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ABS-CBN PARTNERS WITH DepED IN LARUNUNGAN TOY DRIVE 1.9 Million Children Entering Kindergarten In 2012 Will Receive Gifted Toys Left to Right: Irwen Ong, Bangkulasi ES PTA officer; Reynaldo Reyes, Barangay Bangkulasi councilor; Rowena Cruz, KABAKA school teacher; KABAKA kindergarten students; Emmanuel Magsino, ABS-CBN IPS communications officer; and Edwin Cuartero, PBSP senior program officer. ABS-CBN'S LARUNUNGAN TOY DRIVE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION aims to collect new or used toys for kindergarten students in 38,000 public schools.       Studies show that kids who go through a year of kindergarten are more prepared for the primary grades and their chances of dropping out during this period are significantly lowered. This year the Universal Kindergarten Bill passed into Philippine law "to provide equal opportunities for all children to avail of accessible mandatory and compulsory kindergarten education that effectively promotes physical, social, intellectual, emotional, and skills stimulation and values formation to sufficiently prepare them for formal education".       Among the ten-point education agenda of President Benigno S. Aquino III, the universal kindergarten program will prepare the young learners for the rigors of regular schooling. Specifically, the R.A. 10157 or the Kindergarten Education Act is important so that the program becomes a permanent stage in the school children's school life without it being affected by changes in the political landscape.       With generous support from member companies, the Philippine Business for Social Progress has turned over educational toys to the campaign. Companies who donated toys through PBSP include IBM Philippines Inc, Richwell Trading Corporation, and Hospira Inc.       Among the beneficiaries of the campaign are Bangkulasi Elementary School, Northville 2 Day Care Center, and KABAKA Day Care Center.                                                                                            - Joyce Franzly Racoma and Grace Muncada (Photo courtesy of PBSP.) *** CEBU'S WATER SUPPLY WILL RUN OUT IN 2030 STATISTICS FROM THE UNITED NATIONS FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION (FAO) indicate that for good health each person needs to drink 2 to 4 liters of water every day; and for producers to supply the required amount of daily food it takes 2,000 to 5,000 liters of water per person.       Like Metro Manila, Metro Cebu has among the country's highest density populations. For every 100 Cebu households, 24 are earning below PhP7,000 a year and have no safe water supply, so how can the city's urban poor ever access sufficient potable water for a better quality of life? This magnitude of poverty is the primary consideration of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) in implemen-tation of its Metro Cebu Poverty Reduction Program.       The five-year program aims to reach 15,684 households in 5 cities and 4 municipalities covering 105 barangays. Now on its third year, the program shall focus on livelihood and enterprise; education; health; environment; and organizational system. Part of this includes the installment of 2 potable water systems benefitting 200 households.       The consequences of climate change have made water supply a major issue in Metro Cebu. According to a report by the Dutch-funded Central Cebu Water Resources Management through Integrated Development (Water REMIND) Project, Metro Cebu's water supply will only last until 2030.       With this in mind, PBSP is pursuing the rehabilitation, protection, and conservation of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL). Moreover, PBSP makes sure that the coastal areas and marine waters in and surrounding Mactan and Olango islands are still able to support the livelihood of the fisherfolks and the local tourism industry in Cebu.       WHO and UNICEF expressed that "the world is on track to meet or even exceed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for safe drinking water - to halve the proportion of people without access to safe water by 2015. However, even though we are on-track globally, 884 million people are still without access."       Metro Cebu Poverty Reduction Program is PBSP's local approach in addressing the concerns and issues on water and health, enterprise development, and environment. Find out more on the PBSP website.                                                                                                                                             - Joyce Racoma and Grace Muncada *** *** SHIMIZU FOUNDATION DONATES TABLES AND CHAIRS TO CORY AQUINO SCHOOLS PROJECT Disaster-resilient furniture can save lives. Katsutoshi Shimizu (Left), chairman of RK Shimizu (Nagasaki) Foundation, Inc. and Roberto Batongbakal (Right), member of PBSP Luzon Regional Committeee and country manager of Dow Chemical Pacific Ltd. get to know the students' thoughts on education during the turnover of disaster-resilient tables and chairs to PBSP's President Corazon Aquino School Desk Project in Concepcion, Tarlac. A 73-YEAR-OLD JAPANESE BUSINESSMAN, who has made a fortune selling used ships in the Philippines is saying "arigato" to his "second home" by building classrooms and donating tables and chairs to support an ongoing project to close the gap in student seats.       Katsutoshi Shimizu, chairman of RK Shimizu (Nagasaki) Foundation, Inc. recently donated 530 sets of tables and chairs to the President Corazon Aquino School Desk Project managed by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), a non-profit organization for social development.       The School Desk Project project aims to provide at least 500,000 seats for around 2,523 public schools in the country. The school desk project goes hand in hand with PBSP's fundraising efforts to build 10,000 classrooms under the Bayanihang Pampaaralan initiative.       RK Shimizu Foundation, Inc. turned over its disaster-resilient desks and chairs to 6 schools in Concepcion, Tarlac, namely Minane Elementary School, Vicente Calius Primary School, Jefmin Elementary School, Parang Elementary School, Masilog Elementary School, and Sto. Cristo Elementary School.       The tables and chairs are designed to carry five times the weight of an average person or approximately 250 kilograms. These are meant to be the student's hiding place during earthquakes.       Shimizu first came to the Philippines in 1969 and since then, he has become close to the people. "I have visited the Philippines for more than 500 times, therefore I can call the Philippines as my second home country."       When he founded the RK Shimizu Foundation, Inc. in 2011, his objective is to promote a closer relationship between Japan and the Philippines.       "I feel this initiative of Mr. Shimizu is a very good model of how our two countries can forge a partnership along our Filipino "bayanihan" spirit -- our homegrown version of working together," said Armin Luistro, secretary of the Department of Education whose Adopt-a-School program was being supported by the Shimizu Foundation among others.       The Japanese businessman and philanthropist believes that "education is the only key to a country's success."       He expressed his desire to pay back the kindness a lot of Filipinos have shown him. Through education, he knew he is on the right track. Shimizu added that his advocacy to build 20 to 30 schools in the next three years is in full swing.                                                                                                                        - Joyce Franzly Racoma (Photo courtesy of PBSP.) *** ABOUT PHILIPPINE BUSINESS FOR SOCIAL PROGRESS COMMITTED TO POVERTY REDUCTION, Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) is the largest corporate-led social development organization in the Philippines. It is the first of its kind in Asia leading the promotion and practice of corporate citizenship with its 252 member companies from large, medium-scale, and small businesses.       PBSP has been harnessing the business solutions of companies against poverty through different expressions of corporate citizenship such as Responsible Business Practice, Social Investment, and Policy Advocacy.       Through Platforms for Collective Engagements (PlaCEs), PBSP synchronizes all efforts of the business sector and development stakeholders towards a common goal using cohesive strategies and setting uniform parameter to effect a more lasting collective impact.       BUSINESS UNITED. LIVES UPLIFTED. Find "pbspendspoverty" on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Multiply.                                                                                                                              - Joyce Franzly Racoma and Danny Escabarte *** *** PBSP Intro      1      2      3      4      5      6      7      8      9      10      11      12      13      14