Category: News

In recent years, corporate social responsibility has become a catch phrase in a private sector eager to prove that business success and social gain need not be mutually exclusive.

But in order to create real and lasting impact, Ayala Corporation president and chief executive officer Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala II believes that businesses must focus on addressing the root causes of social problems. Moreover, businesses must be able to sustain their social development programs and develop new strategies to meet new demands and changes in society.

“This emphasis on developing a commitment to national development and building trust in our community has been one of the hallmarks of Ayala’s success over the years. While we strive to create enduring value for our shareholders, we never lose sight of the interests of all the other stakeholders in our businesses and of the nation as a whole,” explains Zobel.

Contribution to nation-building
The Ayala Group welcomes President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s challenge to the private sector to improve the plight of under-served sectors, something the group has been doing for more than four decades. This commitment is expressed through programs that are focused on four main areas: education, youth, the environment, and arts and culture.

Says Zobel: “More and more we are finding that it is important to support projects that the business can relate to, either because they affect a market of that business or because the company is in a position to offer solutions to the problem.”

The group believes that the basic educational system plays a critical role in the country’s progress, a principle that finds fruition in the Center of Excellence in Public Elementary Education. Centex provides bright children from needy families with top-quality education through an enhanced curriculum, supplemental feeding and family support and counseling. Other education-oriented programs have been developed to provide access to information technology, scholarships and awards for academic excellence.

The focus on the youth sector is also founded on the belief that the country’s future lies in the hands of good leaders. To address the need for principled leadership, the Ayala Young Leaders Congress brings together potential leaders from among today’s youth and encourages them to make a difference in their communities. The Bank of the Philippine Islands and Globe Telecom offers annual awards that recognize academic excellence in science and information and communications technology. These programs nurture in the youth the desire and capability to lead the country in progress.

Still another way that the Ayala Group is contributing to the country’s development is by addressing its many environmental concerns. Ayala Land Inc.’s solid waste management program has effectively reduced pollution in its residential, commercial and industrial projects. Manila Water Company’s Tubig Para Sa Barangay Project is providing clean, potable water to meet the needs of Metro Manila’s urban poor. Ayala companies are giving financial support and promoting awareness of environmental issues so that future generations can continue to tap the country’s rich natural resources.

In arts and culture, the Ayala Group created the Ayala Museum and the Filipinas Heritage Library as repositories of the country’s national heritage. Located in the heart of Makati’s central business district, these institutions are bringing Filipino art and history closer to the public.

Sustainability
The Ayala Group is able to continue these social responsibility programs even in times of economic uncertainty by providing resources, technical services and volunteer time of its employees and officers.

For instance, Ayala Corporation, Globe Telecom, Ayala Land, and BPI put together their resources and expertise for projects such as the UP Ayala Technopark, Youth Tech, Center for Technical Training and Excellence, Ayala Intel Computer Clubhouse, and the Integrated Learning Kiosk.

Corporate citizenship is also encouraged at all levels of the organization. New hires are invited to imbibe core values which put a premium on concern for others and commitment to national development. Thousands of employees from companies such as Ayala Corporation, Ayala Land, Globe Telecom, BPI, Manila Water, and Integrated Microelectronics Inc. have repeatedly participated in Habitat for Humanity, Children’s Hour, NAMFREL, and the La Mesa Reforestation Project, programs that have been selected for their sustainability and long term impact to society.

This spirit of volunteerism has led to the creation of the Ayala Volunteers Program for employees looking for opportunities to help others as well as the Ayala Business Club which leads Ayala companies in identifying the needs of their host communities and developing programs that respond to these needs.

Long-term commitment
While these programs have succeeded in making an impact on the lives of many Filipinos, the Ayala Group continues to look for new ways to address the needs of under-served sectors in society.

The Ayala Volunteers Program will soon get the involvement of business and non-business partners, customers, beneficiaries, and the general public in social development projects identified by the Ayala Group.

Ayala Foundation Inc. has also ventured into tapping Filipinos abroad who wish to help their countrymen by establishing Ayala Foundation USA (AFI-USA). AFI-USA will serve as a conduit for funds from migrant Filipinos for projects that will be funded in the country. Meanwhile, the Filipinas Heritage Library continues to develop various culture-oriented websites that link the academe, art community, and Filipinos all over the world. A bigger, world-class Ayala Museum is set to reinvigorate the local art scene as well as the business district when it opens in 2004.

Corporate social responsibility is always a long-term social commitment but Zobel believes the Ayala Group’s success can become an example for others. He is optimistic that more companies will take up the challenge to alleviate poverty and bring progress to all Filipinos.

Notes Zobel: “Our vision is that all companies should look at themselves as productive members of the community and of society. We should continue to build trust across a wide spectrum of publics by trying to keep the interests of the broader community in mind as we make decisions. We strongly believe in the value of good corporate citizenship and try to become a catalyst for social change in any way we can.”

The country’s future lies in the hands of leaders who will put the interests of their fellowmen before their own.

This is the belief that drives the Ayala Group’s flagship programs for youth development, the Center of Excellence in Public Elementary Education (Centex) and the Ayala Young Leaders Congress (AYLC), and Globe Telecom’s Academic Achievement Awards. These programs nurture leadership qualities among today’s youth in the hopes of producing principled leaders who have the skills and motivation to make a difference.

Says Victoria P. Garchitorena, president of Ayala Foundation Inc., the social development arm of the Ayala Group of Companies: ” We are convinced that it is our investment in the youth that will propel our country toward sustained development.”

Leaders as servants
Together with Ayala Land, Inc., Globe Telecom, and other donors, Ayala Foundation established Centex in Tondo, Manila and Bauan, Batangas with the aim to raise future leaders from among the less privileged by providing quality education. Moreover, the Centex curriculum encourages these young children to be critical thinkers, servant leaders and nurturers of the environment.

The program has already shown encouraging results. Centex students have consistently performed well in inter-school examinations and competitions, proving that children from impoverished families can perform at par with their private school counterparts given the proper education and motivation.

The Ayala Young Leaders Congress gathers the most promising college student leaders for a three-day live-in conference designed to nurture the youth’s commitment to integrity and principled leadership, foster their nationalism and idealism, and encourage them to become faithful stewards of their country’s future.

Nearly 300 students from all over the country have been part of AYLC since 1999. AYLC encourages these young leaders to develop bonds with their peers to help them remain faithful to their vision when they assume positions of responsibility in government, the private sector, or in civil society. Some AYLC alumni have gone on to lead local and international foundations and organizations that are committed to uplifting the lives of Filipinos and fellow youth. Others have been recognized for their academic achievements and their contributions to the community.

Academic excellence
The Globe Telecom Academic Achievement Awards (GTAAA), now on its 7th year, recognizes excellence in high school science and math, electronics and communications engineering, and electrical engineering. The annual industry-academe linkage program is Globe Telecom’s contribution to nation-building by promoting telecommunications and information technology.

With support from partners Ericsson, Nokia, Tomen Telecom and other leading IT and telecommunications companies, the GTAAA has recognized 106 high school and 94 college students for academic excellence. This year’s awards challenged them to lead the Philippines in a rapidly-evolving, technology-driven world.

Explains Globe Telecom president Gerardo C. Ablaza, Jr: “We are ever mindful of our responsibility not only to provide telecommunications services to the Filipino people but also to contribute to improving the lives of our countrymen.”

One hour may be all it takes to make a difference in the lives of millions of Filipino youth.

Following its successful millennium campaign in 1999, Children’s Hour will once again appeal to every working individual and company to make a donation for the benefit of abused and disadvantaged children. The Ayala Group through its social development arm, Ayala Foundation, Inc., is set to launch the 2002 campaign for the Children’s Hour in August.

Children’s Hour works on the premise that a tremendous impact can be made if every working individual and company donate at least an hour’s worth of their earnings.

In 1999, the Children’s Hour Millennium Fund raised a total of P40 million and benefited nearly 100,000 children and youth through organizations such as the Bantay Bata 163, Child Protection Unit of the Philippine General Hospital, Tabang Mindanaw, International Deaf Education Association, and Tuloy sa Don Bosco Street Children Project. Beneficiaries of the campaign are involved in rehabilitation and prevention of child abuse, educational programs, shelter, feeding programs, and health and medical services.

