Highl ight ▶03Helping to Build Society Through a Mutual Benefit Approach

Fuji Xerox Gawad Kalinga Village is located in an economically depressed area on the outskirts of Manila. This report spotlights

the activities that Fuji Xerox Philippines is pursuing to foster social and economic independence of slum residents.

Fuji Xerox Sustainability Report 2009

Antonio Meloto, Co-founder of Gawad Kalinga

Children learning computer applications at the multipurpose hall

Skyscrapers, shopping centers, and luxury

hotels line the streets of the Makati district

of downtown Manila, the Philippines’ capital

city. In stark contrast, just thirty minutes by

car from Fuji Xerox Philippines' headquarters

in Makati, is Taguig City. When passing the

city's upscale residential zones, a bleak scene

of tin-roofed shanties and narrow alleys

suddenly appears.

Fuji Xerox Gawad Kalinga (GK) Village,

completed in December 2007, is located in a

Taguig slum area. It comprises 30 homes and

semoh ehT .llah esoprupitlum yrots-owt a

house 34 families, with 120 residents in total.

Groups of four homes share a communal

kitchen and bathing facilities.

Here, the alleys serve as playgrounds for

frolicking children supervised by smiling

tranquil expressions, life is now much better

for the local residents. Previously, they were

always under pressure of being evicted since

they built their shanties on the city’s property

without permission. They were vir tually

isolated from surrounding neighborhoods

and had to tolerate an environment rampant

Now, however, the scene is quite different

with the establishment of the Fuji Xerox

GK Vil lage, which showcase newly built

"Gawad Kalinga," from which the village

gets its name, means, "to give care” in Pilipino.

promotion project for slum communities,

homes and a multipurpose hall that serve as

community facilities.

The first floor of the Fuji Xerox Gawad

Kalinga Village multipurpose hall serves as

a daycare center, while the second floor is

utilized as a computer training facility. One

parent, Medy Austria, notes that she can

now leave her children at the daycare center

in the morning and work on her needlecraft.

Above all, Medy is happy that her children

can now attend school. Before, many families

could not afford the cost of textbooks;

therefore, their children were deprived of an

l au n c h e d by a C at h o l i c o rg a nizat io n ,

Couples for Christ. This project espouses for

municipalities to provide residential rights in

village construction zones, for local residents

to participate in construction work, and for

businesses to cover construction material costs

and provide volunteers for construction work.

It is the organization's policy to respectfully

decline one-off donations. In 2006, the

Gawad Kalinga Community Development

Foundation and its then-representative

founder, Antonio Meloto, received the Ramon

Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership,

which is widely regarded as the A sian

equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

“For me, the most important thing is for

all-important education.

The multipurpose hall is also open to local

residents and other nearby GK Villages.

Local volunteers regularly visit the facility

to teach children how to use the computers.

Companies that support other GK Villages

in the same area donated the computers.

Many children learning at the hall exclaim

enthusiastically that they want to work using

computers in the future. The multipurpose

hall has truly become a hub where children

can pursue their dreams and aspirations.

people on the fringes of society to regain

their honor and dignity as human beings,”

explains Meloto in describing the goals of

the foundation’s activities. “When people are

hungry, have no place to live, and feel they

have been cast aside by society, they become

desperate and violent. However, when they

meet someone who cares about them, and

who works with them to build their own

houses, they begin to strive on their own to

lead better lives. For example, men who once

never worked more than two days a week

have now started working five days or more

per week. It's crucially important that people

living in slum areas feel that someone really

cares about them."

In Fuji Xerox Gawad Kalinga Village

When People Regain Honor and Dignity They Become Independent

20Sustainability Report 2009Fuji Xerox Sustainability Report 2017Fuji Xerox Sustainability Report 2009

Closer Community TiesG awad Kal inga ac t ive ly encourages

naming v i l lages af ter companies that

p r o v i d e f u n d i n g a n d v o l u n t e e r s f o r

t h e v i l l a g e co n s t r u c t io n , w h ic h h e l p s

to foster corporate brand recognit ion .

