We have interdependence with the communities that exist around the projects that develop as they are our partners in community building. We strive to be their neighbors of choice, keeping them constantly engaged with us through employee volunteerism programs that give us the opportunity to share our talents and learn from others at the same time.
The Cebu Business Park (CBP) is a 50-hectare business and commercial development project of Cebu Holdings, Inc. (CHI). The area, formerly a golf course, is abutted by five barangays namely, Hipodromo, Luz, Kamputhaw, Mabolo and Carreta. These barangays are generally blighted; only small parts in each barangay are populated by middle income families.
In 1988, before CHI started to develop the CBP, there were social imperatives that were strategized for implementation in order that the business park's development will have relevance to and a positive impact on both the economic landscape of Cebu City and the well-being of the surrounding communities.
A long-term (25 years) social program was developed with the following strategic objectives:
- To spur economic development in the north district of Cebu City without prejudice to the sustainability of the 5 fenceline barangays around the Cebu Business Park (CBP), and
- To institutionalize a social partnership with the 5 barangays so that their well-being will be enhanced by their taking advantage of opportunities in the CBP.
From these strategic objectives, significant milestones were pinpointed as key result areas (KRAs) and targets. These were dynamic in nature and scope which either evolved or were developed and updated over time.
I. Entry Stage
A. Corporate Philanthropy
CHI's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives began as proactive corporate philanthropy in the form of donations and grants to support the social, religious, cultural and sports activities of Barangay Luz, Mabolo, Hipodromo, and Camputhaw. Through the Ayala Foundation, the Ayala Group's social development arm, CHI collaborated in the holding of barangay fiesta celebrations, the sponsorship of barangay sports tournaments, and extended financial assistance to displaced families in the aftermath of typhoons.
Non-Confrontational Manner of Relocation CHI Corporate Philanthropy saw its acid test when some 200 informal dweller families faced dislocation as a result of the development of access roads to the CBP. A non-confrontational form of relocation was implemented to mitigate the social pains of dislocation, to make the relocated families adapt to their new homes and to make the relocated communities sustainable.
The program of non-confrontational relocation involved (1) the participation of affected families in planning their relocation; (2) negotiation to arrive at a fair and just compensation that is mutually beneficial to both CHI and the affected families, and (3) planning their livelihood for sustainability.
A period of social preparation covering 30-45 days to cushion the impact of dislocation involved one-on-one meetings with affected family heads. These evolved into collective meetings to develop a ‘comfort zone' among affected families that there is definitely ‘life after relocation'.
A total of 214 families were relocated to 3 sites of their choice that were developed for them by CHI in Kasambagan and Kalunasan in Cebu City and in Yati, Liloan, Cebu.
The families were compensated for (1) the unusable demolished dwelling materials; (2) 2-day cost of living allowance during actual relocation; (3) carpentry and, transportation to the relocation site.
B. Responsible Neighborhood
Seminars and workshops were done with both the relocated families and those that were left behind in the barangays. The relocated families were introduced to new livelihood opportunities aside from being socially assimilated in their new communities. Those left in the barangays were given training in health and sanitation practices and livelihood.
C. Exit from Relocated Communities
An exit program after a 2-year involvement in the relocated communities ensured that the relocated families were sustainably resettled. Their assimilation in the new communities were measures of success in this exit strategy.
II. Partnering Stage
The families that were not affected by the relocation program who remained in the fenceline barangays were beneficiaries of a social program that called for a partnership with CHI and eventually the community in the Cebu Business Park.
In 1999, CHI's community initiatives evolved into a more sustainable direction. It initiated the formation of the Cebu Business Park and Neighboring Barangays Altruistic Alliance, Inc. (CBPNBAAI) composed of CHI officers, barangay officials and community leaders. The alliance which was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the year 2000 highlighted the value of partnership among communities with the CBP as a strategy and mechanism to evolve a consensus or agenda that will result in the improvement in the quality of their lives.
This partnering strategy between CHI and the fenceline communities of the CBP became the springboard for corporate community relations programs that are now the linchpin of the Company's Corporate Social Responsibility.
Programs
The alliance created programs aimed at achieving sustainable and self-reliant neighborhood. Committees were formed to handle initiatives on these programs:
- Solid Waste Management - addressing environmental issues, sanitation, and livelihood
- Skills Inventory & Training - addressing employment & work placement
- Barangay Networking - addressing communication linkages and information sharing
- Unified Security Force - addressing peace & order issues
- Other community development programs - addressing education and health
The succeeding years of CHI's social initiatives will be the evolution of these programs depending on the complexities of their respective activities, the level of maturity of the fenceline barangay folks to carry on the framework of the neighborhood alliance, the innovativeness of the CHI organization and the continuing build-up that will define the future character of the Cebu Business Park.
With the proven effectiveness in the execution of our relocation program and the sustainable implementation of the neighborhood alliance, we have set this system as our standard as we develop even more projects and build communities in the coming years.
The Company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs define the organization's social relevance beyond the balance sheet.
In 2007, CHI started to align its various social development projects with those companies of the Ayala group operating in Cebu under a unified strategic program, the Ayala Social Initiatives – effecting change on three critical areas: environment, education and entrepreneurship,
These spell the organization's commitment to conserve and protect natural resources, to support the youth in their pursuit for learning and growth and to help provide opportunities for employment and livelihood.
CHI started to implement these in the communities surrounding Cebu Business Park, Asiatown IT Park, Amara and CHI-managed property Ayala Heights Cebu, achieved through the organized alliance with our neighbors in 12 barangays in all of the aforementioned projects.
