #TouchedByFruitas
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 23, 2020 | Advocacy
Sterling Bank of Asia (SBA), one of the country’s leading thrift banks, signed a memorandum of agreement with My Shelter Foundation’s Isang Litrong Liwanag (A Liter of Light) — a global movement that provides sustainable solar bottle bulb to underprivileged communities nationwide.
The initiative falls under SBA’s Kind Heart Gives Campaign, an annual CSR activity that allows every employee an opportunity to share and give back to the community.
Ma. Dulce Edillor, SBA’s First Vice President and HR Group Head
“We’ve been looking for a partner who promotes renewable energy that extends it to the grassroots level,” said Ma. Dulce Edillor, SBA’s First Vice President and HR Group Head. “Isang Litrong Liwanag provides affordable, sustainable solar lights to people with limited or no access to electricity,” Edillor added.
Mr. Illac Diaz, founder of My Shelter Foundation’s Liter of Light
This year’s Kind Heart Gives tagged as “Give Light on Christmas Day” is divided into two phases, the first phase is where Sterling Bank volunteers built solar lamps through a workshop conducted by Liter of Light founder, Mr. Illac Diaz.
To welcome 2020, the second phase of the partnership will take place this January, where SBA employees will turn over the solar lamps to 120 families living in Angat Dam, Norzagaray Bulacan.
During the workshop, Diaz further stressed how the activity provides clean energy and how the technology is so simple and sustainable at the same time. He mentioned how companies, like Sterling Bank, play a big role in reaching a wider market through its CSR program.
“This type of endeavor certainly promotes among Sterling Bank employees how an ounce of their time can go a long way in helping the lives of the less privileged,” said Mr. Dan Guevarra, SBA’s Vice President and Center for Learning Head.
Meanwhile, SBA’s Vice President and Compensation and Benefits Head Arlene Siongco is delighted with the immediate sense of accomplishment in building the solar bottle. “It’s rewarding when you get to see the solar bottle light up and to know the fact that it will help brighten up someone’s home for the next five years,” Siongco added.
Isang Litrong Liwanag was founded in 2011. It has installed more than 350,000 bottle lights in more than 15 countries. It is recognized by international organizations such as the United Nations where their technology was adopted for use in some UNHCR camps. It is a proud recipient of the 2016 St. Andrew Prize for the Environment, the 2015 Zayed Future Energy Prize and the 2014 – 2015 winner of the World Habitat Award.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jan 17, 2020 | Advocacy
After the recent eruption of the Taal Volcano in Batangas which affected thousands of Filipinos in Southern Luzon, the SM Group immediately mobilized Oplan Tulong Express, a relief operations program that gave assistance to the victims.
“SM has always been a partner of the community, especially in times of need and disasters. After the devastating calamity, we immediately reached out to those displaced by the eruption,” said Steven Tan, chief operating officer of SM Supermalls.
Spearheaded by the SM Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the SM Group including SM Prime Holdings, Oplan Tulong Express served as one of the first responders and gave assistance to communities in forms of Kalinga relief packs, medical missions and medicines, and other basic needs.
Upon the mobilization of Oplan Tulong Express, SM Foundation, SM Supermalls, SM Cares, and Philippine National Red Cross all worked closely together to help the victims as soon as possible. They sent a truckload of over 2,500 6-liter bottled water to the evacuation centers in Batangas City and Lipa. They also prepared and delivered over 6,500 Kalinga relief packs to the evacuation centers and sorting sites. These packs contained bottled mineral water, rice, ready-to-eat meals, and instant noodles. Oplan Tulong Express Booths were also activated right away to accept in-kind and cash donations in our 12 SM malls in South Luzon.
In partnership with SM Malls and SM Retail, there is also an ongoing Oplan Tulong Express Medical Mission in Lipa, Batangas, Bauan, and Inosluban-Maraouy which can help with different medical cases that were caused by the eruption. SM has deployed two mobile clinics with basic medication, health services and facilities such as x-ray, ECG, nebulizers, and oxygen for the medical mission. Volunteer doctors and medical personnel can also serve up to 1,200 medical cases a day.
Aside from relief operations, SM also ensured the safety and well-being of its employees. It reached out to its employees who live in the affected areas and made sure that their families are safe and given the utmost relief support and assistance. Moreover, SM Lemery in Batangas has been closed since Monday but its employees were absorbed by nearby SM malls in Batangas City and Lipa City. A total of 80 displaced employees were also given an emergency fund and SM Go Bags with first aid needs and kalinga relief packs.
