DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY – CSR
Conquering challenges with a brave heart and open mind. My journey to the world of St. De La Salle.
Overall, I am happy with the start of 2020. I was admitted in one of the most prestige school in the Philippines, I learned about the life of St. De La Salle which became my role model, I got to meet new positive and vibrant people and I got to share my life experiences to people who genuinely want to listen. Also on 02 January 2020, I was promoted/regularized in Land Bank of the Philippines, giving me an opportunity to further my career in the banking industry. Indeed, 2020 will be a prosperous year for me.
MY YEAR, 2020
The year of 2019 was full of problems and challenges. It was like a STORM for me. I almost lost my faith in God and in my self. I was disappointed and downed by many, most of which were by my so called “friends”. I was made aware of what the real world was; full of greedy and back-stabbing people. But as we all know, storm is always followed by sunshine. 2020 for me is a year of opportunity, happiness and prosperity; my long-awaited sunshine.
As I enter my first term at De La Salle University – Manila for my Master in Business Administration program, my first subject is Corporate Social Responsibility. It is very timely as I need to find my purpose in life while giving back to others and return to the path where I can see and appreciate God.
On our first day in class, my expectations in the subject were positively exceeded by Ms. Pia. A very vibrant and ever-smiling woman. As she reminded us of the life St. De La Salle, a topic stayed in my mind. The DLSU core values: the spirit of faith, zeal for service, and communion in mission. A starting point for me on my way in finding my self and God.
Also, I got to meet new people in my class. An opportunity to build genuine relationships with people who I can share my own stories and experiences with.
St. John Baptist De LaSalle
As an assignment for our second class meeting, Ms. Pia tasked us to watch the movie about the life of St. De La Salle. It was more than an hour movie depicting actions and values of St. De La Salle towards the poor and the people deprived of knowledge. For me, there were no arid moments in the movie. There were three specific scenes in the movie that peaked my interest. The first scene that caught my attention was when St. De La Salle renounced his position as a Canon and forgone his portion on his family’s fortune to utilized it in establishing the community of teachers, also called as “Brothers of the Christian School” and continued to teach children who were deprived of knowledge. On the era of great depression, food was also scarce, but despite that situation, St. De La Salle shared their limited resources with the community, which almost led to the disbandment of the community of brothers. But with continuous faith in God, believing that if it is really God’s work, their love for the poor and children will prevail. Second was when St. De La Salle showed great compassion and understanding on the time when he forgave Andre because he stole his golden cross. Further, he also accepted Andre as on of their brothers despite his background as a pick-pocket and hot-headed boy. And with that, St. De La Salle gained the lasting loyalty and trust of Andre, which he was very grateful of. Lastly, when St. De La Salle traveled out from Paris due to political oppositions that greatly affects their goal, to establish learning venues for the people deprived of knowledge. It is when St. De La Salle let the Lord, together with his brothers, to continue his work.
Many realizations came into my mind when I finished watching the inspiring life of St. De La Salle and one of it is that no matter how rich or influential you are, if you do not offer it and yourself to God, you will never be truly successful. As offering yourself and your fortune to God means you also offer it to the people of God who are in need.
LA SALLIAN VALUES
Ms. Pia further elaborated the meaning of Faith, Communion and Service: core values of De La Salle University. As we discussed the following values, some events and experiences in my LandBanker life came into my mind.
FAITH – When I was still rendering my services at Land Bank of the Philippines – Mortgage Banking Department as a Loans and Credit Processor, my main task was to monitor and remind home loan borrowers of their loan amortization payments. Mostly, our clients are in middle to low class of society which are living from pay-check to pay-check but with a dream of acquiring their OWN dream home. As I remind and collect payments from borrowers who missed their amortization dues; many utter vulgar words or profanity with a twist of loud voice and threat. But despite all those negative reactions, after I spoke to them that “as a LandBanker, we are here to assist them on their problems” and they always replied to us with “thank God, nanjan kayo para tulungan kami”. I realized that when people tend to be in a very desperate situation, they turn to God as He is always there to catch us through the help other people. We just need to appreciate them, even in their small deeds.
