A tribute to 17 CSR programs
Hope comes from many sources, mostly from good deeds that in the corporate world comes under the name “CSR” (corporate social responsibility).
In the motoring industry, there are many stories about the lives that have improved because of CSR programs. Recently 17 CSR programs were recognized for the significant benefits each had delivered to improve lives through community development, education, road safety, environmental awareness and Covid response.
The 17 CSR programs were honored with the Driven to Serve Award, an annual project of the Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists (SPMJ). Now on its 5th year, the award has recognized outstanding CSR programs conducted beyond what can be considered the call of duty of a corporate citizen.
Isuzu-TESDA Automotive Mechanic School students learn how to service an engine.
The valuable contribution of each of the CSR programs are worth many stories that should be told and retold to encourage more corporate citizenship. Here’s a few of them:
Hundreds of young men and women – and their families – now have better lives because of CSR programs that give free education and training – and better-paying jobs.
Many communities have running water, safe drinking water, multi-purpose halls, parks, playgrounds, school buildings, computers, and more, because of CSR programs focused on community development.
Trees have added density to forests through tree planning activities, adopt-a-forest programs, and training of forest rangers, and riverbeds and mangrove forests have been “reborn” – all because of CSR projects designed to protect the environment.
In the April 6 ceremony, Isuzu’s Heart and Smile program which supports the Isuzu-TESDA Automotive Mechanic Training Center since 2008, was recognized with the highest honor of the Driven To Serve platinum award in the education and training category. The school has graduated more than 300 young scholars, all of them gainfully employed at Isuzu and other automotive companies, and a few as entrepreneurs with their own shops.
Mr. Nobuaki Kosugi, general manager, sustainability department, Isuzu Motors Limited, Japan, accepted the award and gave the acceptance speech. The school is a special project funded and supported by IML Japan.
The gold Driven To Serve trophy for the same category was awarded to Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation for its basic education support for the Pulong Santa Cruz Elementary School in Santa Rosa, Laguna. To support the new hybrid schooling that was implemented due to the pandemic, Toyota donated computers for the teachers and printed lesson materials for the students to be able to learn through the online-hybrid method.
Other awardees in the following categories are:
For Community Development category in the automotive division: Gold for Ford Group Philippines’ Building Healthy Communities; and silver for Project SHARE (Suzuki Helps, Aids and Rebuilds).
For Road Safety category in the automotive division: Ford Group Philippines’ Driving Skills For Life (gold); Honda Cars Philippines’ Teen Smart- Road Safety for Teens (silver); and Suzuki Philippines’ Suzuki Safety Scouts (silver).
In the motorcycle division, the silver DTS award was given to Suzuki Philippines for their Suzuki Safety Riding Webinar project.
For Covid response, automotive division, the following projects were recognized with the gold DTS award: Covid-19 Relief Philippines (Ford Philippines); and Mobility Support to Covid-19 Healthcare Frontliners (Toyota Motor Philippines).
The silver DTS award was given to: Honda Cars Philippines’ Assistance to Medical Frontliners during Pandemic; and the Suzuki Philippines’ Libreng Sakay Program for Healthcare Workers.
In the motorcycle division, Honda Philippines Inc.’s “Honda Foundation’s donation of 104 motorcycles to the Philippine Red Cross and donation of construction supplies to typhoon-affected houses in Catanduanes” was recognized with the gold DTS award.
Suzuki Philippines’ “Suzuki lends Raider J Crossover to Medical Frontliners” project was awarded the bronze DTS.
For environmental awareness and preservation category (automotive division), Honda Cars Philippines’ Bantay Baterya and Bantay Langis project was cited with the gold award.
The zoom awarding ceremony was attended by top executives of the motoring companies. Among them were: Hajime Koso, IPC president; Masahiko Nakamura, HCPI president and general manager; Ronald Gaspar of Toyota Foundation; and Ms. Josie Gonzalez, Ford Philippines.