" I r e c o m m e n d t h a t c o m p a n i e s

c o n t e m p l a t e p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n G a w a d

Kainga visit the Fuji Xerox Village as an

outstanding model,” says Meloto. “When

In 2006, former Fuji Xerox Philippines

president, Romerico Serrano, found himself

troubled by the downturn in the company's

business performance and declining employee

morale. During a search for community

programs that would foster a stronger

sense of unity within the company through

employee participation, he came across the

Gawad Kalinga Project and immediately

decided to get involved.

In August 2006, the Fuji Xerox Philippines

Foundation made a 2.6 million yen (1,325,000

Philippine pesos) contribution to Gawad

Kalinga. The groundbreaking ceremony for the

GK Village Project took place in October, with

Taguig Mayor Sigfrido Tinga in attendance.

"Build Days" were held more than 30 times

on Saturdays with Serrano and nearly 20

percent of Fuji Xerox Philippines’ employees

participating as volunteers. The project was

completed in December 2007 and handed

over to local residents.

The company set up a Project Committee

Each Monday after the Build Day, the Fuji

Xerox Philippines Project Committee put up

posters throughout Fuji Xerox Philippines’

workplace to keep employees up-to-date on

the progress of the project construction work.

Photos of the president and executive officers

al l smudged with wet cement and paint

particularly pleased employees. In the process

of working toward a common goal through

teamwork, the company's employees regained

their sense of pride and solidarity.

Employees who initially had no interest in the

project also became involved.

They became increasingly aware of how

fortunate they are to have a stable job and

life. Some employees were inspired by the slum

in September 2006. The Committee’s duties

ranged from internal communications to

recruiting volunteers, guiding employees to

the worksite, arranging lunches and beverages

and allocating work duties for more than 30

volunteers on each Build Day.

"At times, we had so many volunteers that

we had to send some off to work at other

village construction projects," chuckles Waldo

residents becoming more independent as the

construction work proceeded, and felt a need

to become more independent in their own

lives. Furthermore, many employees took their

children to the Build Days as an educational

opportunity to see the wider society they live in.

In terms of Fuji Xerox Philippines business,

multinational companies and giant Philippines-

based firms accounts for nearly 25 percent of

Fuji Xerox Philippines’ total sales revenue. The

remaining 75 percent is generated through

businesses with small- and medium-size local

companies. Fuji Xerox Philippines executives

who have participated in the Build Days,

frequently mentioned that if more people in the

slum areas participate in economic activities,

Rodriguez, a Fuji Xerox GK Village voluntary

caretaker, who supports local residents on a

daily basis.

" Fuj i Xerox Phi l ipp ine s went beyond

convent ional suppor t .” Meloto sa id in

appreciation. “It stands out in terms of the

sheer number of volunteers, and the fact that

it placed importance on education and built

the multipurpose hall."

they will eventually set up their own businesses

and pay taxes. Then the economy will thrive at

the national and local levels and companies like

Fuji Xerox Philippines will enjoy stronger growth.

Through Fuji Xerox Philippines’ participation

in this project, it will develop a long-term

perspective on it’s contributions to society.

Fuji Xerox Philippines Meets Gawad Kalinga: Activities that Foster a Sense of Unity Within Fuji Xerox Pphilippines

Changed Awareness Created a Sense of Unity

One of the posters put up by the Fuji Xerox Philippines Project Committee

21 Fuji Xerox Fuji Xerox Sustainability Report 2009

residents see visitors, they will understand

that their Vil lage is a model , and their

appreciation toward Fuji Xerox Philippines

wil l increase. This wil l help deepen Fuji

Xe rox P h i l i p p i n e s’ t i e s to t h e v i l l a g e

community and enhance mutual t rust .

