Bank of the Philippine Islands
Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), led by chief executive and president Cezar Consing, was set up in 1851 and is the oldest bank in the Philippines.
At the heart of the bank’s corporate and social responsibility philosophy is a genuine belief in empowerment. Through its social development arm BPI Foundation, the bank seeks to assist communities and individuals to participate in the dynamic and fast-changing economic landscape by offering programmes in financial education, entrepreneurship development and sustainable environment.
Take, for example, the BPI Technical-Vocational training programme. Launched in 2018, this teaches a valuable combination of technical, entrepreneurial and management skills to help improve business acumen. So far seven communities have benefitted from this programme.
Then there is the bank’s Mindanao rainforest programme that aims to restore the ecosystem and improve food security and environmental sustainability in conflict areas in this southern part of the country.
To date, BPI has directly assisted more than 300,000 people, making it a worthy recipient of this year’s award.