COMMUNION & SERVICE – Recently, Land Bank of the Philippines, together with Department of Agriculture, launched the Survival and Recovery Assistance (SURE Aid) granting fifteen thousand pesos (P15,000), zero interest, no collateral loan to Filipino rice farmers, nationwide. Many articles and new papers were published on the program’s success but with little recognition on the people behind the distribution of the Cash Card containing the monetary assistance granted. On of my friend from the province of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya, assisted in the operation and she told me her challenging yet fulfilling experience. After the tiring day, the farmers gave their heartfelt “thank you / salamat” to them and promising that they will use the proceeds to buy rice seeds or fertilizers. I realized that if people only think of each other as a whole; with respect and compassion, we can live in harmony and free from hatred. In that brief period of time, the spirit of communion and service prevailed.
WORK AND LIFE BALANCE
Being a civil servant takes a lot of dedication and passion. Just like in Land Bank of the Philippines, it demands the highest quality of work thus, we need to exert all our efforts and additional rendering work hours. To balance my life and work, I established a routine, given that after I render my working hours, I go to DLSU for my MBA and I also need to give time for my family, girlfriend, friends and my self. Monday and Wednesday: if needed, these days will be the time that I will render over-time work in the office, Tuesday and Thursday: these days are my DLSU “over-time days” which I have my classes at night. On Friday, this is my “early sleeping” time when I got to sleep before 10PM, YAAY! On Saturday, again, I have a classroom meeting on Quantitative Methods. After which, it will be my “babe-time” with my girlfriend until she wants me to go home, usually until 11PM. On Sunday, it is my time for my family, friends and most specially, God.
After our discussion with Ms. Pia on work and life balance, I realized that God should not be erased from the equation as God should be the center of my Life. And if He is my life’s center, even when I am outside the church or house, I will be who I really am, a child of God.
ETHICAL AWARENESS
Being aware of laws and regulations is not enough. A person should know by heart what is morally and ethically correct through his conscience and God’s teachings.
Many Filipinos think that when someone is working in a government institution, he or she is most likely “corrupt”. Thus, many have succumbed in that norm; like the most recent controversy of “Pastillas” scheme in the Bureau of Immigration where employees accepted bribes in return of “VIP” services to illegal immigrants. It is illegal and ethically wrong even though nobody notices or “blow a whistle” on them. Integrity and conscience are the key to an ethical life. Another example is when someone uses a “loop hole” in the legal system that will result in the peril or harmful of others.
As Ms. Pia discussed to us the legal case of Ford Motors Incorporated and their Ford Pinto product catastrophe, even though it is legally acceptable to offer compensation to families of the people who died in the “accidents” resulting from the Ford Pinto units explosions just to avoid larger liabilities, it is still unethical because someone cannot buy a person’s life. Also, if a victim’s family will accept the bribe, other people might also be involved in future “accidents” involving the same product and it will not be prevented. Thus, it is also unethical to not stand-up and not to fight for what is right.
Our group was tasked to study the case of Brian, a business minded man in an illegal market of Marijuana. He showed various skills in cultivating his own strain of Marijuana and was able to incur millions of income yet such illegal business was hunted down by the authorities. Our group came up with what we think was the best legal alternative in order to exert his skills and efforts in a legitimate business. The alternative plan is to close down the Marijuana business and focus on cultivating other agricultural crops, research on high yielding beans and share his knowledge to other farmers to help alleviate their lives. As Ms. Pia has taught us, values are more important that money and doing what is morally right should always be the priority. Thus, if Brian chose to take the alternative path, not only he will be in a legal business but also be of great help to the community where he will be in, truly a win-win situation.
