Smallholder farmers dominate agricultural production in the Philippines, but most of them are struggling to improve their farming practices and find buyers due to a lack of access to training and technologies.

Since 2008, Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) and its partners nationwide have been empowering farmers to have a more sustainable livelihood and income. 

JGF’s Farmer Entrepreneurship Program (FEP) is a comprehensive agro-entrepreneurship program that helps sharpen the technical and business skills of farmers. FEP also links farmers to institutional markets such as the Jollibee Group’s brands for increased and steady income. 

Jollibee Group currently has 18 accredited farmer groups as suppliers. Since the program began, FEP farmers have delivered 9 million kilos of vegetables to the company and earned more than P360 million ($6.3 million).

“JGF and our partners assist farmers in becoming farmer-entrepreneurs, allowing them to participate more actively in agriculture value chains, provide food for their own families, and contribute to the country’s food security,” said JGF Executive Director Gisela Tiongson.

Smallholder farmer interventions

JGF collaborates with community-based partners to shift farmers’ mindsets and practices from individual producers to agro-entrepreneurs working in clusters. This shift changes farmers’ lives by providing them with a more sustainable source of income and increasing their pride in the value of their work.

Through agro-entrepreneurship and leadership training, farmers learn the Agro-Enterprise Clustering Approach, which organizes farmers into clusters and guides them in developing a business plan to establish their collective farming enterprise.

Farmers learn to enhance the quality of their goods to satisfy market standards in addition to being formally structured as groups or cooperatives. Currently, 94% of FEP farmer groups are certified under the Philippine Good Agricultural Practices (PhilGAP), which ensure that the crop production complies with food safety standards.

The Foundation then helps farmers access reliable markets for their produce. White onions used in Jollibee Yumburger, spring onions sprinkled on the Chowking Chao Fan, green bell peppers in the Greenwich Hawaiian Overload Pizza, and ginger and calamansi in Mang Inasal products are grown with joy and supplied by FEP farmers.

In addition, FEP farmers gain access to innovations and technologies on weather, crops and soil to help increase their yield and manage resources such as seeds and fertilizers.

As a result of these initiatives, farmers learn how to scale their operations, maintain their status as suppliers to big companies, and further expand their clientele. 

“These interventions are made possible with the help of our local and international partners in the agriculture ecosystem. We are extremely grateful for the assistance they provide that adds value to the farmers for the long term,” Tiongson said.

A farmer’s entrepreneurship journey

Christopher Losilo, 47, is a member of the AGAP Farmers Association in Laguna. His parents are farmers too, but he noted how different his situation is now. 

“Sila po noon ay walang market. Noong bata pa ako, bumababa kami ng bundok at tumatawid ng ilog papuntang Maynila para magbenta, at mahirap talaga. Ngayon, nakakadirekta kami sa market tulad ng Chowking. Malaking bagay ito kasi hindi na namin hahanapin kung saan pababagsakin ang aming produkto (My parents didn’t have a market to sell their crops. When I was a child, we used to descend from the mountain and cross a river to go to Manila to sell; it was hard. Now, we can sell directly to Chowking. It’s a big thing that we no longer have to look hard for markets),” he said.

AGAP farmers deliver to several Chowking branches in Laguna and other institutional buyers. Throughout their entrepreneurship journey, they are assisted by JGF partner Ahon Sa Hirap, Inc., a microfinance institution that serves smallholder farmers. With mentoring from JGF, ASHI guides AGAP from cluster formation to market delivery, as well as the group’s continuous improvement through additional trainings and grants. 

“Ngayon, kaya kong ipagpatuloy ang pagsasaka para sa sa mga magulang at mga anak ko. Sana maging bukas ang iba pang magsasaka sa ganitong oportunidad. Maraming umaasa sa mga magsasaka (Now, I can continue farming for my parents and my children. I hope other farmers will also be open to this opportunity. Many people depend on farmers),” Christopher said. 

To learn more about the Farmer Entrepreneurship Program and to watch the video essay inspired by the growth of FEP farmers, visit the Jollibee Group Foundation official Facebook Page at fb.com/JollibeeGroupFoundationInc. – Rappler.com

“Focus lang, Kirt. Kaya mo mag-top.”

SM scholar Kirt Baguio recalled what he whispered to himself just before he took the 2022 Civil Engineering Board Examination. Those simple words were the last dose of motivation he needed as he culminated years of sacrifices and hard work for himself and his family. 