To help secure the livelihood of tenants and their employees, micro, small and medium establishments located in affected malls were given the opportunity to open and do business in other South Luzon malls so that their livelihood and that of their employees is secure.
SM’s disaster recovery center in Clark also has copies of important business records and documents for tenants who have enrolled in the program, especially Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, to retrieve and use for insurance claims, among others.
SM Prime Holdings group, SM Cares, SM Foundation, and their partners from the Philippine National Red Cross, extend their gratitude to those who donated cash and in kind. To those who want to donate, you may drop off your donations at the designated Oplan Tulong Express booths in 12 SM malls in South Luzon, namely Bacoor, Dasmariñas, Molino, Rosario, Trece Martires, Imus, Sta. Rosa, San Pablo, Calamba, Batangas, Lipa, and Lucena.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 27, 2019 | Advocacy
SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., will be conducting the 5th Emergency Preparedness Forum, in its continuing thrust to make persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens more resilient and better prepared in times of disasters. From what was an annual event held in a single venue, SM Cares now brings the forum across five SM malls nationwide from June 21 to July 12, 2019, in observance of the National Disaster Resilience Month.
Participating malls include:
- SM City Clark (June 21)
- SM City Marikina (July 2)
- SM City Dasmariñas (July 5)
- SM City Batangas (July 9)
- SM Center Muntinlupa (July 12)
all happening from 10 AM to 12 Noon.
Facilitating the forum are DOST Undersecretary, PHIVOLCS director, and leading expert in geology and seismology, Dr. Renato Solidum Jr., joined by Dr. Ted Esguerra, who is an active member of numerous emergency preparedness and disaster response units around the globe. Both highly-regarded experts will impart knowledge about natural disasters and how to properly respond to them.
Bien Mateo, SM SVP for Operations
“We believe that there is a strong need to reach out to the communities that include persons with disabilities. They may either be out of reach from proper information, or they may have misconceptions on how to react to emergencies. And we are very fortunate to have Dr. Solidum and Dr. Esguerra, to help us understand and develop a more disaster-resilient way of living for PWDs,” said Bien Mateo, SM Cares program director for persons with disabilities.
“For our elderly, we have our undeniable limitations such as mobility and sensory capacities. They may know that there is an emergency but are unable to act upon it. We want to enlighten them that there are responses that they can do that best fits their situation. This is one way we want to strengthen the communities of our senior citizens,” added Danilo Chavez, SM Cares program director for senior citizens.
The project is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Goal No. 11: to make cities and human settlements sustainable. It is projected that by 2050, 70% of the world’s population will be living in cities, making sustainability a critical priority. SM, together with national government agencies and community members, are collectively engaged in pursuing objectives to make cities safer, resource-efficient, resilient and inclusive.
SM continues to promote a barrier-free and disability-inclusive environment to ensure that SM becomes a place for all, and where everyone is cared for. More than these sectors of the community, this series of events also encourages everyone to make emergency preparedness more than just a vital piece of knowledge, but a way of life.
SM Cares is the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Its advocacies include Environment Sustainability, Programs on Persons with Disabilities, Children and Youth, Women and Breastfeeding Mothers, Senior Citizens, and Overseas Filipino Workers (SM Global Pinoy).
As a responsible member of the community, SM Supermalls, through the CSR programs of SM Cares, aims to serves as a catalyst for positive change in society. To know more about SM Cares, you may visit www.smcares.com.ph, www.facebook.com/OfficialSMCares or email sm*****@**********ls.com.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 26, 2019 | Advocacy
Filipinos who want to contribute to environmental preservation can now conveniently use an innovative mobile phone app to help plant trees and increase the Philippines’ forest cover.
Leading mobile wallet, GCash, Is introducing an exciting “green” feature on the app called GCash Forest, which lets subscribers plant virtual trees that will have real life counterparts. By the end of 365 days, GCash Forest aims to plant 365 thousand trees with the help of GCash subscribers.
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Forest Management Bureau (FMB), the Philippines is losing 47,000 hectares of forest cover every year. The FMB also reported the need to rehabilitate 1.2 million hectares of forest lands by 2022 to prevent landslides, ensure water availability, and preserve biodiversity.
