As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend modern life, Aboitiz is actively extending assistance to various sectors of the economy while ensuring operations continue to run as smoothly as possible, demonstrating the Group’s belief that business is a force for good.

In a video message to the UN Global Compact (UNGC), Aboitiz Group President and CEO Sabin M. Aboitiz laid out strategies to ensure long-term business continuity and economic recovery in the face of the ongoing crisis.

While we’ve put trust in the hands of the government to lead us in finding the proper solutions, it is also imperative for businesses to do their part in helping alleviate this situation.

–Sabin M. Aboitiz, President & CEO, Aboitiz Group

Aboitiz Equity Ventures is a member of the UNGC, a corporate sustainability initiative that aims to guide how organizations approach human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption issues.

Aboitiz has pledged to align its strategies, culture and operations with the ten universal principles of the Compact. The UNGC hopes to bring the full weight of the private sector in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

As the crisis deepens, the Aboitiz Group has demonstrated strong and decisive governance by implementing a work-from-home arrangement as early as March 13 while providing for the needs of a skeleton workforce that deliver essential services. “Aligned with our triple bottom line approach of People-Planet-Profit, the Aboitiz Group has proactively responded to protect its people,” SMA said.

Also Read: Aboitiz Group's COVID-19 Response Puts A-People Front And Center

Mostly operating in industries that offer essential services such as power, banking and food, Aboitiz has played a crucial role in ensuring uninterrupted service delivery to its customers. On the operational side, Aboitiz has reduced 2020 capital expenditure to PHP47 billion in response to mounting headwinds but enough to keep economic engines turning in preparation for recovery.

At the same time, Aboitiz has contributed over PHP1.8 billion for COVID-19 response efforts, including monetary and in-kind assistance.  “We continue to find ways on how we can help while also ensuring that we continue our business operations,” SMA said.

With a global community of more than 10,000 businesses and 68 local networks, the UNGC has called on CEOs around the world to share corporate efforts and response, paths to recovery, and efforts at resiliency with the hope of #Uniting Business.

“We enjoin everybody to do their part in addressing this global pandemic. We can only emerge victorious from this crisis if we all do our part in driving change for a better world,” SMA concluded.