BodogNation Attends Corporate Social Responsibility Expo

BodogNation Attends Corporate Social Responsibility ExpoThe practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is something that’s always been important to the members of Bodog Nation. Already, in 2013, the company has embarked on numerous CSR initiatives with the Haribon Foundation and Brigada Eskwela. In an effort to continue their growing CSR involvements, members of Bodog Nation attended the 12th CSR Expo at the SMX Convention Center in Manila to gain a better understanding of how CSR is playing an important role in the day to day of premier Philippine companies.

Augusto Carpio III, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Aboitiz Corporation, is also the Chairman of the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) who is responsible for the CSR Expo, set the proper tone for the event when he stressed the importance of CSR. “The gains that you get from CSR, you can’t see in the bottom line and in the financial figures of your company,” he said.

“It helps a lot in the area of your reputation as a company. Most of the employees now look for companies that are socially responsible and give back to communities. That’s an advantage if you have a structured CSR program.”

Executive Director of Team Energy Foundation, Ricky de Castro, and the board of trustees of the LFC, echoed Carpio’s statements by touching on the important role of the private sector in nation building. “CSR is something that isn’t incremental anymore,” he points out. “It’s become a big part of our business and all the businesses of the companies that have become very active in their social responsibilities,” de Castro said.

The importance and popularity of CSR is growing among Philippine companies. Castro explains that membership in the LCF has grown from just a handful of companies in 2002 to 76 companies today. The companies have a unified goal and are on a mission to be stewards of change in the societal climate of the Philippines. The list will continue to grow with each passing year, a testament to the improved awareness from companies who are now trying, in their own way, to bridge the resource gaps of the government through their respective CSR initiatives.

The words ‘Awareness’ and ‘commitment’ were frequently used during the CSR Expo. Members of the LCF understand the meaning and weight these words carry-in the context of CSR. One of the main goals of CSR is for companies to raise the social awareness of its employees. It is the catalyst that ignites voluntary action among employees to engage their social commitment for other people.

Bodog Nation sent a group of three to the event, including Bodog Nation Managing Director Greg Fermont, HR Vice President Nonnato Lopez, and Communications and Marketing Executive Pearl Sy.

The Bodog Nation team took in the whole experience with the seriousness it deserved, learning from other companies the steps needed to take its own CSR initiatives to the next level.

“We’ve already had numerous CSR activities in the years that Bodog Nation has been in the Philippines,” Sy said. “But we’re not just sitting on our laurels with what we’ve already done. There’s always plenty of room to grow and seeing and hearing the passion these institutions have for their CSR work motivates you to do more and as a company, knowing that what you’ve done in the past is a reflection of your awareness but what you do in the future is a measure of your commitment.”