Month: December 2022

MANILA — Among Philippine conglomerates, Ayala Corporation received the highest rating from UK-based Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the world’s largest, most comprehensive dataset on environmental action.    

This year, Ayala received a B rating, higher than the Asia regional average of C. Based on the CDP report, Ayala received very high scores in the areas of governance, opportunity disclosure, and risk management processes.

Ayala Land also maintained its A- rating, besting other real estate companies in the Philippines. Globe maintained its B rating as well. Meanwhile, both BPI and ACEN received scores at par with the Asia regional average, with BPI besting other Philippine banks.

“We’re very happy with the scores Ayala and its business units received from the CDP. These scores play an important role in keeping our companies on track when it comes to climate action,” said Albert de Larrazabal, Ayala Corporation’s Chief Financial, Sustainability, and Risk Management Officer. “These not only prove our strong commitment to protecting the environment but also our strong adherence to the highest standards of disclosure.”  

In 2021, Ayala became the first Philippine company to commit to a net zero target by 2050, aligning its business strategy with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels.

Founded in 2000, CDP was the first platform to leverage investor pressure to influence corporate disclosure on environmental impact. The insights that CDP holds empower investors, companies, cities, and national and regional governments to make the right choices today to build a thriving economy that works for people and planet in the long term.

According to CDP, a record-breaking 18,700+ companies representing half of global market capitalization disclosed through CDP in 2022 – 42% more than last year, and over 233% more than when the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015.

Over 680 investors with over US$130 trillion in assets requested companies disclose through CDP on climate change, water security, and forests.

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MANILA –  Just a week away from Christmas Eve, #BrigadangAyala distributed noche buena packages to 6,000 families in various provinces in the country.   

Over 500 employee–volunteers from the WeAreAyala Business Club (WAABC) went to 15 locations in 6 provinces to bring noche buena packs that contained P1,000 worth of grocery items that could feed a family of five. The beneficiaries were selected from vulnerable communities in Pampanga, Cebu, Negros, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao.   

“This is the third Christmas since the pandemic started, so we in the Ayala community wanted to do something, and decided to make Christmas extra special for some of our kababayans. Ngayong Pasko, sagot namin ang noche buena ng 6,000 na pamilya,” said Rene Almendras, Ayala Corporation’s Group Head of Public Affairs. 

“As we bring #BrigadangAyala to the areas we serve, we want our employees to be more involved and share in the joy of giving, dahil mas masarap mag-celebrate ng Pasko kapag nakakapagbigay tayo ng ngiti at pag-asa sa ating kapwa Filipino,” he added.         

The noche buena packs were distributed by various WAABC chapters, comprising employees from the different Ayala group business units. In the areas they are present, WAABC chapters drive the pillars of business synergy, community engagement, external relations, and culture building.  

In December 2021, #BrigadangAyala implemented a 12-week food distribution program for 10,000 families in select locations across Metro Manila. These families were provided a weekly supply of rice, vegetables, and fruits, among others, so they did not have to worry how to feed their families.  Target beneficiaries consisted of families whose breadwinners lost their livelihood during the pandemic. 

In times of calamity and natural disasters, #BrigadangAyala is a partner that helps provide assistance to affected communities. Last August when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit; in September, when communities were affected by super typhoon Karding; and in December when typhoon Odette devastated many areas, #BrigadangAyala was there to provide assistance through different ways and channels.      

#BrigadangAyala serves as the banner under which social development and corporate social responsibility initiatives across the Ayala group of companies is implemented. The initiatives covered under #BrigadangAyala range from disaster relief and response, assistance for public education, championing of social enterprises, and public health advocacy, among others.   

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MANILA — A total of 32 Philippine publicly listed companies (PLCs) were recognized during the recently held 2021 ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard (ACGS) awards.

A quarter of the Philippine awardees — or eight of the 32 Philippine PLCs recognized — are part of the Ayala Group of Companies, namely, Ayala Corporation, Ayala Land, Inc., Bank of the Philippine Islands, Globe Telecom, Inc., ACEN Corporation, Integrated Micro-electronics, Inc., Ayala Land Logistics Holdings Corporation, and Cebu Holdings Inc.

Ayala Land, Inc. and Globe Telecom, Inc. received the additional distinction of being part of the top 20 ASEAN PLCs and the top 3 Philippine PLCs.  

According to Atty. Emilio B. Aquino, Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, ACGS seeks to recognize the valuable efforts of the top performing publicly listed companies across the ASEAN region in improving and raising the standard in corporate governance.

“The ACGS is an assessment conducted every two years. It follows a rigorous methodology designed to score and capture the corporate governance practices of the participating countries’ publicly listed companies,” he said.

“The publicly listed companies who made it to the list of awardees are the creme of the crop and the corporate governance pride of the ASEAN region.”

Last February, the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), the Philippines’ Domestic Ranking Body for the ACGS initiative, inducted Ayala Corporation Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala as an Honorary Fellow his “lifelong commitment to promoting the highest standards of governance among Philippine corporations.”

“We are grateful to the ACGS awards for acknowledging the efforts that we have put in to improve and align our governance practices with regional and global standards,” Zobel said. “Ayala remains committed to the highest standards of corporate governance and continues to uphold these standards across our business units.”

The ACGS is an initiative of the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum towards ASEAN integration and is based on international corporate governance recommended practices. A total of 234 companies from across ASEAN were awarded this year.

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MANILA — Ayala Corporation is the only Philippine-based company under the conglomerate category to be included in the inaugural Steward Leadership 25 (SL25), an annual listing of 25 APAC-based organizations that showcased “notable efforts to create a collective better future for stakeholders, society, future generations, and the environment.”

SL25 cited the critical role played by Ayala Corporation in helping the Philippines withstand the impact of the pandemic. Ayala has deployed over P24 billion for its holistic COVID response, covering employee and customer support packages, construction and capacitation of public health facilities, and addressing the urgent needs of the most vulnerable groups.

“Throughout our 188-year history, our portfolio has evolved, but what remained constant is our commitment to align the corporation to the developing needs of the Philippine customer, community, and country,” said Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, Head of Business Development and Digital Innovation of Ayala Corporation.

“It is through this commitment — in creating shared value for all stakeholders — where we see the corporation increase its value to many people over time, including our employees, the communities that we serve, our partners, and our investors and shareholders,” he added.

Ayala and 24 other organizations were honored at the Steward Leadership Summit held in Singapore on Wednesday. These 25 were selected from 95 submissions across the Asia-Pacific region. These organizations were chosen for their steward leadership strategy and actions in creating sustainable economic value, and all 25 organizations hold equal merit.

“It is really heartening to see the efforts and persistence of so many organizations striving to create lasting positive change in the environment and community. In honoring these 25 inspirational initiatives, our eventual goal is for steward leadership excellence to be the norm instead of the exception, where every firm is committed to establishing a win-win-win outcome for employees, shareholders, and society at large,” said Rajeev Peshawaria, CEO of Stewardship Asia Centre.

SL25 is presented by Stewardship Asia Centre, INSEAD Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society, Willis Towers Watson, and The Straits Times.