Looking back, Kirt wasn’t always at the top. He came from a humble family who worked doubly hard to get through everyday life. His father worked as a contractual carpenter, while his mom was a vendor. While both had jobs, their combined income wasn’t enough to fund his and his sister’s college education.

Although the Baguio family’s eldest provided financial support, Kirt took it upon himself to find a way to support his schooling. As he worked as a part-time tutor for high school students, he applied for an SM Foundation scholarship and got in! 

Rising to greatness

Kirt held dearly in his heart his father’s dream of having an engineer in the family: “My father’s family worked in construction as laborers. And it has always been his dream to have an engineer in our family, so I decided to take Civil Engineering. It was also a way to challenge my skills in math–a subject I’m good at.”

“It was tough when I started studying at Far Eastern University (FEU) Institute of Technology. Every day, I had to travel from Caloocan to Manila for about two to three hours since we didn’t have money for rent. But since I was young, my family’s situation has been difficult. This fueled me to dream of a better life. That’s why I pushed myself to overcome challenges as a student,” Kirt said.

To not let money stop him from going after his dream, he took the opportunity given to SM scholars to work part-time during school breaks. Just when he was closer to giving the life he had wanted for his family, a harsh storm came his way.

“Ang biggest challenge ko po siguro ay ‘yong mawala si Papa. Pangarap ko ito, ngunit mas pangarap niyang magkaroon ng engineer na anak. On my last semester in college, kinuha na po siya ni Lord. Pero alam ko pong gingabayan niya pa rin ako, so I continued our dream and heto na po ako ngayon,” he bravely shared.

He maintained a winning mentality to make his way through engineering school, emerge triumphantly in the board examination, and fulfill his late father’s dream.

When he prepared for the board examinations, he focused on his goal and aimed to top–not just pass the exam. Alongside ensuring that he mastered the basic principles of his profession, he carefully planned and evaluated the best routine that suited his capabilities. All his efforts paid off when he learned that he ranked 10th in the recent Civil Engineer Licensure Examination.

Beyond greatness

While Kirt has finally reached his father’s dream, he’s geared to provide the best life for his family and pursue greatness in his chosen field.

“Now that I am a licensed engineer, I will practice my profession with integrity so others can see me as a role model. I also want to succeed in the field I will pursue and someday teach and share my expertise with young civil engineering students,” he shared as he thanked his teachers, friends, and family.

“The learnings as an SM scholar gave me an advantage when I prepared for the licensure exam. The testimonies from successful scholars in every scholars’ assembly gave me the motivation to continue pursuing what I want. I learned that whatever your status is in life, there’s always an opportunity that will come your way–you just have to realize, grab, and work for it,” he gleaned from his experiences.

Engr. Kirt is among the 16 SM scholar alumni who passed the November 2022 Civil Engineering Licensure Examination. – Rappler.com

For the past two years, we haven’t been able to celebrate Christmas the way we used to. We couldn’t get together with our friends, families, and relatives – that we sometimes only see during the holidays – because of the pandemic. But now that the restrictions have eased up, it’s time to spend this most wonderful time of the year with our loved ones once again. 

McDonald’s and Coca-Cola Philippines made this possible for the families of Sitio Pintor through their #ShareTheLight campaign. Apart from their holiday offerings and lighting up of some of their McDonald’s branches, part of the #ShareTheLight campaign is the donation drive. 

They kickstarted the holiday festivities for these families by organizing a Christmas party and bringing the donation drive to Sitio Pintor in Rodriguez, Rizal last December 11. They gave out Kindness Kitchen Meals, noche buena packs consisting of an 8-pc Chicken McShare Box and 1.5L Coke, and of course, Happy Meal toys for the kids.

“Ang McDo ay narito para iparamdam ang liwanag ng Pasko,” said Marie Angeles, executive director, Ronald McDonald Charities. “Sa pamamagitan nito, nais namin mabigyan ng memorable na Pasko ang pamilyang Pilipino.”

[McDonald’s is here to let you experience the light of Christmas. Through this, we would like to give Filipino families a memorable Christmas.]

The families spent their Sunday playing party games like musical chairs, longest line, and newspaper dance where they got to win special prizes. They also danced and sang along to the performances by Ronald McDonald himself and the gang, and a special number by KZ Tandingan. 

