CSR– Beyond The Requirements Of The Law

A news story caught my attention, while waiting for my son in the barber shop. I thought this is worth blogging. Just imagine, an article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, reported that a lowly public high school from Samar topped the national achievement test, beating its better equipped counter part schools in Metro Manila. The school officials, barring the limitations they have, succeeded in adding value to their school and students.

Read: Do your company practice Social Responsibility?

Time was when the students of the national high school of this fifth-class municipality were the butt of jokes whenever they took part in inter-school academic competitions…

There’s no cause to laugh anymore.

The Lope de Vega National High School, about two hours and some 45 kilometers of rough roads away from the provincial capital of Catarman, was named the best public high school in the country after topping the 2003-04 National Achievement Test.

It bested even the public high schools in Metro Manila, and the 100 seniors who took the test achieved an average score of 86.67 percent (as against the national average of 44.6 percent).

What I would like to blogged, though, is the effort of giant telco, SMART Communications, to extend assistance to the school thru its “Smart School Program”. This is an example of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on top and above the minimum requirements of the law.

SMART included the high school in the Smart Schools Program, and its teachers were provided free Internet access for a year, access to online content, and teacher training.

The Smart Schools Program is the telco’s community service initiative to promote the use of Information and Communications Technology in basic education through partnerships with public high schools, its officials and parent-teachers and community associations.

Medium and Large companies, in their little ways, have done more to CSR. A few weeks back, I already blogged on getting to know CSR and how to get started. The story above brought us to another dimension of CSR.

I have a staff whose aunt is working with a giant producer and distibutor of dairy products. The company have liberally donated hundreds of boxes of milk for social work.

United Laboratories Inc., on the other hand, have partnered with Gawad Kalinga in building houses and communities.

SM Group of Companies, thru its SM Foundation, have sponsored the education of eligible college students every school year, plus allowances, until graduation with no strings attached. Have sponsored several medical, dental and optical mission in communities. They worked with several NGOs for the betterment of the community.

There are more stories and illustration on advance CSR, which I suppose, you also have a story or more to share.

If a company would like to embark on CSR, the first step is compliance to labor, responsible parenthood, and environmental laws. An organization can do more to benefit not only it’s employees and their families, but also to the immediate community and the nation as a whole.

Proverbs 29:7

The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.

Proverbs 31:9

Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 14:31

He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

Proverbs 17:5

He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 19:17

He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.

Proverbs 21:13

If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.

Proverbs 28:3

A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

Proverbs 22:9

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

Proverbs 22:22-23

Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, 23 for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them.

What about your company.. What is your story?