This year, Children’s Hour steering committee chairman and Ayala Corporation president and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala II is inviting other business leaders to champion the cause of the Filipino child through the continued participation of their companies and employees. The 2002 campaign hopes to repeat the success of the Millennium Fund, nearly half of which was contributed by employees through salary deduction. With the commitment of such organizations, companies, and individuals, Children’s Hour will be able to sustain meaningful programs

At the crack of dawn, Aling Ising Valdez begins her morning by strapping two empty containers on her shoulders before leaving the small house she shares with husband Rommel and their four children. She negotiates a steep and narrow path leading to the main road. She must do this fast before her husband and children wake up in time for their morning bath and breakfast. Upon reaching the road, Aling Ising walks a small distance and carefully places her two containers at the end of a long queue of other pails, jugs and basins waiting their turn to be filled with water.

Later, she hands over a ten peso bill to the man supplying the water and then straps the heavy containers to her shoulders to bring back home. This is all she can carry. She must return later and line up again.

“Mahirap talaga, pero kailangang gawin kasi wala kaming pang-inom at pangpaligo. Mahirap na sa katawan, magastos pa kasi malaki ang kinakain sa budget namin (It’s hard work but it needs to be done so we can have water to drink and bathe in. Its physically painful, and eats up a big slice of the family budget),” Aling Ising sighs in dismay.

Water is scarce along the eight-kilometer West Bank of the Manggahan Floodway along the Pasig River. Thousands of residents can only get water from a few sellers who source water from their deep wells and then sell the precious liquid at high rates.

Fortunately, there’s hope for urban poor residents like Aling Ising and her family.

Together with the informal settler communities in its East Zone concession area, Manila Water Company created the Tubig Para sa Barangay program to improve the quality of life in these communities. The program was initially conceived in 1998 to deliver water services to government social priority areas within the East Zone.

Now nearing its 4th year, Tubig Para sa Barangay exemplifies the efficiency and innovation that private business can bring to public service. Since the privatization of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), the program has provided properly connected water services to thousands of less fortunate city dwellers in Quezon City, Marikina, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Pateros, San Andres and Sta. Ana in Manila. It has eliminated leaks and illegal connections in these areas and as a result improved not only water services but also public health through proper sanitation and hygiene.

Manila Water president Antonino Aquino believes that Tubig Para sa Barangay is also freeing up vital income opportunities in these communities. “The program will help transform the East’s informal settler areas into productive and self-sufficient communities that contribute to nation-building,” says Aquino.

In response to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s appeal to the private sector on poverty alleviation, Manila Water launched at least six major projects under Tubig Para Sa Barangay. These projects have been providing clean, affordable water to some 300,000 individuals in more than 100 communities. The biggest project, the P120-million Manggahan Floodway Water Supply Project, was inaugurated by Pres. Arroyo in September 2001. When completed, it will supply over 15 million liters of water a day to more than 200,000 residents of informal settler communities along the stretch of the canal.

Meanwhile, the West Bank of the Manggahan Floodway has been given a new life. Its 9,000 families can now draw inexpensive, potable water from their own household taps. Gone are the days of lining up to buy prohibitively priced and non-potable water from ambulant vendors or relying on unsafe connections tapped clandestinely to the utility’s mainlines.

According to Aquino, the company’s core commitment to customers like Aling Ising is to make water available to as many households as possible via safe and affordable service connections. Beyond meeting its service obligation targets, Manila Water aims to supply the metropolis’ growing demand.

“Tubig Para sa Barangay will help us realize this commitment much faster,” says Aquino.

They are called “micro-entrepreneurs.”

They are small market vendors, owners of sari-sari stores and small bakeries, tricycle drivers and they are changing the quality of their lives through micro-financing.

BPI Foundation, the social responsibility arm of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, has been helping these individuals achieve the dreams for the past 12 years. A pioneer in micro-financing, BPI Foundation provides a credit line for non-government organizations and cooperatives that seek to uplift the lives of Filipinos in need.

The foundation’s micro-financing program called Financing Assistance Line (FAL) began in 1989 with a breakthrough partnership with Tulay sa Pag-unlad, Inc., now known as the TSPI Development Corporation. BPI Foundation initially provided the non-profit grassroots organization a P0.5 million credit line. With this support, TSPI successfully implemented programs that allow the poor to start small businesses to meet their family’s needs.