McDonald’s and Coca-Cola also set up interactive booths that let the children play games and win cool prizes like Happy Meal toys.

“Totoo talaga na may real magic kapag ang Pasko ay cine-celebrate nang sama-sama kasama ang pamilya,” said Anna Taruc, Key Accounts Senior Manager, Coca-Cola Philippines. “Ang pamaskong handog ng Coke sa mga taga Sitio Pintor ay ipadadama namin sa inyo ang liwanag ng Pasko.”

[It’s true that there’s real magic when you celebrate Christmas together with the family. Coke’s gift for the families of Sitio Pintor is to make you feel the light of Christmas.]

The residents of Sitio Pintor went home with smiles on their faces, gifts in their hands, and noche buena packs consisting of an 8-pc Chicken McShare Box and a bottle of Coca-Cola 1.5L, to bring home to their families. 

“Napakaswerte namin. Taos puso ang aming pasaalamat sa pag-share n’yo po ng blessings,” said Brgy. San Isidro chairman Karen May Hernandez. “Sana maulit po.”

[We are so lucky. Our heartfelt thanks to you for sharing your blessings with us. We hope to see you again.]

Sitio Pintor residents weren’t the only beneficiaries of the donation drive. McDonald’s also gave out Happy Meal books and toys to different local government units like Manila, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Pasay, and government agencies like the Philippine Navy, MMDA, and DepEd Region XII – Lanao Del Norte.

If you would also like to send your donations to families in need, you may do so by scanning the QR code below or clicking this link bit.ly/donatermhc.

– Rappler.com

To celebrate Colgate-Palmolive’s 95 years in the Philippines, Palmolive Naturals led #PalmoliveSeedsHOPE, a coconut tree planting project, in General Santos City, South Cotabato where 9,500 coconut seedlings were distributed to 95 farmers in the barangays of Lutay, Malungon, and San Jose.

The tree planting activity is a collaboration between Palmolive and HOPE, the country’s first certified B Corp impact organization that invests in education, agriculture, and environment programs that support interventions of underserved communities, such as those of smallholder coconut farmers in Mindanao. 

“Napatunayan namin na ang [pagiging] isang Palmolive Girl ay hindi lamang tungkol sa pagkakaroon ng napaka-gandang buhok at napaka-gandang kutis. Ang tunay na Palmolive Girl, mahalaga sa kanya ang kalikasan at ang kinabukasan ng mga taong nakapaligid sa kanya,” Palmolive Girl Bianca Umali shared in the #PalmoliveSeedsHOPE video. 

(We’ve proven that being a Palmolive Girl is not just about having gorgeous hair and beautiful skin. A true Palmolive Girl cares about nature and the future of the people around her.)

Together with the farmers and their families, Palmolive’s brand ambassadors and employees  planted coconut seedlings to help populate the smallholder farmers’ coconut plantation. This will give them more opportunities for a bountiful harvest – and considering the long lifespan of coconuts – will also lead to a more sustainable livelihood for the farmers, their children, and even their grandchildren.

“Malaking tulong ang pagtatanim ng mas marami pang puno ng niyog sa kalikasan, pati na rin sa aming kabuhayan dito sa Mindanao. Ito’y para sa aming mga anak at susunod pang henerasyon. Maraming, maraming salamat Palmolive at HOPE!” said Abel Sague, one of the coconut farmers who joined the event.

(Planting more coconut trees is a big help not just for the environment but also for our livelihood here in Mindanao. This will benefit our children and more generations to come. Thank you so much, Palmolive and HOPE!)

#PalmoliveSeedsHOPE was made possible by Palmolive’s Gandang Natural Gandang Panalo promo which ran from May 1 to July 31 this year. Part of the proceeds of all the entries were donated to this meaningful project.

The tree planting activity is not only a celebration of Colgate-Palmolive’s 95th anniversary but also of this feat. Being able to share 9,500 coconut seedlings with the farming community in GenSan is not something that happens every day and Palmolive is thankful to everyone who joined the promo and made this happen.  – Rappler.com

Learn more about the #PalmoliveSeedsHOPE through this website. Follow Palmolive on Facebook for more updates.

SM Foundation (SMFI), the corporate social responsibility arm of the SM group, together with Maxeon Solar Technologies, recently powered up the Lemery Pilot Elementary School (LPES) in Batangas through the Sinag Schools program.

