MANILA, PHILIPPINES — A renewed call for inclusive and strategic nation-building marked the opening of the 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conference and Expo held on July 1 at Dusit Thani Manila, led by the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF). As the flagship event of National CSR Week, this year’s conference revolved around the theme “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity for Shared Prosperity,” reflecting the shifting paradigm of CSR from traditional philanthropy to systemic, long-term approaches that address the country’s most pressing social challenges.
The gathering brought together leaders from across industries, the public sector and civil society to advocate for CSR strategies that are not only purposeful but also deeply intersectional highlighting how inclusive business practices are critical in fostering resilience and innovation.
According to Shem Jose Garcia, Chairperson of LCF and Executive Director of Vivant Foundation, Inc., inclusion requires recognizing how identities like gender, ability, ethnicity, and income overlap and affect people’s experiences. “As CSR practitioners, most of our projects seek to uplift those left behind in poverty, finding solutions that would benefit the greatest number of people. However, when creating and implementing projects that aim to benefit the many, there remains a challenge that this can often leave behind those with special needs or limited capability to benefit from these programs,” he said. “It is important not just to identify these groups as a category on their own, but to understand the importance of intersectionality – that a person may be disadvantaged not just because of one category to which they belong but how those categories overlap.”
One of the highlights of the day was the keynote address by Senator Risa Hontiveros, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality. In her talk, “Shared Prosperity, Shared Responsibility: The DEI Mandate in Nation-Building,” she emphasized the role of diversity and equity not only as moral imperatives but as business imperatives.
The program’s sessions further explored how DEI intersects with enterprise development, inclusive supply chains, and metrics that prioritize community impact. Industry speakers reinforced the idea that equitable practices translate into more resilient businesses.
In the plenary session titled “The Intersection of Financial Inclusion & Resilience: Protecting the Vulnerable and the Marginalized Sectors in the Philippines,” resource persons from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Philippine Insurers and Reinsurers Association, and the Insurance Commission discussed how access to basic financial tools such as credit, savings, insurance can empower marginalized populations to manage risks and recover from crises. This insight aligns with LCF’s larger advocacy: that financial empowerment is foundational to inclusive national progress.
Complementing the conference was the official opening of the CSR Expo 2025 at Glorietta Activity Center in Makati, a public-facing showcase of impactful programs in education, health, environment, and social enterprise. The interactive booths served as both inspiration and a call to action, highlighting how corporations and foundations are operationalizing DEI and sustainability principles across sectors.
Complementing the conference was the official opening of the CSR Expo 2025 at Glorietta Activity Center in Makati, a public-facing showcase of impactful programs in education, health, environment, and social enterprise. The interactive booths served as both inspiration and a call to action, highlighting how corporations and foundations are operationalizing DEI and sustainability principles across sectors.
The centerpiece of the Expo was the presentation of the LIFE program – LCF’s Initiative for Food Security, Nutrition, and Empowerment, a nationwide effort to improve community well-being through integrated and scalable interventions. A key milestone shared was the launch of the Busog, Lusog, Talino (BLT) Community Kitchen in Basilan on June 26, designed to prepare up to 1,000 nutritious, culturally appropriate meals daily for schoolchildren.
According to LCF, this pilot effort is an opportunity for more corporate foundations to take part in the LIFE program and for the private sector to be involved in community development. “Inclusion and sustainability should be built into how companies operate, grow, and engage with communities,” said Edric Calma, Vice Chairperson of LCF and Vice President of Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc..
The 2025 CSR Conference and Expo is co-presented by Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. and co-organized with Metro Pacific Investments Corporation Foundation, Inc., and The SM, Henry Sy, and Felicidad T. Sy Foundations, Inc.