Today, TSPI is considered a leading organizer of small and micro enterprise development. TSPI now has 47,000 active clients, most of whom obtain an average of P5,000 to start up micro businesses such as market stalls, small groceries, and dressmaking shops.

Thousands more have since benefited from BPI Foundation’s micro-finance program, proving that the poor are credit-worthy given the right mechanisms in place. For instance, TSPI’s credit line with BPI Foundation now stands at P4.0 million and has over P15 million total loan exposure at the Bank of the Philippine Islands. Its loan programs record a high repayment of 98.7 percent, even higher than commercial banks.

BPI Foundation has developed several strategies to ensure the success of micro-financing. These include targeting a large number of borrowers and using group lending and group guarantees. It also established sound credit policies as well as checks & balances that are strictly observed. Through BPI’s prudent credit management, FAL has released P55 million in loans to over 2,000 micro to small enterprises via 14 NGOs and cooperatives.

Observes BPI Foundation executive director Veronica Tapia-Merk: “BPI Foundation has proven that micro-finance is applicable in the Philippines in helping the people in their struggle to break out of the cycle of poverty. Today, our commitment to social responsibility remains steadfast as ever.”

Thanks to the pioneering efforts of NGOs such as BPI Foundation and TSPI Development Corporation, micro-finance models are now widely accepted as an effective tool in getting more and more Filipinos out of poverty

At the crack of dawn, Aling Ising Valdez begins her morning by strapping two empty containers on her shoulders before leaving the small house she shares with husband Rommel and their four children. She negotiates a steep and narrow path leading to the main road. She must do this fast before her husband and children wake up in time for their morning bath and breakfast. Upon reaching the road, Aling Ising walks a small distance and carefully places her two containers at the end of a long queue of other pails, jugs and basins waiting their turn to be filled with water.

Later, she hands over a ten peso bill to the man supplying the water and then straps the heavy containers to her shoulders to bring back home. This is all she can carry. She must return later and line up again.

“Mahirap talaga, pero kailangang gawin kasi wala kaming pang-inom at pangpaligo. Mahirap na sa katawan, magastos pa kasi malaki ang kinakain sa budget namin (It’s hard work but it needs to be done so we can have water to drink and bathe in. Its physically painful, and eats up a big slice of the family budget),” Aling Ising sighs in dismay.

Water is scarce along the eight-kilometer West Bank of the Manggahan Floodway along the Pasig River. Thousands of residents can only get water from a few sellers who source water from their deep wells and then sell the precious liquid at high rates.

Fortunately, there’s hope for urban poor residents like Aling Ising and her family.

Together with the informal settler communities in its East Zone concession area, Manila Water Company created the Tubig Para sa Barangay program to improve the quality of life in these communities. The program was initially conceived in 1998 to deliver water services to government social priority areas within the East Zone.

Now nearing its 4th year, Tubig Para sa Barangay exemplifies the efficiency and innovation that private business can bring to public service. Since the privatization of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), the program has provided properly connected water services to thousands of less fortunate city dwellers in Quezon City, Marikina, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Pateros, San Andres and Sta. Ana in Manila. It has eliminated leaks and illegal connections in these areas and as a result improved not only water services but also public health through proper sanitation and hygiene.

Manila Water president Antonino Aquino believes that Tubig Para sa Barangay is also freeing up vital income opportunities in these communities. “The program will help transform the East’s informal settler areas into productive and self-sufficient communities that contribute to nation-building,” says Aquino.

In response to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s appeal to the private sector on poverty alleviation, Manila Water launched at least six major projects under Tubig Para Sa Barangay. These projects have been providing clean, affordable water to some 300,000 individuals in more than 100 communities. The biggest project, the P120-million Manggahan Floodway Water Supply Project, was inaugurated by Pres. Arroyo in September 2001. When completed, it will supply over 15 million liters of water a day to more than 200,000 residents of informal settler communities along the stretch of the canal.

