Intel Inside The Community

Intel is best known by  its tagline — “Intel Inside,” and employees seem to have truly taken it to heart. Identifying community involvement as one of its corporate values, employees of Intel show great concern for the communities around them, beyond the usual corporate social responsibility programs.

Intel has developed a unique way to encourage employee involve-ment in the community. Intel’s Volunteer Matching Grant Program (VMGP) rewards $80 to each department’s adopted public school for every 20 hours that its employees spend volunteering. In General Trias, Cavite, where Intel’s assembly and testing facility is located, volunteer employees raised P37 million for their work throughout school year 2006-2007.

Started in the US in 1995, the VMGP was launched in the Philippines in 2004. Employee volunteers participate in tutoring and mentoring programs, safety drills, medical drives, teacher training, tree planting, and infrastructure development in each of the 30 public schools in General Trias. Special projects include Brigada Eskwela, wherein volunteers paint and do repair work around the schools in preparation for the next school year; Alternative Learning System, a six-month home study and tutoring program for high school students who cannot afford to enroll in school, after which they can take a test that will certify that they have completed the course and are ready for college; CLICK, or Computer Learning Iskool for Kids, an Intel donated computer lab for the schools; and Balik Eskwela, a school supply distribution drive in partnership with the local government.

“We want to improve the quality of education. It is our investment in the future,” says Chona Ignalaga, the Community Relations Manager of Intel Technology Philippines Inc., adding, “The volunteers are excited and passionate about the program.”

Passion, agrees Rene del Rosario, is what pushed him to volunteer for the program. Del Rosario, an equipment technician, is also the chairman of the Marketing and Communications Team of the volunteers. Cye Digma, who joined the program after a friend invited her, says that through volunteering she developed a passion for helping others. Lenie de la Cruz, another volunteer, says: “Dito ko nakita ang sarili ko (This is where I found myself),” highlighting how the VMGP enhances not only the life of the beneficiaries, but of the volunteers themselves.

The volunteers add that through being part of the various programs in the public schools, they have developed skills in interacting with others, tutoring and mentoring students, and leading groups – abilities that they never thought they possessed. “Volunteerism has become part of our life,” says de la Cruz.

The volunteer employees work closely with the Intel Cavite Community Advisory Panel (ICCAP), a group made up of the community leaders of General Trias such as Doc Jon Escuerel, head of the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office; Oscar Genuino, a civic leader and director of the Cavite Red Cross; Jenny Crudo of the DILG; Francis Romero, the education consultant of the General Trias Office of the Mayor; Carol Beltran, also from the Office of the Mayor; Lita Zamora, a barangay secretary; and Elvie Ambagan, the principal of Buenavista Elementary School. ICCAP serves as the eyes of Intel and the voice of the General Trias community. They voice out the concerns of the citizens and identify the areas in which the volunteers can make the most impact on the community. They also advise the principals on the best programs to implement in cooperation with Intel. Furthermore, they oversee the costing and bidding of projects to ensure transparency.

Ignalaga proudly points out that while there are similar advisory panels in other countries, the ICCAP is the only one with members who do not only give advice, but are also very involved in the implementation of the programs themselves. “Volunteering is part of our vocation,” says Genuino.

The ICCAP members believe General Trias is very lucky to have the support of Intel and say that the community has become stronger because of the program. “Intel’s involvement in the community has become the benchmark of other companies,” says Escuerel, citing the latest environmental program conducted in General Trias where over 20 companies – around 500 volunteers in all – participated. “Naging contagious,” says Genuino of volunteerism in the General Trias community. “Hindi tiga-General Trias ang mga volunteers pero napakalaki ng concern nila para sa community. Naging modelo sila para sa aming mga taga-General Trias na kami mismo ang dapat tumulong sa community (The volunteers are not from here, but they show great concern for our community. They have become models for us to help our own community),” says Beltran. The bayanihan spirit has become so contagious, in fact, that General Trias has been dubbed the “town of volunteers.”

The greatest improvement can be seen in the adopted public schools. Teachers and principals have become more creative in thinking of programs that they can implement in their schools because they know that because of the VMGP, the activities that they create to help their schools will earn funds as well. The computer laboratories in the schools have also made a great difference in the lives of the students who have been given opportunities not available to many in other schools.

“Nagkaroon ng competitive edge ang mga bata because of access to technology,” says Escuerel. Probably most important of all, principal Elvie Ambagan says, “Na-inspire ang mga batang magsikap (The kids were inspired to work hard)” because they see the improvement in their schools and they realize how many people care for them.

As of 2006, the VMGP has enabled 24 new classrooms to be built and 17 classrooms renovated, changing the students to classroom ratio from 90:1 to the current 40:1. Furthermore, 44 new comfort rooms, two clinics, and five computer labs are now in use. Intel Philippines has the highest volunteer participation worldwide, logging 99,000 hours in the past year, reports External Communications Manager for Corporate Affairs Ma. Teresa Pacis. Ignalaga says that a program is in the works to expand and improve the VMGP in celebration of Intel’s upcoming 40th anniversary.

Intel’s VMGP goes beyond corporate social responsibility and corporate dole outs. Raising funds while being personally involved in uplifting the community, Intel’s VMGP is definitely a two-fold blessing to the people of General Trias and to its employees.

Intel inside, indeed.