Australian telecoms company puts up Phl corporate foundation

MANILA, Philippines - Telstra, Australia’s leading telecommunications and information services company, has established Telstra Foundation Philippines, a corporate foundation that seeks to support non-profit and community organizations and activities targeted towards developing Filipino youth and promoting education.

Telstra has been investing in contact center operations in the Philippines, particularly in Manila and Cebu, for the past six years.

“At Telstra, we understand that the well-being of our communities and the success of our business are closely interlinked,” said Telstra Philippines country manager Tom Beach. “As a company with established operations in the Philippines, we have the opportunity to make a difference in the communities where we live and work, not just in providing jobs and boosting the economy, but also in helping shape the future.

“For the Philippines to sustain its tremendous growth, we will need to invest in the next generation.

“We hope to use our talent and resources to assist in areas that would have a long-term impact to Filipino children, from education, nutrition, to housing,” Beach expounded.

Telstra has appointed Rosanne Suarez, general manager for transformation, as the first president of Telstra Foundation Philippines.

Suarez said Telstra Foundation Philippines will be organizing initiatives for its employees in both Manila and Cebu.

“One of the first projects of the foundation in Manila is a Volunteer Day at Rafael Palma Elementary School in Makati, where Telstra employees helped in school makeover-related projects and in a feeding program for the students,” she said.

The foundation is also looking into volunteering for homebuilding projects, in rebuilding schools after calamities, and in matched payroll giving programs. 

“We believe that in our own way, we can help the country fulfill the potential of its human capital. We hope that through the foundation’s initiatives, we can help more Filipino children live happy, fulfilling, and productive lives,” Suarez added.

Telstra provides its employees with opportunities to support their passion for advocacies through paid volunteer leaves, which employees can use to connect with people passionate about similar causes, or interact with colleagues outside of the usual work environment.

 “Our employees’ passion for service has translated to volunteering initiatives to aid communities in their time of need.

Last year, in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, Telstra operations globally gathered close to P1 million as assistance to their employees and their families. Some of our employees in the Philippines also set up donation boxes for food, clothing, and other basic essentials, while others volunteered their time without pay to repack donations with a number of different not-for-profit organizations” added Beach.

This is also the first Telstra Foundation established outside of Australia.