Solid Waste Management (SWM)
The committee on Solid Waste Management of the alliance leads in the program planning for SWM initiatives in the respective barangays and also in handling waste generated from the locators of Cebu Business Park and from the shops in Ayala Center Cebu. Barangays Luz and Hipodromo, were among the few barangays in Cebu which piloted programs on barangay solid waste management in the early 1990's following the provisions of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
Barangay Luz created a savings-mobilization strategy through waste segregation and collection which involves women in this community. The program, called "Kwarta sa Basura", which started in 2002 with a P12,000 seed fund, has now accumulated over P2 million in savings and has provided livelihood for women in the barangay. Products generated from waste which Barangay Luz has sold and exported are eco-bags made from newspapers and magazines, shopping bags made from used tarpaulin streamers and tetra packs.
In 2007, CHI partnered with the Mega Moms of Barangay Luz in the production of corporate gift items for Christmas. The Mega Moms produced notepad cradles and pen holders made from glossy magazines which were folded, woven, treated and dyed. They delivered on schedule with remarkable workmanship.
Barangay Hipodromo was also recognized for its intensive SWM campaign and vermi composting project. Both communities, out of 80 barangays in Cebu City, were recognized in 2003 in the nationwide search for model barangays in eco-waste management system after having hurdled the evaluation and assessment conducted by Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Livelihood and Employment
The prospect of getting work from a business neighbor has always been the dream of CBP's fenceline barangays. Ayala Center Cebu alone has 3,000 job placements for department store personnel and mall merchants' sales staff. Add to that the number of office workers required by locator-firms in the office buildings of the CBP.
To open this window of opportunities for qualified residents in the fenceline barangays, a Skills Inventory and Skills Training Program was initiated. The program consists of listing the skills available in the neighboring barangays and matching these skills with the requirements of the CBP and mall locators.
Employment is not the only purpose of this program. In the succeeding years, we see the potential of enhancing this program to further assist our neighboring barangays.Entrepreneurial interest in the barangay could be enhanced with training in a variety of simple competencies, such as simple accounting for sari-sari stores. The company's employees could be part of this training program under the corporate volunteerism initiative.
Unified Security Force
The maintenance of peace and order in the larger community is another major concern of the alliance. Each of the barangays has its own security force – regular security guards for CBP and barangay tanods in the barangays. With the neighborhood alliance in place, there were opportunities to unify certain security strategies and modes of implementation. These include programs on anti-drug abuse (advocacy and information sharing), deputizing tanods for traffic enforcement duties, radio communication linkage in cases of criminal apprehensions and arrests, fire prevention and fire fighting and emergency rescue.
Community involvement in these programs has engendered a sense of "being useful and needed", that is vital to sustainability and success of the neighborhood alliance. With the alliance in place, the concept of community management is better practiced. The officers who serve in the alliance's Board of Trustees and Board of Officers collectively possess authority, responsibility, transparency and consequently accountability.
Case in Point: Ayala Center Cebu
The various elements for an effective SWM implementation in Ayala Center Cebu are in place. SWM orientation is
mainstreamed in the regular Customer Relations Training for mall merchants and their employees. Stringent guidelines and procedures for compliance were institutionalized.
In 2007, CHI and Barangay Luz signed a Memorandum of Agreement for the latter to handle the waste collection of Ayala Center Cebu.
The MOA allows Barangay Luz to deploy its trucks and personnel to collect beginning December 11, 2007. Ayala Center generates 2,000 kilos of garbage daily, which is segregated at source and are mostly food wastes and recyclables.
In the area of employment, Ayala Center Cebu has provided opportunities for its neighbors in the community. As of the end of 2007, mall merchants of Ayala Center Cebu, tapped the services of 78 residents from Barangay Luz assigned in Food Choices, Cinema and various merchants of Ayala Center Cebu.
In December, 85 children from the neighboring barangays enjoyed a day of fun and games at the mall. Dubbed Project Star, this initiative organized by the Ayala Malls Group, benefited children from Barangays Carreta, Hipodromo, Luz, Mabolo, Apas, Kamputhaw and the neighboring barangays of Ayala Land's project in the upland barangays Budlaan, Malubog, Sirao and Pung-ol Sibugay.
Barangay Catarman, Liloan, Cebu
In the northern part of Cebu, CHI has collaborated with the barangay folks in the community where Amara, the seaside residential subdivision project, is located.
In 2007, CHI partnered with the Municipal Government of Liloan and the Barangay Council of Catarman to launch the Catarman Clean and Green Project.
Aimed at institutionalizing an ecological waste management system for Barangay Catarman as mandated by Republic Act 9003, the project was sought to develop a culture whereby residents assume the responsibility of properly managing their wastes.
With the assistance of CHI, the Barangay Council of Catarman approved a barangay ordinance creating its own Solid Waste Management Team which is responsible for monitoring residents' participation in their on-going cleanliness drive.
CHI in partnership with CENRO-Municipality of Liloan, facilitated lectures on vermi-composting and container gardening to educate residents on the importance of community waste management.
In the area of education, CHI and its partner Coastal Highpoint Ventures, Inc. (CHVI), formally turned over to the Department of Education a fully furnished three-classroom school building to Catarman Elementary School in February 2007.
CHVI donated the school building while CHI provided the students desks, teachers' tables, classroom blackboards, cabinets and other school equipment and fixtures. CHI also donated the school signage and traffic signs for the
students' safety.
The company, through its employee volunteers, supported the school through the enhancement of the school library. The volunteers collected books and other reference materials, educational toys and fixtures. The volunteers with some of the children cleaned up and put the pieces together to make the room more conducive to learning. |