Meanwhile, the West Bank of the Manggahan Floodway has been given a new life. Its 9,000 families can now draw inexpensive, potable water from their own household taps. Gone are the days of lining up to buy prohibitively priced and non-potable water from ambulant vendors or relying on unsafe connections tapped clandestinely to the utility’s mainlines.

According to Aquino, the company’s core commitment to customers like Aling Ising is to make water available to as many households as possible via safe and affordable service connections. Beyond meeting its service obligation targets, Manila Water aims to supply the metropolis’ growing demand.

“Tubig Para sa Barangay will help us realize this commitment much faster,” says Aquino.

Children and youth in under-served local communities can now hone their skills and talents through the use of information technology.

Ayala Foundation, Inc. (AFI) and Intel Corporation recently launched the country’s first Computer Clubhouse at Mater Dolorosa Parish in East Rembo, Makati. AFI vice-chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala II, AFI president Victoria P. Garchitorena, and Intel Philippines general manager Robin Martin joined clubhouse members and volunteers to celebrate the event.

The clubhouse is an after-school learning facility where community youth can explore their ideas and talents and build self-confidence through technology. It is part of a global network of Computer Clubhouses established in 1993 by the Museum of Science, Boston and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab.

Nearly 300 children have joined the Ayala Foundation Intel Computer Clubhouse at Mater Dolorosa Parish since its soft opening early this year. At the grand launch last May 17, clubhouse members proudly presented their computer-generated artworks to their parents and guests. Clubhouse coordinator Maui Salang also announced that two 13-year-old clubhouse members, Maria Roseta Mayorca and Augusto Guevara Lorca, had been chosen to participate in the Teen Summit of the Museum of Science, Boston in July.

Zobel was visibly impressed with the talent shown by the clubhouse members. “I am happy to hear that this clubhouse has made life more exciting, more interesting and certainly more productive for the young people in the Mater Dolorosa Parish. I believe that these children have great potential, given the right tools and a safe, nourishing environment,” he added.

The clubhouse has 30 volunteer mentors, including employees from companies such as Globe Telecom, who show the basics of using gadgets to the children as they explore their own creativity. Even now, children as young as eight years old know how to operate digital cameras and microscopes or edit videos clips on a personal computer. Over 100 artworks created by the children are now displayed at the Computer Clubhouse.

Noted Salang, “Parents say that they feel fortunate to have the Clubhouse because their children can spend time productively here, instead of being in the streets.”

With the warm show of support from the parish and the local community, Intel and AFI have established a second Computer Clubhouse in Cavite and plan to open a third clubhouse soon. Other companies who support the program include Adobe Systems Inc., Autodesk Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, Macromedia, the LEGO Company, and Haworth, Inc.

The Ayala Foundation Intel Computer Clubhouse is located at Mater Dolorosa Parish, J.P. Rizal Extension, East Rembo, Makati. For more information, contact Maui Salang at 881-3185.

Amidst tougher competition from regional and global competitors, Asian conglomerates will thrive if they continue to add value and remain open to change.

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala II, president and CEO of Ayala Corporation, remains optimistic about opportunities for growth available to such far-thinking conglomerates. At the helm of the one of the country’s oldest and most diversified business houses, Zobel believes that a holding company continues to play a key, nurturing role in the success and transformation of its core businesses.

Zobel observes that a leading domestic player can more quickly assemble talent, ideas, business partners and capital than a foreign or new entrant who lacks the same networks. “Our great strength is our ability to pull together all the elements required to build new businesses: the business concept, strategic partners, talent, capital and disciplined implementation of world-class governance and management processes.”

Ayala Corporation has interests in real estate, banking, telecommunications, information technology, utilities, and automotive. Zobel cited several instances when Ayala Corporation’s timely interventions and use of its balance sheet were instrumental in the development of its businesses. Ayala Corporation was able to turn Globe Telecom into one of the most successful companies in the country by attracting strong strategic partners in Singapore Telecom and Deutsche Telekom and by putting a strong management team in place.

This same model of value creation also facilitated affiliate Bank of the Philippine Island’s (BPI) acquisition of Far East Bank and the entry of the Development Bank of Singapore as a partner as well as many of Ayala Land, Inc.’s (ALI) joint ventures in property development. Backed by the Ayala name, BPI and ALI were seen as partners of choice and have become leaders in their respective industries.