THE CASE OF ENRON CORPORATIONEnron Corporation is a multi-million dollar company that trades and supplies energy. A very reputable corporation that was listed with the US Stock Exchange. Unfortunately, a bankruptcy was declared in 2001 due to its insolvency rooting from the corporation’s unpaid MOUNTAINS of debt. It is a classic example of corporate deception. The leaders of Enron hid their debts thru associate corporations called Special Purposes Entities (SPEs). As they are doing such fraud, the reported financial statements of the corporation becomes appealing to the eye of the investors as debt-to-equity ratio and other financial ratios become favorable. Although Enron found a loophole in the IRS, it does not erase the fact that the corporation has tons of unpaid debts. Thus, the corporation eventually declares bankruptcy which also effects to thousands of job lay-offs and losses to investors. This case refreshed my mind on the value of integrity. As I work with Land Bank of the Philippines, I should always disclose the accurate information to my clients as they are the lifeblood of our economy. If only Enron Corporation uphold its utmost integrity to its stakeholders, they might have been able to save the corporation, or at least its name.
Gap Inc. is a corporation that sells clothing lines and other fashion accessories. In the early 2000s, a scandal emerged as labor exploitation was allegedly undertaken by Gap Inc. thru underage labor, unpaid overtime fees, forced job abortion and unsafe work environment for their workers. It was a classic example of money over ethics as depicted in the case, Gap chose to illegally cut their labor expenses due to their underlying financial viability resulting from emergence of new market competition and lower demands from customers. As the scandal emerges, Gap always denies the allegations, until a video in 2007 came into surface where Indian children works in their factories. As already discussed by Ms. Pia, my mind was again refreshed of what people can do to obtain money and power over in the expense of other’s lives. It may give the people money through jobs, but it is not a decent work. Illegal and immoral acts can never be justified by earnings.
The movie basically depicts the experiences of Mr. Al Gore in battling environmental politics and the underlying environmental issues we are facing such as global warming and the unprecedented spreading of pollutants across the world. The movie sparked various political and social stances in saving our environment. As I watch the movie, I contemplated some environmental CSR that Land Bank of the Philippines undertakes. One of which is the Manila Bay Clean-up and reduction of paper consumption. Unlike Al Gore who inspired millions in his environmental crusade, we as Landbankers contribute in our won little way. The movie made me realize that even a small drop of environmental care and awareness can ripple throughout the world and time as the movie of Mr. Al Gore was filmed way back 2006 and have been able to inspire millions across the globe, even today.
The Shell Corporation is a multi-million dollar oil retailer. In 1990s, it they expanded their drilling to the oil-rich country of Nigeria. Unfortunately, Shell was allegedly accused of connivance with the Nigerian Military for killing and burning down villages in the Ogoniland Region of Nigeria or the construction of Shell’s oil pipes and factories. As the interviewing group to the reporting group, we came up with an alternative solution to Shell’s alleged wrong-doings. The alternative course of action was to establish a harmonious relationship between the Ogoni people thru all-around CSR projects while satisfying the Nigerian Government with just and fair tax payments. It is also vital for Shell’s corporate brand as the scandal has heavily tainted its image. It will both cleanse its reputation while creating opportunities in the Ogoni -Nigerian community. In this case, my realization is to always prioritize diplomacy rather than violence. Morals in obtaining results should always be observed.
Covid-19 surely made us reflect on our lives as it devastated the whole world with its deadliness through panic and fear. As this pandemic ravages the entire world, governments tried to keep-up with various guidelines and laws in preventing the spread of pandemic, one of which is the implementation of Community Quarantine and Social Distancing. Amidst the pandemic, unfortunately, my grandmother passed away in our province in Nueva Vizcaya. It was a devastating event. Due to the implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine, my grandmother was not able to get a proper wake, a priest to pray over her funeral and a chance to see us one last time in her death bed. I will always remember her last message for me in the telephone hours before her passing “I love you AJ. Wag mo ko kakalimutan ha.”. She passed away waiting for me while I was here in Bulacan. Until now I am devastated because I was not able to hug her for the last time. ;( Although we were not directly hit by the pandemic, the events that transpired by the ECQ will haunt me forever. I’ll see you again Lola Luring.
CSR Blog - Aaron James Villa 