CSR Week 2025 Begins: LCF Spotlights DEI and LIFE Initiatives

The League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) brought together business leaders, CSR advocates, and development stakeholders at the 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conference and Expo, held July 1 at Dusit Thani Manila, to drive meaningful dialogue on inclusive growth as a pillar of sustainable development. Anchored on the theme “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity for Shared Prosperity,” the event underscored a vital shift in CSR—from traditional philanthropy to strategic, systemic interventions aimed at strengthening communities and building national resilience.

Held in time for National CSR Week, the conference spotlighted DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) as a central strategy for forward-thinking organizations. Leaders emphasized that promoting equity and opportunity across gender, ability, ethnicity, and economic status isn’t just ethical—it’s essential for long-term business and national success.

🔍 Understanding Intersectionality in CSR

In his welcome address, Shem Jose Garcia, LCF Chairperson and Executive Director of Vivant Foundation, Inc., shared how inclusion means more than representation—it demands a nuanced understanding of how identities intersect to shape people’s experiences.

“We often focus on helping the greatest number. But if we’re not careful, our programs might unintentionally exclude those with special needs or limited access. It’s not about checking a box—it’s about ensuring our solutions reach those most often left behind,” Garcia said.

🏛 Senator Hontiveros on the DEI Mandate in Nation-Building

Delivering the keynote message, Senator Risa Hontiveros, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, called on both the public and private sectors to embed DEI at the core of nation-building.

“Equity and inclusion are not just moral imperatives—they’re good for business,” she said, highlighting how diverse leadership, particularly by women, contributes to more resilient, innovative, and empathetic workplaces.

🧩 Conversations That Matter: Building Inclusive Systems

The opening sessions featured panel discussions on inclusive supply chains, enterprise development for underserved sectors, and impact-based CSR metrics. Thought leaders pointed out that inclusion is no longer a side initiative—it is a business strategy that fuels innovation, improves community engagement, and supports long-term economic stability.

This message echoed strongly during the first plenary, “The Intersection of Financial Inclusion and Resilience,” featuring:

• Mynard Bryan Mojica, Deputy Director, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
• Michael “Mitch” Rellosa, Deputy Executive Director, Philippine Insurers and Reinsurers Association
• Atty. Reynaldo Averilla Regalado, Deputy Commissioner, Insurance Commission

The panel emphasized how expanding access to insurance, credit, and savings reduces vulnerability, empowers marginalized groups, and builds community resilience in the face of disasters and uncertainty.

🏬 CSR Expo 2025: Interactive, Impact-Driven

Simultaneously, CSR Expo 2025 opened at Glorietta Activity Center, Makati, showcasing transformative programs across education, health, livelihood, environment, and disaster resilience. The Expo gave the public a chance to engage with real stories of impact—from coastal cleanups and educational equity to food security and skills development.

One highlight was the presentation of LCF’s LIFE Program (LCF’s Initiative for Food Security, Nutrition, and Empowerment), especially the Busog, Lusog, Talino (BLT) Community Kitchen inaugurated in Basilan last June 26. Capable of preparing 600 to 1,000 nutritious, Muslim-friendly meals daily, the centralized kitchen supports school-based feeding programs in alignment with local needs.

Among the attendees were:

• Former Basilan Governor Jim Hataman Salliman
• Dr. Joyce Ann Arandia-Viar, Project Manager, Zuellig Family Foundation
• LA Cruzat, Senior Program Manager, Jollibee Group Foundation

“This pilot initiative is just the beginning,” said Edric Calma, LCF Vice Chairperson and VP of Knowledge Channel Foundation. “It invites more corporate foundations to join in and ensure that inclusion and sustainability become integral to how we operate, grow, and serve.”

🤝 Partnerships That Drive Purpose

The 2025 CSR Conference and Expo was 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.

The event was made possible through the support of:

• BPI Foundation, Inc.
• Manila Water Foundation, Inc.
• Metrobank Foundation, Inc.
• Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc.
• Vivant Foundation, Inc.

With special thanks to:

• Energy Development Corporation, Inc.
• Lopez Group Foundation, Inc.
• Jollibee Group Foundation, Inc.

And acknowledgment to additional partners including:

• Ayala Foundation, BDO Foundation, Citizen of the World Philippines Foundation, Aboitiz Foundation, Don Antonio O. Floriendo Sr. Foundation, Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, ICTSI Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, SEAOIL Foundation, Security Bank Foundation, Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation, Unilab Foundation, and the Zuellig Family Foundation.

These collaborations reflect a shared commitment to building an inclusive, resilient, and empowered Philippines.