Corporate Sector Involvement for the Rehabilitation of Manila Bay

Manila, Philippines — The encouraging response of the corporate sector to be an active partner for the rehabilitation of Manila Bay was one of the bright spots identified today in the Closing Ceremony of the International Conference of the East Asian Seas Congress which zoomed in on Partnerships at Work: Local Implementation and Best Practices.Supported by Petron Foundation and organized by the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), the Public Private Partnerships for the Rehabilitation of Manila Bay: A Corporate Social Responsibility Forum (CSR) Forum was held on 25 November at the Philippine International Convention Center and was attended by CSR practitioners from 35 corporations located in the Manila Bay Area, including corporate members of the League of Corporation Foundation (LCF) and the Bataan Coastal Care Foundation (BCCF). The forum discussed how CSR can contribute to the implementation of the Operational Plan for the Manila Bay Coastal Strategy (OPMBCS). Ms. Malu Erni, Executive Director of Petron Foundation and Mr. Rogelio Singson, President of Maynilad steered the discussions of the CSR Forum as Chair and Co-Chair, respectively.Several success stories were presented at the CSR Forum including the experience of the BCCF in implementing Integrated Coastal Management, Maynilad's future plans for improving sanitation coverage in the San Juan River Basin and Team Energy's work on habitat protection and rehabilitation as well as other companies' contribution on the areas of partnerships and governance, water pollution reduction and habitat restoration and resource management.As a culminating activity, the CSR Forum participants expressed their commitment as one community of CSR practitioners to work towards a stronger partnerships with local government and civil society groups in the rehabilitation of Manila Bay by signifying their interests to start-up or continue their CSR programs in the various provinces, cities and municipalities in the Manila Bay area. Some of the noteworthy initiatives are Petron's plan to use of double hull ships to reduce marine pollution in Bataan, TIPCO's efforts to promote best practices in solid waste management in Pampanga, Cavite CSC Council's mangrove reforesation projects in Caylabne Bay, Manila Water's Ipo watershed management in Bulacan, and various alternative livelihood and environmental projects in the National Capital Region.Mr. Adrian Ross, Chief Technical Officer of PEMSEA, noted that it was the first time that a CSR Forum was integrated in the International Conference of the East Asian Seas Congress. The support of the Corporate sector has enhanced the effectiveness of partnerships as a tool for addressing environmental challenges not just in the Manila Bay area but also in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA).