201208.28
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Hawk owls rediscovered in Cebu forests

It was believed to be extinct because of massive deforestation in Cebu. But in 1998, bird ecologists rediscovered the existence of hawk owls in the small patches of forests in the town of Alcoy in the southern part of the island.

On Aug. 17, the Cebu Hawk Owl (Ninox rumseyi) was formally introduced to the world. It joins two other endemic bird species-the Cebu Flowerpecker (Dicaeum quadricolor) and the Cebu Black Shama (Copsychus cebuensis).

“The Cebu Hawk Owl might be critically endangered. The discovery tells us that we really have to go to the islands and implement separate conservation efforts because each island has its own endemism,” said Filipino bird ecologist Lisa Marie Paguntalan.

“Each island has its own provincial treasures which people should be proud of and take good care of,” she added.

201208.22
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PBSP and Philam Foundation marks 11th year of Aid for Basilan Children Project

pbsp_philam foundationThe Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and Philam Foundation recently signed a memorandum of agreement for the 11th and final year of the Aid for Basilan Children (ABC) Project.

The now more than a decade-old partnership between the largest corporate-led foundation and the leading life insurance company in the Philippines aims to support the education of less-fortunate children in the Basilan Island.

201207.12
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Students, teachers pitch in to build more classrooms under DepEd’s TEN Moves

EVEN public school students and teachers are pitching in to build more classrooms for public schools under the “The Entire Nation [TEN] Moves” campaign spearheaded by the private sector. The target: Build 10,000 classrooms all over the country from a P10-donation a day from 2 million donors for 10 months.
Students, teachers pitch in to build more classrooms under DepEd’s TEN Moves

TEN Moves cash donations and pledges as of June 20 totaled P18.3 million.

Education Secretary Bro. Armin A. Luistro, FSC said the Ayala Foundation, on behalf of the 57-75 Education Reform Movement, has released part of the funds to the Philippine Business for Social Progress for the construction of a two-story, four-classroom schoolbuilding at the Indahag National High School in Cagayan de Oro.

201207.10
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Collective support for Cebu Hillylands refo grows

Over 800 employees from 34 Philippine-based companies set aside their paperworks for a while and took off their suits to get garbed as eco-volunteers in the 20th run of the massive Cebu Hillylands Reforestation Caravan.

This joint effort to mobilize the various employee volunteers in a single cause to save the Tabunan forest was spearheaded by the non-profit Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) in partnership with the Visayan Electric Company (Veco), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and KEEP Foundation.

201206.25
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15,000 trees for Tabunan forest

About 15,000 native and endemic tree seedlings were planted in slopes of sitio Cantipla 2 in barangay Tabunan, Cebu City yesterday, the start of a series of Saturday planting sessions by volunteers of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).

The kick-off of PBSP’s annual Cebu Hillylands Reforestation Caravan was participated in by 750 volunteers from 35 companies.

The site is part of the 29,062-hectare Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL).

Employees from member companies will continue to take turns planting in different parts of Tabunan every Saturday until October 27 to maximize the rainy reason.

201206.13
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PBSP’s reforestation caravan starts June 23

“We don’t just plant trees; we let them grow.” This is the headlining campaign of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) as it launched the 20th run of its Cebu Hillylands Reforestation Caravan.

The annual event engages corporate and individual volunteers to not only plant trees but also help ensure their growth.

The event, also in partnership with the Visayan Electric Company (Veco), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and KEEP Foundation, will kick off on Saturday, June 23 in sitio Cantipla 2, barangay Tabunan, Cebu City. It will run for 18 Saturdays until Oct. 20.

201206.11
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Swim competition aids Olango citizens

The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) recently conducted the 5th Olango Challenge, an open-water swimming competition that aims to benefit the Olango Island residents in Cebu.

201206.04
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Habi Footwear to compete in Netherlands

A start-up footwear company which sells fashionable shoes made out of scrap textile and recycled rubber bagged the top prize in the 5th Business in Development (BiD) Challenge Philippines, a business plan competition for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Habi Footwear, managed by 22-year old Albert Go, will represent the Philippines and compete in The Netherlands on November for the BiD Challenge international.

Habi Footwear bested 28 other SMEs present during the event.

The company started as a school project in 2011 which Go, with three other batchmates at the Ateneo de Manila University, worked on with a start-up capital of P40,000.

 

201206.01
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PH SMEs win tickets to int’l marketplace

Winners of the 5th BiD Challenge Philippines-- Habi Footwear and Pineapple Fiber Production were especially recognized to compete in the international BiD Marketplace in the Netherlands this coming November

A footwear retail promoting social entrepreneurship by making fashionable shoes from scrap cloths and rubber won the top prize and the opportunity to compete in the Netherlands in the 5th PBSP Business in Development (BiD) Challenge Philippines.

