Manila Water was named winner of the Unilever Global Development Award at Business in the Community’s 2016 Annual Responsible Business Gala in London last night.
The event at the O2 arena was the culmination of the 2016 Responsible Business Awards, run by The Prince of Wales’s charity Business in the Community to celebrate the innovative ways that businesses in the UK and abroad are making a sustained difference and transforming communities.
Manila Water’s award winning initiative Tubig Para sa Barangay (Water For The Poor) program was set up to help people in poor urban communities access clean, safe, affordable water while improving the quality of the water supply and growing a new customer base.Through the programme, people in marginalized urban communities are able enjoy 24/7 safe, drinkable water while allowing them to save enough money to provide for their other needs such as food and school supplies. The programme also afforded for the Company reduced network losses and wastage by addressing the problem of illegal connections in these communities.
The other finalists of the Unilever Global Development Award are Olam International’s supply chain and agri-business program, GEEL Medical Services’ community healthcare initiative in rural Uganda, GSK and Save the Children’s global healthcare partnership for children, Pollinate Energy’s community electricity business model in India, and retail company Primark’s sustainable supply chain efforts.
Commenting on the award, Gerardo C. Ablaza, Jr., President and CEO of Manila Water said: “We are very honoured and, at the same time, humbled to have received this award. Our Tubig Para Sa Barangay program has enabled us to sustain our business from an economic point of view, as well as from a social, community and regulatory perspective. We hope that through this recognition, we will be able to inspire other organisations to hurdle through the challenges of finding appropriate social solutions to achieve business objectives and at the same time make a marked difference in the communities we serve.”
Commenting on the win, Keith Weed, Chief Marketing Officer of Unilever who chaired the judging panel said: “This is a great example of a business issue and a significant community need being addressed by a sustainable, systematic, purpose driven solution, with clear health and economic benefits. The commitment and scale of this programme, working closely with the local government in a challenging environment, is exceptional and a great example from which many can learn.”
Almost 300 companies entered the 2016 Responsible Business Awards. The winners represent the varied ways that businesses can make a sustained difference,tackling a breadth of issues from youth unemployment, mental health and wellbeing to international disaster relief and the Ebola crisis.
Stephen Howard, Chief Executive, Business in the Community said:
“The Responsible Business Awards provide the proof that from the largest global multinational to the smallest local firm, business is a powerful force for good in society. This year we have seen some profound examples of what business can achieve when it puts responsibility at the heart of its operations. I congratulate Manila Water for the practical action it has taken to build a fairer world and more sustainable future.”
Over 1,600 senior guests, from SME owners to the CEOs of global brands attended the Annual Responsible Business Gala which was supported by 2015 Responsible Business of the Year, Fujitsu. The event was hosted by Sky News and Sports presenter Sarah-Jane Mee, and Jason Bradbury who fronts Channel Five’s The Gadget Show.
To find out more about Manila Water’s award entry, along with the full list of 2016 winners visit www.responsiblebusinessawards.org.uk.