To address complex and interconnected challenges such as educational disparities, economic inequalities, and the impacts of climate change, strategic investments in people and the environment are essential for driving transformative change. In the Philippines, where an estimated 15.5% of the population lives below the poverty line and several areas are highly vulnerable, the Aboitiz Foundation is leading efforts to drive sustainable development by empowering communities and fostering economic growth.
As the corporate foundation of the Aboitiz techglomerate and a member of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance, the Aboitiz Foundation has established a strong legacy of initiatives that combine education, environmental stewardship, and economic empowerment. This approach exemplifies how philanthropy and business can align to tackle challenges both locally and globally.
.jpg?sfvrsn=96f895b1_1)
Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar, President, Aboitiz Foundation
In this feature, we sit down with Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar, President of the Aboitiz Foundation, to delve into the organisation's impactful initiatives and its vision for a more sustainable future in the Philippines.
1. The Aboitiz Foundation has been at the forefront of empowering communities through its key pillars, such as future leaders, jobs, and climate action. Could you share more about how these pillars guide your initiatives and how they align with your long-term vision for creating sustainable communities?
Our pillars form the foundation of our holistic approach to community development. As the corporate foundation of the Philippines’ first techglomerate, our integrated approach recognises that social, economic, and environmental factors are interconnected, and addressing them is crucial for driving inclusive growth.
Investing in the next generation is key to fulfilling our vision of creating sustainable and empowered communities in the Philippines. By focusing on education, skills development, and leadership training, Aboitiz Foundation enables young people to take an active role in building a better society.
Long-term economic and social development is underpinned by the availability of sustainable livelihood opportunities. Our focus on job creation seeks to improve the quality of life for beneficiaries, who often come from marginalised sectors.
With an eye to the future, Aboitiz Foundation is actively working to build climate resilience through environmental conservation efforts. We want future generations of Filipinos to inherit a planet in which they can thrive.
2. The foundation has been involved in a variety of impactful projects focused on education, environmental sustainability, and economic empowerment. Could you elaborate on some of these initiatives and how they are shaping the future of the communities you serve?
The Aboitiz Future Leaders programme is one of our longest-running initiatives, offering college scholarships to bright and deserving students since 2006. These scholars have graduated and are now making a difference in their communities and the workforce. For the 2024-2025 academic year, we are supporting 123 scholars studying in fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
We’re also supporting last-mile schools across the country through the AuroraPH project, providing sustainable power and internet connectivity. This initiative benefits not only students and teachers in these schools but also nearby communities that now have the power—literally—to access information and livelihood opportunities.
Aboitiz Foundation's AuroraPH programme aims to support 300 last-mile schools across the Philippines, bridging education gaps and inspiring brighter futures.
At the postgraduate level, we donated US$10 million (over half a billion pesos) to the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in 2019 to mark Aboitiz’s 100th anniversary. The endowment fund supports professionals pursuing advanced studies in entrepreneurship, innovation and business, and data science at the Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (ASITE).
Elevate AIDA is our initiative to empower women, including stay-at-home mothers and displaced workers, through digital skills training in artificial intelligence data annotation. To effectively implement this programme, Aboitiz Foundation collaborates with national and local government units, as well as industry partners. An example of this collaboration is in Baguio City, where the local government allocated a budget for the programme through their Gender and Development initiative and assisted in identifying potential beneficiaries. In Isabela, the local government funded participants' training, while Huawei donated laptops to support the beneficiaries in their future work after completing the programme. The graduates will become part of the workforce of Connected Women and will be offered jobs based on their availability, competence, and willingness to work.
Aboitiz Foundation's CarbonPH initiative restores ecosystems and sequesters carbon, building climate-resilient communities for a sustainable future.
In partnership with the Cebu provincial government, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and other stakeholders, we are undertaking the reforestation and watershed recovery of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape through the Carbon PH initiative. This project not only ensures the long-term availability of a sustainable water supply for local communities but also contributes to biodiversity protection by restoring critical habitats for various flora and fauna. Additionally, it creates livelihood opportunities by involving residents in tree planting, nursery management, and forest maintenance.
3. Looking ahead to 2025, what are the Aboitiz Foundation’s main goals and priorities? How do you see opportunities for collaboration in driving shared impact, and what would you like to see from the broader philanthropic community to help achieve these ambitions?
For 2025, Aboitiz Foundation is focused on expanding the impact of our programmes and seeking more opportunities for fruitful collaboration.
b5c6df57-53ab-495a-aa2d-6888c821f3c2.jpg?sfvrsn=f9856e2b_1)
Through Aboitiz Foundation's Elevate AIDA initiative, mothers embrace digital skills, proving that growth and resilience go hand-in-hand.
We plan to scale up Elevate AIDA to benefit 300,000 women. For AuroraPH, our goal is to provide power to 100 public schools in remote areas of the country. We’re also excited about the progress of Carbon PH, as we target to commence reforestation efforts in key areas of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape after conducting a thorough study of its 29,000-hectare terrain.
We look forward to working with our partners and collaborating with new ones to ensure that our initiatives not only address the immediate needs of our beneficiaries, but also lay the foundations for sustainable growth.
---------------
To explore partnership opportunities with the Aboitiz Foundation and learn more about their programmes, please reach out to your PAA point-of-contact, who can facilitate a connection.