This social good collaboration between SMFI and Maxeon aims to provide clean and renewable energy to schools in grassroots communities by installing solar panels on an SM school building, especially to those that have low operating expenses. 

In addition to the solar panel installation which intends to power positive change in the way energy is consumed in public schools, the program also aims to enhance the understanding of students in terms of energy management and the need to transition to cleaner energy alternatives with lower environmental impacts.

“Through this program, we want to power up the learning and development of young people. We want to help teach young people about solar energy, about renewable energy. We want to power up the next generation to help save our planet,” Maxeon Fab4 General Manager Glenn Everett said.

The SM school building at the LPES, which was donated by SMFI in partnership with SM Prime Holdings (SMPH) in 2017, now boasts 21 solar panels estimated to produce 6510 watts. With the savings on electricity, the school may realign their budget to more efforts and other innovations that will give the students an environment more conducive to learning.

It takes a village to raise a child

SMFI executive director Debbie Sy underscored the importance of collective efforts in advancing the learning experience of every student in the country. “We believe that collaboration can drive growth and become a force for good in addressing societal challenges. CSR partnerships can create solutions that improve society by fostering learning, promoting innovation and gaining access to new technologies, such as the Sinag schools program. CSR collaboration can pool resources, both financial and human resources – between multiple organizations which can amplify social good impact,” she said.

“The establishment of an ever-evolving CSR strategy and partnerships will help companies and non-government organizations in developing and implementing crucial social good programs over decades while having procedures in place that integrate social and environmental priorities into CSR core strategy – all in close collaboration with stakeholders,” she further added.

Moreover, Everett mentioned how SMFI and Maxeon share the similar set of values and interest when it comes to helping Filipino learners. “We have this concept of powering positive change in the world. We are happy to be working together with SM Foundation to power up the Lemery Pilot Elementary School.”

“Individually, we can do so much. But together we can do actually more. For us to bring our solar technology and SMFI to bring in their schools, these things are much better together than they would be apart,” he concluded.

Spreading social good all the way

SM Foundation made sure to truly touch the lives of the learners and teachers of LPES as it donated eight desktop computers, 200 bags with school supplies, and more than 160 pcs brand new kinder and elementary books to further promote the love for reading among the students. Clothing items for parents were also distributed.

For more information about this initiative, follow SM Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Maxeon is headquartered in Singapore. The company designs, manufactures, and sells Maxeon® and SunPower® brand solar panels. Maxeon has sales operations in more than 100 countries, operating under the SunPower brand in certain countries outside the United States. Maxeon is a leader in solar innovation with products that span the global rooftop and solar power plant markets through a network of more than 1,700 trusted partners and distributors. A pioneer in sustainable solar manufacturing, Maxeon leverages a +35-year history in the solar industry and numerous awards for its technology.

SM Foundation, through its School Building Program, is an active partner of DepEd’s Adopt-a-School program. This social good initiative aims to promote quality public education by building classrooms nationwide. To date, it has turned over more than 100 school buildings to grassroots communities. – Rappler.com

PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have activated three more ‘Libreng Tawag (free calls) and Libreng WiFi (free WiFi) sites in northern Luzon following the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit Abra on Wednesday.  

“The three new sites expand the ‘Libreng Tawag’ stations that we had set up in the region on Wednesday evening. PLDT and Smart were the first telcos to offer free call services in quake-hit Vigan City, Ilocos Sur following the tremors. We later opened another Libreng Tawag site in Bangued, Abra before midnight,” said Cathy Yang, FVP & Group Head of Corporate Communications at PLDT and Smart. 

As of Thursday, PLDT and Smart have activated ‘Libreng Tawag, Libreng WiFi’ stations at the following locations:  

Ilocos Sur

• Landmark Building, Jose Singson St., Barangay VIII, Poblacion, Vigan City  
  
• Vigan Northern Alliance Trading, 3rd Floor UNP Town Center, Tamag, Vigan City  
  
• Candon City PD Office, Corner Gaerlan and Abaya St., San Isidro, Candon  
  

Abra  

• Abra PD Office, Horizon St. Zone 7, Bangued  
  

Benguet

• Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center, Strawberry Fields, La Trinidad  
  

Aside from providing communication as aid to affected residents, PLDT and Smart continue to work with local government units as they prepare to distribute relief assistance to severely impacted communities.   

