CSR in the Philippines: Trends and Prospects

If Philippine business is growing a conscience, what’s the big deal?

More and more companies are embracing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)—a growing trend among the world’s private sector to focus not only on profit but also on their contribution to society and environment. When business executives make pronouncements that they will tap their core competencies to improve the quality of life not only of their customers but also of other stakeholders, something important is going on.

Newsbreak, supported by the British Embassy, will cover CSR trends in the Philippines. We will look at the differences, similarities, and lessons of CSR as practiced in a developing country like ours, vis-à-vis others in the region.

This year-long project includes the following: publishing stories online and in a hard-copy special edition; media training in key cities in the Philippines to help local journalists better understand CSR and equip them in reporting on CSR issues; dialogues between journalists and CEOs to discuss how to improve coverage of CSR practices here; and an online database of CSR practice in the Philippines that features a survey of large-scale companies, a compilation of our reports on CSR and documentation of our dialogues and training.

It’s an entire package that aims to give you the total picture on CSR, Philippine style.