Cardinal Tagle challenges PBSP to remain true to its mission of uplifting lives 

“Go to the peripheries and you will find there a different type of joy and energy. Secondly, let the inclusion of the poor permeate the whole of our business enterprise. Make them visible, from the vision to the operations, to the products. Finally, inclusion through personal encounter, so that they really belong in our hearts, in our minds, and let us allow them to transform us, to develop us, even.”

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle aired this challenge to chief executive officers (CEOs) and representatives of Philippine Business for Social Progress’ (PBSP) member-companies, partners, and donors during its 44th Annual Membership Meeting and Foundation Day celebration last January 27. 

 The Cardinal echoed Pope Francis’ call to the Church, urging PBSP to reach out to the poor by addressing their real needs, and be transformed by them. It is only through this, he added, that they can truly attain inclusive growth.

“’There is a calling. The church should not be self-referential. The church should focus outside of itself and go out to the peripheries.’ He (Pope Francis) already said that even before becoming pope. PBSP also says, in its business of development, [that] it goes out to the peripheries. What do we find in the peripheries? Usually the people who are excluded in society, of culture, and sadly, even religiosity. Therefore, it is important that PBSP and many other groups have been focusing on inclusive growth. It is one way of minding the peripheries,” said Tagle.

He also challenged business leaders to examine their businesses and make sure that their programs truly benefit the poor and marginalized, and not just the rich.

“We ask ourselves, is it really growth when so many do not enjoy that growth? What type of growth is it when a portion of the population is not enjoying the benefits of that growth? Are the poor deliberately included in your company’s vision statement? Are the poor included when we plan projects? Are the poor at the center of our goal-setting? Are they included or do they come as an appendix? Are they included in our determination of policies? Do we think of them and their real good when we determine what to produce, what to sell, how to sell? Do we ask them what they think is good for them or do we presume that what we think is good, is good for them?” Tagle asked.

Yet the Cardinal pointed out that it’s not enough for them to just go in and out of the peripheries. They should go there with open minds and hearts, and allow themselves to experience and be transformed by a different kind of joy – a life-changing joy that only the poor can bring.

“Sending someone to the margins does not always guarantee conversion, a change of mind and heart. I may be sent to the poorest section and still get out of that place unscathed, undisturbed, unchanged. So it is important not only to go to the peripheries but to ask, ‘What will I do there and what will I allow the peripheries to do to me? Will I allow the realities there to bother me, to deprive me of peace of mind, to deprive me of hours of sleep? The Holy Father says, ‘If you go to the peripheries, open your minds and hearts. There you will discover a different type of joy.’ Their joy is sincere. Not the type of joy that comes with fancy airs—the joy that only the poor and the suffering know,” Tagle said.

PBSP Executive Director Rafael Lopa hopes that the message of Pope Francis and Cardinal Tagle will resonate in the hearts of the business leaders and move them to reflect on how their company’s operations impact the poor.

“I hope this makes the businessmen reflect on the relevance of their work to the lives of ordinary people. How do we put those at the Base-of-the-Pyramid (BoP) at the center of the boardroom? Are the poor at the center of their businesses or are they just an afterthought? How does helping the poor change the way we do our business?

Therefore, when we plan our businesses, we should be able to use our minds, expertise and skills to change the people’s lives for the better,” Lopa said.

Through their mission of eradicating poverty through programs on Health, Education, Environment, and Livelihood and Enterprise Development, he is confident that PBSP will be able to help create a truly inclusive environment for every Filipino.

“Indeed, there is humility of learning from the people. There is that unique joy in what we do, especially when a patient beneficiary of ours has been cured of Tuberculosis; when a student’s life has improved as a result of the classroom we built for them; when a community feels more protected through the mangroves we planted; and when a farmer and fisherman get to regain their livelihoods back and support their families. We’d like the Church to know that we are here to work with them in putting the poor at the center of our businesses because we are in the business of human development,” Lopa said.   

During the Annual Membership Meeting and Foundation Day celebration, seven trustees were reelected and elected to the Board. They are Jon Ramon Aboitiz, Chairman of Aboitiz & Company, Inc.; Edgar Chua, Country Chairman of Shell companies in the Philippines; Paul Dominguez, Director of Sarangani Agricultural Co. Inc.; Jocelyn Campos Hess, Chairman of United Laboratories, Inc.; Cirilo Noel, Chairman and Managing Partner of SGV & Co.; Manuel V Pangilinan, Chairman of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and Smart Communications Inc.; and Lito Tayag, Country Managing Director of Accenture Philippines.

New member-companies were also welcomed to the organization. These are Bali Oil Palm Produce Corporation, CATs Motors Incorporated, Leighton Contractors (Philippines) Inc., Monocrete Realty and Development Corporation, PGA Cars, Philippine Seven Corporation, and The Net Group Real Estate Management Corporation.  

Also recognized during the event were the invaluable contributions of former trustees Mariels Winhoffer, Vice President of IBM Global Business Partners Asia Pacific; Ben Chan, Chairman of Suyen Corporation; and Peter Cowan, former Chairman and CEO of Unilever Philippines; and Ramon del Rosario, Jr., President and CEO of Philippine Investment Management (PHINMA), Inc. who has been PBSP’s treasurer for 13 years, from 2001 to 2014. 

The program ended with a touching song by the Grade 5 and 6 students of Bayanan Elementary School Main in Muntinlupa City who presented PBSP Chairman Manuel V Pangilinan with a simple token after their performance. The school is a beneficiary of the Joy Schools program of Mondelez Philippines, Inc., a member-company of PBSP.

This article was also published in the January 30-31, 2015 Issue of the Business World.