Creating value, building trust
The group’s success has not gone unnoticed by international investors. Ayala Corporation, ALI, and BPI now account for 37 percent of Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Philippine basket, up from a previous weighting of 12 percent. MSCI identifies companies that represent the local market and is closely monitored by global institutional investors. In the local market, the combined market capitalization of Ayala Corporation, ALI, BPI and Globe is P363 billion, comprising approximately 30 percent of total market capitalization of all listed shares.

A recent study by Merrill Lynch suggests that the holding company’s value is greater than the sum of its parts.

Ayala Corporation has also consistently ranked high in surveys of leading regional publications. Institutional investors and equity analysts surveyed by FinanceAsia recently named Ayala Corporation as the best company in the Philippines and the company most committed to corporate governance. This supported the latest survey of Far Eastern Economic Review which ranked Ayala highest for long-term vision and second in business leadership in the Philippines. BPI, Globe, and ALI also figured prominently in the surveys.

Zobel says that these developments indicate a vote of confidence from the international market: “These are clear indicators that we have achieved a significant amount of trust and respect among the global investor community which has been critical to our long-term success.”

New strategies
However, Zobel believes that Ayala Corporation must be ready to respond to new challenges posed by globalization if the conglomerate is to continue to thrive in the increasingly competitive regional and global market. Early this year, the company announced a new corporate direction to actively manage its existing and future businesses. This new strategy is being driven by a new division called AC Capital, which will take over responsibility for all Ayala businesses except BPI, Globe, ALI and Ayala International. AC Capital will take charge of evaluating and managing the Ayala portfolio by bringing in partners and building regional alliances.

The company’s new strategy is supported by an internal reorganization that will result in a significantly leaner but more sharply-focused workforce. Ayala Corporation also intends to eliminate duplication of activities by its subsidiaries and let go of businesses where it is no longer deemed as the natural owner, or where its performance criteria are not met. Zobel cited the sale of Pure Foods as a good example of this new philosophy.

Corporate citizenship
As part of its corporate restructuring, Ayala Corporation is committing itself even more to the ideals of good corporate governance. It has already adopted accounting changes mandated by the Philippine Accounting Standard Council disallowing the deferral of foreign exchange losses by 2005. While Ayala Corporation’s early adoption of the changes resulted in lower retained earnings in 2001, it has made clear its desire to maintain high level of transparency in its accounts. The move is also in line with the company’s ongoing debt reduction program to improve the health and stability of the company’s balance sheet and cash flows in the long-term.

Meanwhile, the company has made social and national development initiatives part of its franchise. These projects are managed by Ayala Foundation, Inc. and include youth and community development, arts and culture, education, and environmental conservation. The foundation is constantly on the lookout for innovative projects that will create a lasting impact on Philippine society. This stems from the belief that to be truly successful, businesses must exercise good corporate citizenship.

Concludes Zobel: “Our aspiration is to build an enterprise that will truly transcend all traditional notions of the Asian conglomerate. Our core values, trust, respect and commitment to nation building, remain unchanged, but the way we manage our businesses will.”

Integrated Microelectronics, Inc. (IMI) today announced a new partnership between subsidiary Eazix, Inc. and Sharp Electronics (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. that could potentially catapult locally designed and manufactured electronic components in the global marketplace.

Eazix, Inc., the design arm of IMI, is now a member of Dream Team, a Sharp Electronics Singapore initiative that offers one-stop shopping solutions and design services to its customers. Dream Team combines the marketing and technological expertise of Sharp and that of established design and manufacturing houses such as Eazix and IMI.

As a member of Dream Team, Eazix will provide services such as system application development and component level design by adopting Sharp’s key components such as liquid crystal displays (LCD) and flash memories as well as pre-manufacturing and value engineering. The partnership also draws on the strengths of IMI, one of the country’s leading contract manufacturers and a member of the Ayala Group of Companies.

Says Arthur Tan, president and chief operating officer of IMI: “Being a member of Sharp Electronics Singapore’s Dream Team will further enhance the value proposition of the IMI Group as a product realization company for its strategic customers. This milestone is a recognition of the creativity of the Filipino.”

