The pandemic has brought about a lot of different scenarios that we never imagined we would experience. From lockdowns to various restrictions and adjustments, we have come to face a new normal. But in the past two years dealing with the pandemic, we can optimistically say that we have witnessed numerous acts of volunteerism, helpfulness, and compassion within our communities. Community pantries, virtual donation drives, and feeding programs are some examples of these manifestations.
In today’s new normal, people slowly ease into their old lives pre-pandemic. Several workers and students have returned to onsite work and face-to-face classes, respectively. At the same time, we aim to continue the advocacies of helping one another. Some of these include the corporate social responsibility efforts by companies and organizations not only in the Philippines, but also across the globe.
What is Corporate Social Responsibility?
According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is defined as the efforts or advocacies of companies that integrate social, socioeconomic, and environmental concerns, among others, into their business operations. A corporate organization exercising and engaging in an approach to solve and immerse in the socioeconomic concerns of their community constitutes corporate social responsibility.
Furthermore, when a company is developing and implementing an advocacy or a program in which they are showing social responsibility by addressing the needs of their community, that’s corporate social responsibility. This is also a company’s form of using their labor practices to give back to their communities.
Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility
“Tell corporate I want to lend a hand.” For companies, corporate social responsibility is important in making sure that the management embodies values that take into consideration the community you belong to. It is also an important tool in making sure that the company’s image is a positive one.
During today’s influx of social media use, it is also important that a company exhibits unquestionable ethics and community awareness. A lot of stakeholders and consumers now consider the advocacies, labor practices, values, and sustainability of brands and companies; hence the importance of corporate social responsibility. If one company wholeheartedly implements corporate social responsibility, a good business sense and success usually follows suit.
Types of Corporate Social Responsibility
Environmental Responsibility
With the serious effects of climate change strongly felt today, it constitutes a great impact when a company—especially those large, multinational, and frontrunner ones—engage in corporate social responsibility.
Efforts under this CSR type include incorporating sustainability in their labor practices, relying on or developing renewable energy measures, advocating recycling, reducing the use of single-use plastics, conducting climate change and environmental awareness seminars, and supporting tree planting initiatives, among others.
Ethical Responsibility
This is when a company ensures that they are practicing ethical labor practices and fairness. An example for this type of corporate social responsibility is when management makes sure that they only engage with other businesses that practice fair trade.
Philanthropic Responsibility
When management decides to donate to other charities and organization or—in some cases—when they decide to put up a parallel foundation in order to give back, this may be classified as philanthropic corporate social responsibility.
What We Get from This: Advantages of Corporate Social Responsibility
There are many benefits of corporate social responsibility. One major driving force of companies to engage in CSR is the image they could convey for potential investors, partners, employees and consumers. CSR may be a device for marketing and development of a company.
Another benefit is the morale it builds within the organization. When a company is known to support a certain advocacy or practices a certain value, they would attract potential employees who engage in similar advocacies as well. Relatively, those who are already within the organization will also be driven to do good for their communities.
Finally, a company who that practices CSR might be able to inspire other companies as well. Who knows? The pioneering company might even get global recognition for their contributions. Sometimes, corporate social responsibility could even lead companies to groundbreaking solutions that greatly impact their business or processes; since this allows them to change their practices to be more socially responsible.
Childhope Philippines and Our Commitment to Social Change
The Philippines, being a third-world country, is no stranger when it comes to poverty. Our organization was founded to address the need of helping children by providing them protection and basic needs. Some of our projects include outreach programs, education-on-the-street, psychosocial interventions and counseling, health and medical services, skills development trainings, and feeding programs.
One of our initiatives that we are currently implementing is Kalyenderia. This mobile soup kitchen aims to address and alleviate hunger by providing hot meals and hot soups to street families in Manila. Our main objective for this Kalyenderia is to share nutritious food with less-fortunate beneficiaries, especially street children. It has been hard for the street children to have access to nutritious meals or to even eat regularly, which is why we have identified this need that has to be addressed.
Another program that we have in place is our mobile health clinic, or KliniKalye. This program entails providing primary preventive medical care, consultations, and treatments to children and youth on the streets. Finally, KalyEskwela, our “school on the streets” initiative, seeks to promote alternative education sessions for street children.
With these initiatives, alongside with our other efforts, we aim to provide holistic development for the Filipino street children and to eventually give them the life that they deserve.
Related Article: Childhope Philippines’ Community Outreach Programs and COVID-19 Initiatives for Street Children
What You Can Do to Help
Knowing that the world, our country, and our street children need you and your company’s help, you can lend a hand by donating to Childhope Philippines to continue the drive to make significant changes in these children’s lives. You may show your heartfelt support to us by becoming a volunteer!
There are so many ways to help and inspire others to help. We hope that you will be able to heed to the call to help with the efforts for the betterment not only of our children, but also our world.
To know more about Childhope Philippines and what we do, contact us today. You may also connect with us on Facebook.