Anthony Thomas, Mynt CEO
“GCash Forest is about making it easier, more convenient, and even rewarding for everyone to take care of our environment for the benefit of future generations,” said Mynt CEO Anthony Thomas.
“GCash is no longer just providing an excellent platform for accessible financial products and services but also enabling Filipinos to be more active in responding to real-life issues, such as climate change mitigation through reforestation.”
GCash considers GCash Forest as a last mile initiative that fully recognizes the emergence of an all-digital Filipino lifestyle.
To implement its tree-planting initiatives, GCash Forest partnered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and The Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN). The DENR will provide land resources in lpo Watershed, an essential component of the Angat-Umiray-Ipo watersheds system supplying 98 percent of Metro Manila’s water. WWF will be providing trees and manpower while BIOFIN will provide expertise on monitoring.
Thomas added that recent findings on the Philippines’ vulnerability to climate-related hazards call for greater collective action. Results of the Global Peace Index 2019 identified the Philippines as the most susceptible country to the adverse effects of climate change. By leveraging the GCash platform and scale, GCash Forest aims to rally a coalition of individuals, non-government organizations, and international organizations to meet its 2020 targets.
To plant trees through GCash Forest, GCash users need to collect “green energy” by frequently using the app. Users who get enough green energy can choose which species of trees they want to plant in a selected area at the lpo watershed. Once the trees are physically planted, users get to receive a certificate of ownership with a serial number, fun facts and updates on the growth of their trees on their GCash apps.
“Many Filipinos, especially the younger ones, care about the environment but a lot of them don’t know how they can actively take part in environmental protection. This is a barrier that GCash Forest addresses because they only need to use their smartphones-an already integral part of their daily lives-to make a difference,” concluded Thomas.
The new feature is inspired by Alipay Ant Forest, a product operates by Ant Financial, an Alibaba affiliate parent company of the world’s leading payments and lifestyle platform, Alipay. Via the mobile platform, more than 500 million users have planted 100 million real trees and advanced a shared vision of sustainable and inclusive development.
“The GCash Forest shows digital technology holds a huge power to mobilize people in support of sustainable development and the fight against climate change. And this power goes beyond border and is at our fingertips through our mobile devices,” said Yan Meng, Ant Financial’s Global Head of International Partnerships. “We’re more than happy to open up our technology and expertise to current and potential partners to make the world a better place.”
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 26, 2019 | Advocacy
SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SM Prime) signs a memorandum of understanding with Cagayan de Oro City (CDO) and the National Resilience Council (NRC), as part of NRC’s new Adopt-A-City campaign. By supporting NRC’s 3-year program, corporations can directly invest in reducing the city’s risk to old and new hazards and in the partnership’s long-term resilience. It implements a whole-of-society approach towards co-creating science and technology-based solutions and capacity building for evidence-informed risk governance.
This program can include structural interventions and projects to address specific social, economic, and environmental exposure and vulnerability. This campaign enables the city not just to bounce back after a hazard strikes, but to also prepare for and prevent a disaster so as to “bounce forward” together in ways to reduce future risk.
The NRC is co-chaired by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana representing the government, and sole Filipino ARISE Global board member Hans Sy representing the private sector. Witnessing the MOU signing was SM Supermalls Chief Operating Officer Steven Tan.
In photo: (standing L-R) SM Supermalls’ VP for corporate compliance Liza Silerio and COO Steven Tan, CDO local economic investment promotions officer Eileen San Juan, NRC executive director Malu Erni; (seated L-R) Hans Sy, CDO mayor Oscar Moreno, and NRC president Antonia Yulo Loyzaga.
Fruitas had also donated 200 boxes of Fruitas bottled water last January 14 and 15 for the displaced individuals and families from the volcanic disaster. Bottled water was disseminated through the help of ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya and GMA Kapuso Foundation, the company’s partners for this endeavor.
Fruitas Holdings Inc., listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange under the symbol FRUIT, is the leading group in the food kiosk industry in the Philippines.
“SM has always been a partner of the community, especially in times of need and disasters. After the devastating calamity, we immediately reached out to those displaced by the eruption,” said Steven Tan, chief operating officer of SM Supermalls.
Leading mobile wallet, GCash, Is introducing an exciting “green” feature on the app called GCash Forest, which lets subscribers plant virtual trees that will have real life counterparts. By the end of 365 days, GCash Forest aims to plant 365 thousand trees with the help of GCash subscribers.
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