Masao Shimizu, managing director of Sharp Electronics Singapore, added: “With EAZIX’s strong reputation in its product development and design services and its high-volume manufacturing and logistics expertise, I am delighted to have such a reputed partner. It is my belief that our collaboration will lead to new innovative applications in the Philippine and global market.”

Global demand

Sharp Electronics Singapore launched Dream Team last year in response to the “growing demand for integrated products that meet the network-linked lifestyle of home, office and mobile communities.” Dream Team now has 15 business partners in six continents that provide customized development services and contract manufacturing in hardware and software design. Through these partnerships, Dream Team is able to offer cost-effective and high competency technology solutions for consumer electronic devices such as personal digital assistants, LCD-related products, and smart cards.

According to Tan, IMI’s knowledge-based capabilities make it an excellent partner of Sharp’s Dream Team. “We can ensure a seamless transition from product conceptualization to process design and high-volume manufacturing,” he notes. IMI currently serves leading Japanese multinational corporations in the hard disk drive and optical disk drive industries. It has also worked with global companies in the telecommunications, industrial, automotive and other electronics segments.

Meanwhile, IMI established Eazix, Inc. to assist customers in translating their ideas and technologies into products. The design house is focused on customized product design of digital multimedia, wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and global positioning systems (GPS), and Internet devices.

On its 40th year of uplifting the quality of life of many Filipinos, Ayala Foundation honored its partners, donors, and sponsors on “Funders’ Night” on April 22 at Onstage, Greenbelt Mall. The event highlighted various social development and cultural programs as well as future plans of the foundation.

Among those who were acknowledged are Washington SyCip and the SGV Foundation which gave one of their prized Fernando Zobel paintings on permanent loan to Ayala Museum.

Ayala Foundation was established by Col. Joseph McMicking and his wife Mercedes Zobel to uplift Filipinos through education and livelihood. Today, the social development arm of Ayala Corporation continues to focus on projects that build and sustain communities, promote culture and heritage, and provide Filipinos with the means to shape their lives.

Explains Victoria Garchitorena, president of Ayala Foundation: “Ayala Foundation takes up the challenge of empowering Filipinos, especially the under-resourced, to join the country’s journey to progress. We are ready to find innovative solutions to the age-old problems of illiteracy, of homelessness, of environmental degradation, of social turmoil and discontent.”

The foundation’s flagship program for youth development, the Center of Excellence in Elementary Education (Centex) now has more than 400 students in its Tondo and Bauan, Batangas campuses. Centex provides young, bright children from poor families with quality education at par with that of the country’s best private schools. The Centex children presented a musical production called “Ala-Ala-Mat” on Funders’ Night to thank all those who have supported the school and other programs of Ayala Foundation.

Global outlook

Ayala Foundation also unveiled plans for the new Ayala Museum, which is expected to open in 2004 as part of the redeveloped Greenbelt Park. It is set to become the new symbol of art and culture in Makati. As a venue for major international exhibitions, the new Museum aims to promote Filipino artists and the Philippines in the international art arena.

Ayala Foundation is also focusing on information technology projects to help prepare young Filipinos for the global economy. Project Youth Tech provides Internet laboratories and computer training to public high schools all over the country. More than 18,000 students and 180 teachers in 36 public high schools have benefited from the project since it began in 2000. Other IT-related projects of Ayala Foundation such as the Center for Technical Training Excellence, the Intel Computer Clubhouse, and the CISCO Networking Academies give technical skills training to students and out-of-school youth. In arts and culture, the Filipinas Heritage Library (FHL) creates electronic media and online research facilities for Filipiniana materials.

According to Garchitorena, a great part of the foundation’s work is made possible with assistance from generous donors and partners. It is an active member of the League of Corporate Foundations, Association of Foundations, the Makati NGO Network, and the Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium.

It has now ventured into tapping Filipinos abroad who wish to help their countrymen by establishing the Ayala Foundation USA as a conduit for their funds which then enjoys tax deductibility as well as a facilitator, monitor and documentor for the projects that will be funded in the country.

Says Garchitorena: “Through our partnerships, Ayala Foundation is able to arm Filipinos with the skills they need to bridge the gap between their dreams and their lives.”