The League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) gathered business and industry leaders at the 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conference and Expo on July 1 at Dusit Thani Manila, to promote inclusive growth as a key driver of sustainable development. Held during National CSR Week, the event highlighted how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are reshaping business strategies—reflecting the shift in CSR from traditional philanthropy to strategic, systemic efforts that contribute to society and support nation-building.
Business and foundation leaders, and CSR advocates gathered at the Dusit Thani Manila for the 2025 CSR Conference. Photo from League of Corporate Foundations.
With the theme “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity for Shared Prosperity,” the conference highlights DEI as a core strategy for companies seeking to promote development and economic resilience as the country recovers from recent economic setbacks and global uncertainties.
Shem Jose Garcia, LCF Chairperson and Executive Director of Vivant Foundation, Inc., delivered his opening message at the Guild Awards during the 2025 CSR Conference. Photo from League of Corporate Foundations.
According to Shem Jose Garcia, Chairperson of LCF and Executive Director of Vivant Foundation, Inc., inclusion requires recognizing how identities like gender, ability, ethnicity, and income overlap and affect people’s experiences. “As CSR practitioners, most of our projects seek to uplift those left behind in poverty, finding solutions that would benefit the greatest number of people. However, when creating and implementing projects that aim to benefit the many, there remains a challenge that this can often leave behind those with special needs or limited capability to benefit from these programs,” he said. “It is important not just to identify these groups as a category on their own, but to understand the importance of intersectionality - that a person may be disadvantaged not just because of one category to which they belong but how those categories overlap.”
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Chairperson, Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality delivered her keynote session entitled “Shared Prosperity, Shared Responsibility: The DEI Mandate in Nation-Building” during the 2025 CSR Conference and Expo. Photo from League of Corporate Foundations.
In her keynote session titled “Shared Prosperity, Shared Responsibility: The DEI Mandate in Nation-Building,” Senator Risa Hontiveros, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, underscored the need to embed DEI into nation-building efforts across all sectors. She discussed that working towards equity and social justice is not only right but also good for business. For example, women in leadership foster inclusive work environments that value diversity and equality—principles essential for sustainability and growth.
Opening day sessions featured discussions on inclusive corporate supply chains, enterprise development for underserved groups, and the shift toward measuring CSR performance based on community-level outcomes. Speakers emphasized that inclusive practices are not simply acts of goodwill—they are strategic approaches that strengthen business resilience, drive innovation, and contribute to long-term national development.
Left to right: Enrique S. Canoy, VP for Operations & Corporate, Communications Head, RMN Networks, Inc.; Ramon Derige, Executive Director, SEAOIL Foundation, Inc.; Ronn Astillas, Chairperson, Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce; Shem Jose Garcia, Chairperson, League of Corporate Foundations and Executive Director, Vivant Foundation, Inc.; Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Chairperson, Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality; Rudy P. Guiao, Jr., CIO Lead for PH and Managing Director for IT (PH, SEA, and China), Accenture Technology; Edric Calma, Vice Chairperson, League of Corporate Foundations and Vice President, Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc.; Ryan Vidanes, Executive Director, Conrado & Ladislawa Alcantara Foundation, Inc.; Austere Panadero, President and Executive Director, Zuellig Family Foundation, Inc.; and, Philip Francisco Dy, Trustee, League of Corporate Foundations, Executive Vice President of Metrobank Foundation, Inc. Photo from League of Corporate Foundations.
This call for systemic inclusion carried over into the first plenary session, “The Intersection of Financial Inclusion & Resilience: Protecting the Vulnerable and the Marginalized Sectors in the Philippines,” where its featured Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Director Mynard Bryan Mojica, Philippine Insurers and Reinsurers Association Deputy Executive Director Michael “Mitch” Rellosa, and Insurance Commission Deputy Commissioner Atty. Reynaldo Averilla Regalado.
The discussion highlighted how access to credit, savings, and insurance can help marginalized communities reduce long-term risk and build resilience to disasters—reinforcing the broader message that inclusive systems are not just equitable, but essential to national development.
The CSR Expo welcomed guests at Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City with interactive booths of impactful, community-focused initiatives in health, education, environment and more. Photo from League of Corporate Foundations.
Alongside the conference kick-off, LCF opened the CSR Expo 2025 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati, where member organizations and partners showcased high-impact programs across education, health, livelihood, environment, and disaster resilience. Designed as an interactive and educational space, the Expo engaged the public with grassroots initiatives—from youth skills training and education access to coastal conservation and social enterprise development—demonstrating how responsible business practices respond to social and environmental needs.
LCF also highlighted key milestones of its flagship league-wide program called ”LCF’s Initiative for Food Security, Nutrition, and Empowerment” or LIFE at the Expo, including one of its first programs inaugurated in Basilan last June 26—the Busog, Lusog, Talino (BLT) Community Kitchen. Designed to prepare 600 to 1,000 nutritious, Muslim-friendly meals daily, the kitchen serves as a centralized facility for food to be distributed to schools in alignment with local feeding programs. Present during the inauguration were Former Governor of Basilan Jim Hataman Salliman, Dr. Joyce Ann Arandia-Viar, Project Manager of the Zuellig Family Foundation, and LA Cruzat, Senior Program Manager of the Jollibee Group Foundation.
At the 2025 CSR Expo, Edric Calma, Vice Chairperson of League of Corporate Foundations and Vice President of Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. underscored the League’s commitment to inclusive development like LIFE encouraging deeper corporate involvement in community resilience. Photo from League of Corporate Foundations.