Habi Footwear, a start-up business managed by the 22-year-old Albert Go, made it a goal to do something extraordinary for the country—one shoe at a time. By engaging its partner community, Go and his colleagues were able to provide a source of income for the financially-challenged families of their partner site by using their hand-woven materials in making shoes.

201205.21
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DepEd kicks off ‘Brigada Eskwela’

The Department of Education (DepEd)’s National Schools Maintenance Week, also known as Brigada Eskwela Week, kicks off todaw with several government agencies and private corporations expected to help public schools prepare for the opening classes next month.

Brigada Eskwela enjoins the community to help in repairing and cleaning public  schools nationwide.

201205.21
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PBSP kicks off Brigada Eskwela in Cavite

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) kicked off on Saturday its “Brigada Eskwela” program for this year in one of its assisted schools — the Maliksi Elementary School in Bacoor, Cavite.

Since education is one of the clusters in PBSP’s Platforms for Collective Engagements (PlaCEs), the organization promotes the “Bayanihan” spirit among its member business firms. More than 100 employee-volunteers of PBSP’s member companies dedicate their weekend to the cleaning and repairing of classrooms.

201205.15
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PH firms unite for Brigada Eskwela ‘12

The spirit of voluntarism and bayanihan are very much alive in this year’s National Schools Maintenance Week, widely known as Brigada Eskwela.

All over the country, students, teachers, parents, and volunteers are all geared up to prepare and repair classrooms and other facilities in public schools for the opening of classes on June 4.

In sync with this national activity, the corporate-led Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) has started to mobilized its member companies ranging from small to large businesses to take heed of the call to support Brigada Eskwela ‘12.

201205.04
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Project Zero lauded for locals’ chic tarp bags

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Sporting hip bags made of scrap tarps, the brand ambassadors of Project Zero amazed the crowd with upcycled materials produced with zero electricity, zero carbon footprint, and zero waste.

The fashionable handbags, pouches, knapsacks, and purses under the Nautilus line are created by the international lifestyle designer PJ Arañador in collaboration with Sooc Social Ventures.

The workers who handcrafted the bags were originally earning a living as scavengers in the Manduriao dumpsite before the GK Sooc Arevalo was established. When they were given homes to start a new life, they were also exposed to entrepreneurial opportunities such as making tarp bags and terra cotta.

201205.04
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SCOPE in ADB’s “SOLUTIONS” market

The Strategic Corporate-Community Partnership Program (SCOPE) was one of the innovative knowledge SOLUTIONS to development issues shared during the “Learning with Partners” event at the Civil Society Program of the 45th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank, held in Manila from May 2 to 5.

The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) partnered with Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in developing the SCOPE program since 2004. PBSP was nominated as one of the innovative Civil Society Organizations (CSO) and invited to showcase their knowledge products at the “SOLUTIONS Market: Innovations Shaping the Future of Development in Asia and the Pacific.”

201204.26
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PH waste problem: ‘It’s behavioral’

It is an obvious reality that the Philippine’s waste nightmare is caused by a behavioral problem most of us have. This concept of Filipinos not being disciplined enough with their own garbage was emphasized by Earth Day Network Philippines President Bert Guevarra during the launch of Zero Basura Olympics (ZBO) for Business 2012 last April…

201204.10
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Motolite-PBSP Balik Baterya to merge with Cory school desks project

MANILA— This year’s recognition event of Motolite-Ramcar in partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) is slated to merge with a school chairs donation project in honor of former President and global democracy icon Corazon C. Aquino.

The 2012 Motolite-PBSP recognition event in partnership with the Cory Aquino School Desks Project is expected to be held on April 11 in Summit Ridge, Tagaytay City.

Under its Learning Enhancement Assistance Package (LEAP) project, the Motolite-PBSP Balik Baterya Program has involved the collection of used lead-acid batteries (ULABs) for proper recycling and the production of new automotive and industrial batteries.

Since its launching in 2006, the program generated funds that have helped improve basic education courtesy of donors supporting Project LEAP, which includes the provision of text/workbooks, training of teachers, remedial reading camps, and supplemental feeding.

201204.02
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Batangas creates body to fight TB

BATANGAS CITY — Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto on Wednesday led the awarding of local government units (LGUs) that performed the best in detecting cases of tuberculosis in her province-wide goals to finally eradicate the disease, which remains as one of the leading causes of deaths among Filipinos. The governor also led the signing of a provincial…

201203.16
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Sari-sari stores: Social enterprise for ‘people power’

Changing the mind-set of sari-sari store owners from being “just a small store owner” to “an entrepreneur running a business that has potential to grow” is one way to empower people to start their own business.

Paolo Benigno “Bam” A. Aquino IV, founder of Hapinoy Store, said this was the aim of the group behind the network of sari-sari stores which he helped set up in 2006.

“We believe in empowerment. We feel this is a new form of ‘people power.’ We fight the poverty of the mind, spirit and wallet,” said Aquino during last Wednesday’s annual membership meeting of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Visayas at the Casino Español.