MVP companies partner with UNICEF, Ateneo for child rights

MANILA, Philippines — The Pangilinan-led companies Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), Philippine Long Distance Telecommunication Co. (PLDT) and Smart Communications Inc. have partnered with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Ateneo Human Rights Center (AHRC) to advance child rights advocacy.

Investing in child rights advocacy, the MVP companies led by MPTC conducted a four-day training in partnership with UNICEF and the AHRC to strengthen the group’s commitment to embedding child rights and business principles in its core operations. 

This initiative is part of a broader call to promote sustainable and inclusive growth across all MPTC tollway concessions – NLEX, SCTEX, NLEX Connector, CAVITEX, CALAX and CCLEX – which have been at the forefront of integrating child rights and road safety into its operations.

AHRC facilitated the training sessions that included comprehensive modules on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, child labor, safe working environments for parents and community impact assessments. 

MPTC chief corporate governance and risk officer and head of sustainability Cynthia Casiño highlighted MPTC’s commitment to protecting children’s rights as part of their existing road safety efforts for children.

She ensures the company’s corporate practices respect and manage the operational impact on children in the workplace, marketplace, environment and community.

MPTC also aligns with the MVP Group’s commitment to helping the Philippines meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly promoting healthy lives and well-being, building resilient and sustainable infrastructure and making sustainable and resilient cities.

In 2022, MPTC entered into a multi-year agreement with UNICEF to share resources and commit to building sustainable models for safe school zones and child road traffic safety to support 100 schools in high-risk areas that will benefit over 20,000 children. 

The Department of Health has recognized this partnership project with the prestigious Healthy Pilipinas Gold Award for advancing health promotion strategies to help shape a healthier future for Filipino children.   

During the workshop, PLDT and Smart chief sustainability officer Melissa Vergel de Dios discussed the group’s journey to integrate children’s rights into their business frameworks. 

According to Vergel de Dios, PLDT and Smart both uphold child safeguarding policies and identify child protection as part of their environmental, social and governance materiality areas, recognizing children as the “most active end-users” of their products.