Both s lum resident s and par t ic ipat ing

companies must merit from the GK project.

".elbaniatsus eb ton lliw ti ,esiwrehtO

"After working together with Fuji Xerox

Philippines at the GK Project, our mutual

t r u s t s t re n g t h e n e d co ns ide ra b ly, a n d

Fuji Xerox Phi l ippines has become our

indispensable partner,” explains Joel G.

Santos, vice-president of a local firm, who

voluntarily supervises 16 Gawad Kalinga

Villages in three cities including Taguig.

“ W h e n w e s h a r e t h e s a m e v a l u e s

through the Gawad Kalinga Project , we

c a n h e l p i m p r o v e P h i l i p p i n e s o c i e t y.

Unless the Phil ippine society improves ,

o u r o w n b u s i n e s s e s w i l l n o t e x p a n d .

We see Fuji Xerox Philippines as a solid,

trustworthy partner that can pursue its

business operat ions and soc ia l ac t ion

programs together."

N o w t h a t t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n w o r k i s

finishe d a nd t he mul t ipur p o s e h a l l i s

fully operational, Fuji Xerox Philippines is

exploring the next stage of involvement.

"We are doing business in the Philippines,

a country that faces a tremendous challenge

of eradicating poverty,” says Iwao Abe, Fuji

Xerox Philippines president since 2008, in

stressing his own determination. “For Fuji

Xerox Philippines’ sustainable growth, it is

essential that we nurture employees who are

sensitive to local needs and able to translate

those needs into action."

Although FX GK Village residents’ quality of

life may have improved, many of their current

jobs are day jobs on construction sites and

other forms of labor.

employment, Fuji Xerox Philippines is open to

the possibility of using the multipurpose hall

to start a training program for adult education

and the development of other occupational

skills,” explains Abe, demonstrating his own

mettle in an enthusiastic tone. “We want

to think about community development

together and be members of a strong team

that transcends all barriers. If we can continue

to be part of a proud team, I believe Fuji

Xerox Philippines will become a company

solidly grounded in the Philippine society. As

its president, I am determined to assume a

leadership role in these activities."

A time capsule has been buried in the

co mmo n p l a za a re a of t he Fuj i Xe rox

Village. It contains Fuji Xerox Philippines’

Mission Statement as well as a copy of the

letter of understanding exchanged with

Gawad Kalinga. Fuji Xerox Philippines and

GK expect that collaboration of this kind

among companies, communities, and local

government will spread to other communities

and lead to the realization of society-wide

sustainable development.

Taking Social Contributions to the Next Level

Taguig has become a model city for

Gawad Kalinga, since Taguig now has

more villages than any other city in the

Philippines. Last year, the World Bank listed

Taguig as the Philippines’ most business-

friendly city. However, as a citizen born

in this city, I could not tolerate the gap

between the rich and poor. My strong

displeasure drove me to put behind my

career as a businessman and run for mayor.

I consider it my mission to not only help

Taguig maintain its status as a business-

friendly community, but also provide better

homes for citizens living in our slum districts.

When Taguig first decided to form an

alliance with Gawad Kalinga, Fuji Xerox

to participate. Fuji Xerox Philippines never

once asked what benefits it would gain in

return for participation. It took a look at our

community, held discussions with us, and

made a decision to participate on its own.

Fuji Xerox Village is an excellent model.

Whenever we hear about other companies

exploring the idea of becoming involved

in Gawad Kalinga Projects, we simply tell

them to visit the Fuji Xerox Village. I hope

that Fuji Xerox widely publicizes its Gawad

Kalinga activities both in the Philippines

and in Japan, to inspire more companies to

participate in the project.

Third-Party Opinion

Sigfrido Tinga Taguig Mayor

Joel G. Santos

Iwao Abe, president of Fuji Xerox Philippines

22Sustainability Report 2009Fuji Xerox Sustainability Report 2009