The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The BDO Foundation was recognized at the recent Asia Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards (AREA) 2017 for its outstanding and exemplary achievements in social and responsible entrepreneurship.
One of the foundation’s corporate-citizenship programs, called “Improving the Delivery of Healthcare Services in the Philippines”, received an award in the health-promotion category.
The corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of Banco de Oro (BDO) Unibank is the only Philippine recipient in the category. Other awardees in the group are firms based in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand.
“Our goal is to help improve the healthcare delivery system in the country,” said BDO Foundation President Mario Deriquito, who accepted the AREA trophy and certificate of achievement during the awarding ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand.
“This program is our modest contribution to one of the goals under the government’s Philippine Health Agenda. It is also aligned with the health component of the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs,” he added.
Through the initiative, the BDO Foundation improves health centers in various parts of the country, particularly in municipalities and cities devastated by natural or man-made disasters. The goal is to enhance the capacities of local governments to provide better primary healthcare services through better facilities.
The program is supported by BDO branches, which help identify and recommend potential beneficiary communities to the foundation.
The AREA 2017 awarding ceremony was attended by more than 200 guests that included business and government officials, diplomatic representatives, social and community leaders, and representatives from local and international media.
Organized by Enterprise Asia, AREA honors Asian businesses for championing sustainable and responsible entrepreneurship. It highlights the participants’ leadership, sincerity and ongoing commitment in incorporating responsible and ethical values, legal compliance, respect for people and individuals, involvement in communities, and protection of the environment into the way they run their businesses.
Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization that aims to champion entrepreneurship development across Asia and cultivate a culture of honesty, fairness, and responsible entrepreneurship.