Championing sustainability: 4 inspiring Nordic-Philippine companies
MANILA, Philippines — Amid the issue on President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to give military housing to the Kadamay, Nordic-Philippine businesses have found a way to provide houses to the poor with no controversies attached.
According to NordCham Philippines, coconut is among the country’s main products, but farmers only earn P150 a day at the most.
NordCham Philippines, formerly Nordic Business Council Philippines, is an organization that facilitates the trade, commerce, industry and investment between the Philippines and the Nordic (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) and Baltic (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) countries.
NordCham’s research further shows that while Filipino farmers are landowners, they remain poor and without a stable or livable income due to lack in fair trade.
Besides fair trade, the organization believes that sustainability in the coconut industry can be achieved by awarding resilient homes to farmers with the help from the non-government organization Habitat for Humanity.
“In this rapidly globalizing world, corporations should work for equal opportunities and livelihood,” a Habitat for Humanity representative said during NordCham Philippines Awards Night 2017 at the Fairmont Makati Ballroom on March 23.
“Houses may no longer be a dream for Nordic countries, but it is still for many Filipinos. While we do business, there are also people who need our help.”
With three million people involved in coconut farms in the Philippines, Habitat for Humanity asserted that there are great opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the agricultural sector.
NordCham reported that total trade between the Philippines and the Nordic and Baltic region reached 652 million Euros in 2015. Exports from the Nordic and Baltic countries to the Philippines totaled to 425 million Euros, while imports were at 227 million Euros.
Maersk Group
During the awards night, Maersk Group, declared as the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Company of the Year, reiterated that free trade is the solution to growing Nordic and Baltic businesses in the Philippines.
Although it is a transport and logistics company, Maersk Group claims to make sure to take responsibility in the areas it operates in.
“The environment and the business are at the sides of the same coin. If we can’t sustain the environment, we also can’t sustain the business,” the company’s representative said upon accepting the award co-presented by Habitat for Humanity.
An outstanding CSR company, according to NordCham, is committed to workers’ welfare, growth and career opportunities. Its mission, said the organization, is to attract free trade and more jobs and investments.
Nokia Technology Center Philippines
In a speech, a representative of Nokia Technology Center Philippines explained that the company’s secrets for winning the Outstanding Employer of the Year award are to provide meaningful jobs and a work environment that inspires its employees to do their best for the company and their community.
ISS Facility Services
Similarly, global facilities provider ISS Facility Services thanked its employees for helping them grow the business. From 1,500 employees in 2009, ISS’ manpower grew to 9,000 in the first quarter of this year, a “tremendous growth,” said NordCham, which made the company the runaway winner of the Growth Company of the Year award.
Tema Design
Likewise, from a small factory, Tema Design, a company providing glass fibers for amusement parks and malls, has grown substantially. It is only one and a half years old, and yet, it is now working on having a new factory.
KMC Savills, which co-presented the SME Company of the Year award to Tema Design, revealed that the keys to KMC Savills’ success are hiring young, aggressive and innovative individuals, and establish a family-like, boutique personal relationship with its employees.
Here is the complete set of winners and finalists:
Outstanding Employer of the Year, co-presented by BDO Unibank
Winner: Nokia Technology Center Philippines
Growth company of the Year, co-presented by Regus Philippines
Winner: ISS Facility Services
Finalist: Sonion Philippines
Finalist: PacificTech Solutions
SME Company of the Year, co-presented by KMC Savills
Winner: Tema Design
Finalist: GigaMare Inc.
Finalist: B-Eye Solutions
CSR Company of the Year, co-presented by Habitat for Humanity
Winner: Maersk Group
Finalist: Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals
Finalist: Grundfos IS
The annual NordCham Awards Night was held at the Fairmont Makati. Now in its fourth edition, the event is a gala night recognizing prominent Nordic-affiliated companies that have significantly contributed to economic growth, employment generation, investment and CSR in the Philippines.
“The award categories reflect some of the fundamental values which have made Nordic countries model economies globally. Through the awards, we want to highlight Nordic companies who are living by these values in their operations in the Philippines. We congratulate the winners and finalists for their efforts in their respective categories,” said NordCham executive director Joona Selin.
As part of the awarding process, an independent board of judges evaluated the nominations to the awards. This year, the roster of judges was composed of Jan Top Christensen, Ambassador of Denmark to the Philippines; Harald Fries, Ambassador of Sweden to the Philippines; Honorary Consul Generals Ramon K. Ilusorio (Finland), Carla S. Limcaoco (Sweden), and Perry L. Pe (Denmark); and Capt. Ivar Thomasli, President of Philippines Norway Business Council.
The event also featured a keynote on "sustainability in the heart of business strategy" by Henrik Nordvall from H&M Philippines. Nordic countries are recognized global leaders when it comes to sustainability, also in the world of business. In the case of H&M, this is exemplified by its mission: “Fashion and quality at the best price in a sustainable way,” and vision of being 100 percent circular or to use 100 percent recycled or other sustainably sourced materials.
The NordCham Awards Night was done in partnership with BDO, KMC Savills, Regus, Habitat for Humanity, Turkish Airlines, Fairmont Hotel Makati, RX International; Gold sponsors: Grundfos IS and Maersk; Silver sponsors: Arla Foods, Cricket Lighters, Hafele, Lauritzen Kosan, Nordea Private Banking Singapore, OSM Maritime Group, Pacific Cross, Saab, Sun Life Financial, The FreeFood Co.; and Media partners: ANC, Manila Bulletin, and Philstar.com.