PLDT and Smart’s ‘Libreng Tawag, Libreng WiFi’ initiative and aid distribution underscore the PLDT Group’s commitment to creating a safe and smart Philippines by providing immediate response through network resilience, continuous availability of communication services, and relief assistance to communities affected by disasters, and aid in recovery.  

The programs in helping communities become more resilient in times of calamity are in line with the commitment of PLDT and Smart to help the country attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #11 of making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable by significantly reducing the number of people affected by disasters. – Rappler.com

SM Supermalls, in its commitment to creating a safe and greener future for all, deployed the first-ever free in-mall charging stations in the Philippines for electric vehicles (EV) last April 28, 2022 at SM Aura Premier in Taguig City, SM North EDSA in Quezon City, SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City, and SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City. 

Today, SM Supermalls has added 11 more in-mall charging stations around NCR that support US and EU e-Vehicle brands such as Audi, BMW, Fiat, Ford, GMC, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volkswagen, among others.

The Podium and SM Southmall will have 2 Wallbox Pulsar Plus 7.4KW AC chargers, while SM City Valenzuela, SM City Grand Central, SM City Fairview, SM City Manila, SM City San Lazaro, SM City Sta. Mesa, SM City Marikina, SM City Bicutan, and SM City BF Parañaque will have one.

“SM Supermalls will remain true to our promise of creating a safe malling experience for our mall-goers and part of that commitment is building a greener environment for everyone. We will always strive to ramp up our efforts to give back to our communities through our innovative projects in driving sustainability in our 79 malls nationwide. We want to urge everyone to consider more sustainable options in their everyday life, and shifting to e-Vehicles is a giant leap towards a greener future for all of us,” said SM Supermalls President Steven T. Tan.

The launch of the EV charging stations is a product of SM Supermalls’ continuous partnership with the Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, and Department of Trade and Industry in assisting the government in accelerating its renewable energy and sustainability initiatives. 

“SM Supermalls will continue our staunch support of the government’s National Renewable Energy Program to promote a more eco-friendly society for all Filipinos. We remain steadfast in our goal of helping reduce the use of non-renewable energy sources by 50 percent by the end of 2022,” Tan added. 

Electric vehicles are true zero-emission vehicles that have electric motors instead of internal combustion engines. As of 2020, there are 12,965 registered EVs in the Philippines. SM Supermalls is the first mall chain to establish in-mall e-Vehicle charging sites in the country.

In the coming months, expect that more fast chargers will be installed in other SM malls nearest you.

The EV Charging Stations project supports the #SMGreenMovement towards a greener planet. For more information, visit www.smsupermalls.com and follow SM Supermalls on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. – Rappler.com

In recognition of the contribution of sari-sari stores and small to medium business owners, Puregold ushers in “Pambansang Sari-Sari Store Week” on May 16-21. 

The week will be filled with surprises for members of Puregold’s “Tindahan Ni Aling Puring,” its loyalty membership program.

“We have always made helping small businesses a core mission of our company. Thus, we find ways to help sari-sari stores and other businesses like bakeries and carinderias adapt and thrive through the times,” said Vincent Co, president of Puregold. 

During Pambansang Sari-Sari Store Week, sari-sari stores and small business owners can expect huge discounts in Puregold physical stores and the mobile app. They can look forward to even more good deals during the three-day Puregold “Tindahan Ni Aling Puring Negosyo Convention” on May 19-21 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City.

Promo packs with at least 10% savings will be sold and distributed by more than 500 Aling Puring Account Representatives nationwide exclusively to members of the Tindahan ni Aling Puring program.

With the theme “Tuloy Natin Ang Pagsasama, Tuloy Natin Ang Pag-Asenso,” the Tindahan Ni Aling Puring Negosyo Convention 2022 offers free items up for grabs to attendees. 

Upon registration, every Tindahan Ni Aling Puring member-attendee will receive P300 worth of items for free that they can sell in their stores. Puregold will also sell bundles ranging from P50 to P250 with at least 10% savings or even more free goods!

Tindahan Ni Aling Puring members can also try the Puregold Mobile app during the convention. The app will offer special deals with at least a 10% discount and freebies for in-app purchases during that time. They can then pick up their purchases right there at the World Trade Center.

Be there at Puregold’s Pambansang Sari-Sari Store Week 2022 on May 16-21 and the Tindahan ni Aling Puring Negosyo Convention 2022 on May 19-21! 

For more information, go to www.facebook.com/puregold.shopping. – Rappler.com

When we think of sustainability, we often picture the environment or equate it to green practices.

