Aboitiz’s Sustainable Program Development in the Philippines

Our purpose (and the Aboitiz way) is to drive change for a better world by advancing business and communities toward a sustainable future for generations to come. This is why we continuously look for opportunities to empower our communities.

Aboitiz is supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and working to build inclusive communities, where everyone has a voice and equal access to what we create.

Here’s a closer look at our sustainable program development in the Philippines, and why sustainability in the Philippines is so important for our business:

What is a Sustainability Program and How does it Differ from a Sustainability Plan?

These terms are often used together. But these concepts are not interchangeable — they contribute differently to our sustainability vision and goals.

A sustainability plan is a course of action. We create these in advance and design them to fulfill a certain goal, usually in line with our chosen SDGs.

Our sustainability programs form part of the roadmap that we use to drive results and tell our sustainability story. This roadmap allows us to create structured and well-defined initiatives, and implement them properly.

We also think of sustainability as a living, integral part of how we do business — and we give it room to grow organically as our situation develops. As a result, we can quickly adjust and evolve according to our community’s needs.

Why Should We Continue Developing Sustainability Programs in the Philippines?

It’s a well-known fact that sustainability measures help a company be more purpose-driven, mitigate risks, and create long-lasting benefits for themselves.

But beyond that, we know that real value is being created whenever we continue developing a sustainability program for our organization.

It’s something that family patriarch and long-time leader, Don Ramon Aboitiz, started through his corporate philanthropy efforts, and that we in the Aboitiz Group continue till today with our CSR programs.

After all, to us, advancing business and communities is one and the same. We are guided by the “triple bottom line” approach — wherein the vitality of the economy, our environment, and our quality of life are closely intertwined.

We believe that the more we develop sustainable programs, the more we can contribute to nation-building and to societal good. This drives us to create meaningful progress for a better world, and one that will last for generations to come.

What are the Goals of Sustainable Program Development?

Many of the challenges facing our homes, such as the devastating effects of climate change, water scarcity, income inequality, and hunger, can only be resolved if we make an active commitment to positive growth.

These commitments are realized when we set goals for our sustainability programs. While our overarching purpose is to drive positive change for the Philippines, the specific goals of each program we develop differ from one to the next.

One program might aim to improve the biodiversity of an area we operate in, while another might seek to improve the livelihood and access to quality education in a different host community. Yet in every case, we make sure to set goals that will help us address the most pressing challenge that the area or community currently faces.

This has helped us align our programs towards each of the 17 SDGs (which you can see more about here). The more we continue our progress in each, the more we ensure the way we do business benefits our people.

What is the Aboitiz Group Doing in the Area of Sustainability?

We mentioned that our sustainability story all started with Don Ramon Aboitiz — which means that this is one story that spans over a hundred years!

Sustainability permeates each idea, decision, project, and program that is created within Aboitiz Group. As such, we’re both the pioneer and leader in sustainable development in the Philippines.
To continue this story for another 100 years, we have created business models in each arm of the Aboitiz Group — from the power to the finance industry — that seek economic growth, social progress, and environmental balance with the goal of improving the lives of present and future generations of Filipinos!

To achieve this, we have created many programs that help facilitate equal and universal access to basic services, such as banking, modern electricity, and safe and clean water. And, we have set up their infrastructure in such a way that we promote the health of the natural environment around them, and foster sustainable industrialization and innovation.

Beyond our business units, though, we want to help our people. That’s why Aboitiz Foundation exists — we work through them to invest in the education and enterprise development of our host communities, and co-create empowered and sustainable communities. We even help them tell their own stories!

We do much more than this, much more than we can possibly fit in this post — so we invite you to take a look at our sustainability performance and our policies here, or download our latest Annual and Sustainability Report here.

Key Takeaway

The growing pressure on our natural resources and our livelihoods cannot be ignored. If we want to protect what we have, and enable future generations to thrive as we have, then we need to continue our sustainable program development in the Philippines.

This is part of our credo to do business the sustainable way — and make positive contributions to the growth of our society and our country.