According to LCF, this pilot effort is an opportunity for more corporate foundations to take part in the LIFE program and for the private sector to be involved in community development. “Inclusion and sustainability should be built into how companies operate, grow, and engage with communities,” said Edric Calma, Vice Chairperson of LCF and Vice President of Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc..
The 2025 CSR Conference and Expo is co-presented by Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. and co-organized with Metro Pacific Investments Corporation Foundation, Inc., and The SM, Henry Sy, and Felicidad T. Sy Foundations, Inc. It is also made possible through the support of BPI Foundation, Inc., Manila Water Foundation, Inc., Metrobank Foundation, Inc., Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc., and Vivant Foundation, Inc., with special thanks to Energy Development Corporation, Inc., Lopez Group Foundation, Inc., and Jollibee Group Foundation, Inc. LCF also thanks Ayala Foundation, Inc., BDO Foundation, Inc., and Citizen of the World Philippines Foundation, Inc. and acknowledges Aboitiz Foundation, Inc., Don Antonio O. Floriendo Sr. Foundation, Inc., Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc., ICTSI Foundation, Inc., Ronald McDonald House Charities, SEAOIL Foundation, Inc., Security Bank Foundation, Inc., Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation, Inc., Unilab Foundation, Inc., and Zuellig Family Foundation, Inc. for their support. These and other partners help foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing on sustainability and inclusivity.
LCF Honors High-Impact CSR Initiatives with Guild Awards and Medal of Recognition
Manila, Philippines — The League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) recognized outstanding corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives during its 2025 CSR Conference and Expo, conferring the Guild Awards and Medal of Recognition to organizations driving meaningful impact across communities. These honors underscore how strategic CSR is in enabling businesses to lead in innovation, resilience, and inclusive development.
Business and foundation leaders and CSR advocates gathered at the Dusit Thani Hall for the 2025 CSR Guild Awards and Medal of Recognition. Photo from League of Corporate Foundations.
Held under the theme “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity for Shared Prosperity,” the event provided an avenue for leaders from the private sector, development organizations, and civil society to explore how businesses can embed CSR and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices into their core operations to address inequality and foster more resilient, inclusive communities.
Austere Panadero, President and Executive Director of Zuellig Family Foundation and LCF Trustee, delivered an opening message at the Guild Awards during the 2025 CSR Conference and Expo. Photo from League of Corporate Foundations.
As part of the conference, the CSR Guild Awards, presented to LCF member organizations, honored programs that demonstrated excellence across CSR focus areas, including education, arts and culture, environment, health, disaster resilience, and enterprise development.
Among this year’s CSR Guild Award recipients were:
Ayala Foundation, Inc. (Enterprise Development), recognized for its Iraya Mangyan weaving program supporting indigenous artisans;
Vivant Foundation, Inc. (Education), honored for Project Liadlaw, which brings solar power to off-grid schools;
Metro Pacific Investments Foundation, Inc. (Environment), awarded for expanding its MPIC Guardians Program to strengthen coastal conservation in Siargao and Mabini;
Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Foundation, Inc. (Disaster Resilience), acknowledged for developing inclusive preparedness tools for the deaf community; and
Aboitiz Foundation, in partnership with the Hecdor Group (Arts and Culture), recognized for reviving traditional textiles through Project Tahi 'Ta.
Other finalists include Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc., ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc., Joy Nostalg Foundation, Inc., Jollibee Group Foundation, Inc., Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc., Manila Water Foundation, Inc., Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc., PLDT-Smart Foundation, Inc., and Aboitiz Foundation, Inc., & Aboitiz Land, Inc.
In addition to its member foundations, LCF also honored non-member organizations through the CSR Medal of Recognition, awarded to programs demonstrating high impact across LCF’s CSR focus areas. This year’s awardees included:
Pioneer Adhesives Foundation, Inc. (PAFI) (Disaster Resilience), for Angat Sining Tibay at Galing (ASTIG)
First Gen Corporation (Enterprise Development), for Threads of Change, supporting indigenous weavers in Jabonga;
Fluor Daniel Inc., Philippines (Environment), for Commitment to Sustainability: Environmental Stewardship, promoting environmental conservation through mangrove reforestation, coastal cleanups, and education initiatives.
Pascual Laboratories (Environment), for the SEED program on environmental education and sustainable agriculture; and
Pioneer Adhesives Foundation, Inc. (PAFI) (Education), for WRAP in School, which promotes waste reduction and sustainability through student engagement and environmental awareness;
Juanito I. King Foundation, Inc. (Health), for Project Healthy Smile at Bittang Elementary School, providing dental health education and services to underserved children.
Other finalists included Fluor Daniel Inc., Philippines; First Gen Corporation; Rex Education; Philippine Manufacturing Co. of Murata Inc., and Cebu Mitsumi, with special citations awarded to Sentinel Upcycling Technologies, The Teacher’s Gallery, Inc., and Philippine Manufacturing Co. of Murata Inc.
Shem Jose Garcia, LCF Chairperson, highlighted in his message how this year’s Guild Awards winners embody diversity, equity, and inclusion through their work with marginalized groups, and stressed the role of collaboration in driving shared prosperity.
With increasing adoption of sustainability and inclusion in business practices, LCF regards this as a prime opportunity for the private sector to drive transformative change—prompting companies to shift their view of CSR from a charitable obligation or regulatory requirement to a strategic priority critical for national development.
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