However, sustainability spans environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, from transitioning to a zero-carbon economy to human rights to inclusion and diversity. Accenture, together with its partners, is helping to solve these to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

Outlining Accenture’s priority SDGs

Following Accenture’s global sustainability agenda, Accenture in the Philippines continues its efforts by operating as a responsible company, client partner, and citizen with the goal of creating value for its people, clients, and the community. 

According to their United Nations Global Compact: Communication on Progress 2021, they have identified eight high and four secondary priority UN Sustainable Development Goals where Accenture operations will have the most impact. With this, Accenture in the Philippines is working on four key focus areas: caring for their people and accelerating equality, caring for communities, readying the path to net-zero by 2025, and practicing technology sustainability. 

Caring for their people and accelerating equality 

Accenture in the Philippines continues to put its people’s safety and health, learning, growth, and well-being as a priority. Strongly committed to inclusion and diversity in its organization, they continue to build diverse teams made up of individuals that are empowered to be their true selves and utilize their different talents in creating innovative solutions. 

They are accelerating gender equality, supporting the LGBT+ community, strengthening disability inclusion and boosting accessibility, and promoting the value of cross-cultural diversity. They do this via bold leadership – where leaders set targets for inclusion and diversity and walk the talk, comprehensive action – wherein policies and practices are put in place to ensure that a culture of equality is consistently exhibited and respected, and empowering environment – where people and communities are encouraged and enabled every time to thrive and succeed.

Caring for the communities

Accenture continues to strengthen communities by making a difference and creating shared success to build a more inclusive and equitable future. Through innovations and partnerships, they aim to help alleviate poverty and hunger, provide livelihood, tech-vocational and entrepreneurial training, upskill individuals and give access to education, help in disaster recovery, and mitigate the COVID-19 impact on the country. 

Examples of the work include:

• As part of the COVID-19 response, Accenture in the Philippines collaborated with partner organizations like Caritas Manila and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) to aid more than 1 million Filipinos across the Philippines – distributing food vouchers to the poorest families in the National Capital Region (NCR), Laoag, Cebu, and Mindanao, feeding undernourished children for 6 months, extending livelihood training and assistance to individuals living in NCR and provinces in Visayas and Mindanao, and providing training and financial support to selected beneficiaries to start their own businesses and learn entrepreneurship and technical vocational skills.

• Their partnership with the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) initiated a volunteer-based community teaching program for public school students called The Kiddie Learning Train. The project aimed to help address the learning losses of children in Reading and Math due to the pandemic. Through the program, they have distributed close to 1,000 tablets and school kits to Kinder-Grade 3 students and convened over 130 volunteers to help run these programs.

The pandemic may have shifted a lot of the volunteering initiatives into virtual events, but Accenture’s passionate volunteers showed greater enthusiasm than before to help address societal issues. 

They participated in various digital platforms that either teach one how to code (Hour of Code), create an accessible map of an area that has humanitarian needs (Missing Maps), or participate in real scientific research (Zooniverse) that contributes to a better and more sustainable world.

Its Skills to Succeed Academy helps fellow Filipinos plan and prepare for a successful career journey by equipping them with employability skills that will enable them to be future-ready. 

Supported by Skills to Succeed, their Near-Hire Training (NHT) program aims to develop the right job skills for individuals from poor communities, helping them become competitive and marketable. They have had more than 1,300 beneficiaries in the last five years of which 193 NHT trainees were hired in Accenture in the Philippines.

Their people’s donations also helped the charitable programs that span from helping provide PPEs to frontliners and medical equipment to various hospitals and health centers, providing equipment to selected public schools, supporting Accenture custodians and security personnel, and mobilizing disaster relief packs for calamity-stricken individuals and communities. 

The Path to Net-Zero and Technology Sustainability

Accenture has committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2025. To do this, they will: 

• Plan to meet their office energy needs with 100% renewable electricity by 2023 and equip their people to make climate-smart travel decisions. 

• Require 90% of their key suppliers* to disclose their environmental targets and actions being taken to reduce emissions by 2025. 

• Address remaining emissions by investing in nature-based carbon removal solutions that will directly remove carbon from the atmosphere.

• Reuse or recycle 100% of their e-waste, such as computers and servers, as well as all their office furniture, by 2025. They are committed to eliminating single-use plastics in their locations.

