Lopez Group Foundation, Inc. (LGFI) marked 10 years as the Lopez corporate foundation by celebrating a thanksgiving Mass at the Benpres Building in Pasig City, last January 28.
LGFI President and Executive Director, Mercedes Lopez Vargas thanked the Lopez Group foundations and corporations for their continued efforts to synergize and align Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the Lopez Group
Ms. Vargas stated that, “The Lopez Group’s CSR investments continue to make a difference, provide benefits for countless beneficiaries, and earn public support.
Much remains to be done for our fellow Filipinos. This requires LGFI to persevere in its mandate with excellence and accountability in improving the lives of Filipinos through the various projects which LGFI implemented in the last decade (sic).”
LGFI was organized in 2004 to serve as the coordinating hub for the Lopez Group’s CSR community, beginning with seven foundations and 19 companies as members.
In the past ten years LGFI has established the “Halad sa Guimaras Program”, which was designed help the fisher folk who fell victims in the 2006 oil spill off the coast of Guimaras. LGFI also established the Family Planning in the Workplace Program (FPW), which provided family planning information and services for the employees of participating Lopez companies. LGFI also pioneered the Lopez Lifelong Wellness Program aimed to establish Health and Wellness as a core value among the Lopez Employees. LGFI was also able to pioneer the formation of a disaster risk reduction and management committee within the Lopez Group as well as contributed to the capacity building of the Group through conduct of forums and trainings such as the First Aid Seminar with the Philippine National Red Cross Rizal Chapter among others.
In 2010 LGFI established the Lopez CSR Magna Carta which laid the framework for strategic CSR and Philanthropic alliances within the Lopez Group. It was signed by Lopez company CEO’s and family members to signify their unity and dedication to excellence in CSR practices.
Currently LGFI has been re-accredited by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification, recognized as a donee institution by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and is an auxiliary social welfare and development agency registered with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Looking forward LGFI aims to further strengthen the CSR alliances within the group by establishing the Lopez CSR Council (LCC). One of its goals is to hold a CSR Forum where the Lopez Group can share their best practices in CSR and lay the ground work to recognize excellence in CSR practices by developing the Lopez CSR Awards.
LGFI 10-Year Timeline
In 2001, LGFI Chair Oscar M. Lopez brought in Tuck Global Consultancy, a branch of the Amos Tuck School of Business at Darmouth College, to examine the Lopez Group’s CSR activities. As a result of the assessment results, OML established the Lopez Group Foundation, Inc. (LGFI), for the coordination of the conglomerate’s CSR initiatives. With the assistance of AIM’s CSR guru, the late Felipe B. Alfonso, LGFI’s vision-mission was formulated and in 2004, LGFI was established and registered with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
After several workshops, the vision-mission of LGFI was finally decided to be:
Vision — To be at the forefront of nation-building through business excellence, human development and ecological security.
Mission — To bridge the Lopez CSR family and stakeholders through sustainable nation-building partnerships that link business excellence with human and ecological security.
For the past ten years, as the coordinative hub of the Lopez Group’s CSR initiatives and the Lopez family’s philanthropic efforts, the following are the highlights of LGFI’s ten years of coming together to serve the Filipino people.
2004
January 28, LGFI was incorporated with members of the Lopez family and Lopez Company CEOs as incorporators. With this new umbrella foundation in place (at that time there were nine Lopez company foundations), OML expressed his expectation that the Group will be “more organized and group-oriented in our CSR activities. We can come up with strategies to work together to promote better group-wide coordination and synergy.”
2005
First edition of Bridges Magazine was published which collated the group-wide CSR efforts for the first time which showed from the macro level, the nationwide extent of the CSR and philanthropic activities of the group. In the international level, LGFI hosted the Global Philanthropists Circle Summit with Synergos in Manila which consisted of leading families in the US and the Philippines thereby putting the name Lopez among the leading philanthropic families in Asia.
2006
LGFI is acknowledged and given certification of the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC) with donee status from the BIR which enabled Lopez companies to fund through LGFI various CSR projects. LGFI also embarked in networking by joining the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF), the Association of Foundations (AF), FOCAP, ECOP, PRSP, and IAVE (the international volunteer organization).
As a result of the massive oil spill in Guimaras, LGFI led the family and group’s efforts in assisting the victims by establishing the Halad sa Guimaras program through a land donation, and the building of the Eugenio Lopez-Gawad Kalinga (GK Village) in Jaro, Iloilo in partnership with the Archdiocese of Jaro. The Family Planning in the Workplace (FPW) with an initial five Lopez companies was started.
2007
LGFI was granted a PCNC certification for three years. The foundation also starts its publication venture with the coffee table book, Iloilo: A Rich and Noble Land in cooperation with the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation.
2008
Rafael M. Alunan is appointed President of LGFI. The foundation co-hosts the Lopez Group INSYNC Conference which featured for the first time the best practices in CSR, PR and Business Excellence of the group. LGFI coordinates the Group’s donation to the PMA’s Hall of Leaders. LGFI also supported the hosting of an international scientific workshop on mangroves and seagrasses along the Verde Island Passage in Batangas by the World Conservation Union through First Philippine Conservation Inc. LGFI Chairman Oscar M. Lopez is awarded one of the “heroes of philanthropy” by Forbes Asia Magazine.
2009
LGFI wins an Anvil Award of Merit for its Bridges Magazine, Volume 3. It also obtains a grant from AUSAID for Peace Education modules through Knowledge Channel. LGFI publishes the Cory Magic book with ABSCBN. Ayala Corporation, and Meralco.
2010
LGFI becomes an auxiliary social welfare and development agency of DSWD and was given a three-year PCNC renewal certification.
2011
Bridges Magazine wins an Anvil Award of Excellence.
2012
Mercedes Lopez Vargas is named President of LGFI succeeding Rafael M. Alunan who retires.
2013
LGFI renews its PCNC certification for five years and its BIR done status for five years and re-registered with the DSWD as an auxiliary social welfare and development agency for three years.
2014
LGFI celebrates its 10th anniversary.