Holcim brings CSR to next level

MANILA, Philippines - As a company that is fully aware of its impact on the environment and the communities it works with, Switzerland-based Holcim, one of the world’s largest producers of cement, on its centennial anniversary, affirms its commitment to give back and create sustainable programs for the people. 

Aside from initiating measures to reduce Co2 emissions by developing innovative cement products with low carbon footprints, Holcim continues to implement programs that supports sustainable development. 

“ Holcim’s commitment to sustainability has long been a hallmark for all its group companies. It is a mindset born out of understanding that the company’s operations impact the environment and its communities, and thus ensuring continued economic success must be balanced with these considerations,” explained Beng Prado, Holcim Philippines vice president for Corporate Communications. 

In celebration of its 100th anniversary, Holcim is deploying its 80,000 employees in 70 countries to give back to their communities by dedicating one workday of service. 

Prado said these activities are in recognition of the role strong community support played in the Holcim’s Group Success, and in line with the company’s values and commitment to sustainable development. 

“ We want to be a company that gives back and our theme for our centennial anniversary is paying it forward to the community. Our 1,700 employees all over the country will devote one work day to serve in communities. We have different projects to suit each community’s unique needs and we asked the communities what they basically need.  We have a partnership with the local government units and the local representative decides on what programs to implement,” Prado said in an interview. 

The company has declared May 24 as its Community Service Day, instructing  employees to participate in outreach efforts in its host communities in La Union, Bulacan, Misamis Oriental and Davao . 

Prado reiterated that Holcim, over the years, has been actively supporting initiatives for education, infrastructure and the protection of the environment. 

“Our goal is to give back for a day and but after that day, we hope the gift, our projects will still be of value to the community,” she said.

Sagot Ko ang Bukas

In line with its centennial celebration, Holcim Philippines has launched an important project called ‘Sagot Ko ang Bukas,’ a campaign that encourage employees, customers, partners, suppliers and other key stakeholder groups to pledge on how they can contribute to a better future. 

In another interview, Holcim Philippines chief operations officer Roland van Wijnen said the program is part of the company’s bid to bring the concept of sustainability to a personal level. 

“We know we have to keep pushing so that we extend beyond our walls – to our families, business partners, and even to the man on the street, We know that we have to find to bring the concept of sustainability to a personal level,” said van Wijnen. 

“This can mean many different things to different people – for a student, it may mean developing good study habits to ensure that he has a bright future; for a parent it may mean working hard to ensure that he is able to continue sending his children to a good school. It could be as simple as making sure we sort out our garbage, or as challenging as helping design green structures for more sustainable communities. The point is, we all have to count ourselves in,” van Wijnen stressed. 

Prado, echoed his view, saying the pledge could be as simple as not using plastic when shopping. 

“It doesn’t have to be grand or difficult, it could mean using less plastic because this will have a long-lasting impact on the environment and in the future of the younger generation.  For parents,  it could be spending an hour each day with their children knowing that such act will have an impact on the child when he grows up,” she said. 

For her part, Prado pledged to spend more bonding moments with his special son Maoey.

“I will start a mini-herbal garden with my son and make sure we set aside regular time for taking care of our garden and mom-son bonding,” she said.

 Wijnen, for his part, said:  “I commit my full support to the FACE (Foster a Child’s Education) Foundation to achieve its goals of providing basic education to those who otherwise won’t be able to enjoy this basic need.”?

Project FACE is a Holcim Philippines CSR project wherein employees are encouraged to help in the schooling of deserving children in their host communities. Employees who participate in this program spend time with their ward to teach them about values and donate an amount to partly finance a beneficiary’s schooling. 

The program was piloted in Holcim’s Bulacan plant two years ago, and they plan to roll it out in all their plants this year.

“We hope to continue ‘Sagot Ko ang Bukas’ program  for as long as we can. We are leaving a legacy and we would like to reiterate that Holcim is a company that gives back. We can see the sincerity coming from the people. I think it’s in the DNA of Filipinos to give back. We celebrate Holcim’s 100 years of inception by giving back,” Prado said. 

For this campaign, Holcim Philippines has created a Facebook page and microsite in its corporate website where people can register their pledges. The company has also commissioned Ebe Dancel to compose the “Sagot Ko ang Bukas” Holcim Centennial Song to help encourage pledges. 

Holcim started in the Swiss village of Holderbank , and has risen to become one of world’s leading construction  materials company. It first ventured into the Asian market in 1974, when it acquired a stake in Philippine company Alsons Cement. 

Today, Holcim Philippines is the country’s leading cement company and has four cement plants and other facilities all over the country.