• Develop plans to reduce the impact of flooding, drought, and water scarcity on their business and their people in high-risk areas. They are also measuring and reducing water use in these locations.

With their years of investment and experience, they have developed a suite of Sustainability Services to help their clients become more sustainable and competitive. 

Accenture has made sustainability one of their greatest responsibilities, and with everyone understanding that every action has an impact, it can be the force of change the world needs right now. 

To learn more about Accenture’s sustainability commitments, head over to the website. – Rappler.com

*Key suppliers are defined as vendors that represent a significant portion of Accenture’s 2019 Scope 3 emissions.

Every March – when we celebrate National Women’s Month – we turn to our own businesses and workplaces to focus on our progress on gender equality, while we highlight women and their triumphs.

In line with this, Accenture conducted a study focused on understanding the employee experiences of women.

Here are a few key findings: 

The pandemic hit women the hardest

Since the onset of the pandemic, women have been taking on more responsibilities at home and facing employment challenges.

Women are significantly less Net Better Off

Through its Net Better Off framework, Accenture Research interviewed 33 workers in May 2020 and surveyed 6,998 workers and 3,520 customers between September and November 2020. They were from multiple global organizations operating in seven different industries: banking, insurance, healthcare, government, retail, telecommunications, and utilities, and are based in 14 countries within four regions: North America, Europe, and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The study was focused on how improving their experiences helped meet their needs across six key dimensions: financial, emotional and mental, relational, physical, purposeful, and employable. 

According to the report, women shared that they receive significantly less support from their employers than workers overall in the traditional moments that matter like onboarding, compensation, and life events, with 29% of women reporting low support compared to 26% overall.  

20% of women also reported dissatisfaction with their job compared to 17% overall. 

Need to maximize what drives human potential for women

The study then noted that it is then imperative to create an inclusive organization where women can thrive by ensuring that women truly belong in it. 

To do so, leaders must implement concrete ways workplaces can maximize what drives human potential for women. This includes empowering women to make decisions about their own work and providing skilling and advancement opportunities that support women’s career goals. 

Anchoring on the results of this study, Accenture in the Philippines organized a series of virtual events and activities to celebrate International Women’s Day under the theme of “Accelerating Equality for All” with the goal of driving positive change and inspiring meaningful actions toward gender equality from their people, clients, and communities.

Driving inclusion and belonging to support women

Through an equality dialogue and a masterclass on designing for inclusion, the company reinforced how women, male allies, and everyone can better support women from all walks of life and in all aspects. 

In a forum entitled Action Fuels Belonging – How to Maximize Human Potential and Progress, Accenture and industry business leaders discussed the value of driving inclusion and belonging in the workplace, at home, and in society, and inspired allies on how to better support women. Hosted by news anchor, columnist, and financial literacy advocate Danie Laurel, it was attended by Accenture employees, external partners, and public viewers.

Watch it here:

The learning sessions on Designing for Inclusion – with inspirational guest Larsen Sandoval, Country Manager of Jabra Philippines, and Accenture leaders – highlighted the value of encouraging diverse skills, personalities, and points of view in the design process when creating solutions, products, services, and processes that work better for everyone.

Empowering women to harness their strengths and be courageous

Accenture in the Philippines also organized a mentoring series dubbed Mentoring Matters – Accenture Women Leaders Acting for Impact which ran on all Wednesdays of March.  Through these sessions, Accenture Philippines employees had the opportunity to engage with and be inspired by several women leaders on various topics such as building confidence, leading with compassion, personal branding, and networking, among others. 

Additionally, The Modern Female Leader learning session with Ireen Catane, CEO of NTT Ltd., steered participants in discovering how women can lead, learn, and break barriers in a technology-driven world. 

Driving gender equality in Accenture

“Accenture is strongly committed to cultivating a culture of equality and creating an inclusive organization where women feel they belong, can advance, and thrive. We support them at all stages of their careers in the company and make sure that we engage in open, honest, and meaningful conversations. By doing so, we empower the women in the organization to take charge of their careers and inspire other women to do the same,” Ambe Tierro, Accenture Technology Centers Lead Philippines, Africa, and Asia Pacific said.

Following Accenture’s goal of a gender-balanced workforce by 2025, the company remains committed to pursuing programs and practices that accelerate equality for women in the whole organization.

For more information on how to drive belonging for women in the workplace, check out the findings of Accenture’s Better to Belong research here. – Rappler.com

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