This article is actually dual-purpose in nature. On the one part, it is a concentrated call to the people of the Philippines to begin standing together, not against anything, but for and on behalf of the very heart of the Philippines. On the other part, it is hopefully going to provide the people who will make a stand, to provide the corporations, the governments and anyone else who will listen, with a rational argument on behalf of this “Stand for the Philippines”. The Republic of the Philippines is a strikingly beautiful nation. Not only its sense of national pride, but virtually everything about it. The people are friendly, industrious and willing to do whatever is necessary to provide for their families and their nation. The country itself is rich in cultural heritage and history, some of which is among the most prevalent, diverse and outstanding in the world.
In terms of environments, the Philippines is rich indeed. The Verde Island Passage is home to some of the most biologically diverse underwater systems in the world and is a prime tourist vacation area. Mayon Volcano is an active volcano that is not only aesthetically pleasing... albeit slightly less conical since the last few eruptions... and the subject of much research and even some debate. Sites like these are abundant throughout the Philippine Archipelago and need to be taken care of. In regards to historical sites, the amount of history housed in the Philippines is nothing short of phenomenal. From Baler to Bataan, the historical sites in the Philippines are definitely in need of preservation and protection. While all of those programs are being developed and planned, that is not the primary focus of this article, but rather an interesting side note merely to point out just how much the Philippines has to offer to the world.
The focus here is the power of a people united in purpose and cause. While the political history of the Philippines is perhaps best left to the politicians, it is a prime example of what can be accomplished by a truly unified people. The tumultuous history and ongoing course of Philippine politics has been shaped on numerous occasions by the people of the Philippines themselves. It is that same kind of devotion and enthusiasm that is needed for a campaign of and for the people of the Philippines such as is being presented here, to be successful. Manila is just as rich in history, tradition, heritage and culture as the rest of the Philippines and very densely populated as well. Many corporations, both domestic and international, benefit directly from the Philippines as a whole and particularly, from their ability to conduct business in the Metro Manila area. It really does not seem to be too much to ask to expect these corporations to contribute back to Manila and/or the Philippines.
Granted, these corporations do benefit both the people and the nation greatly. There is absolutely no good reason to complain about the many benefits that they do already provide. These corporations provide jobs and paychecks, pay taxes and stimulate the local and national economic systems. The paychecks that they provide to their workers allow people to support and provide for their families and to pay for education and new homes and new vehicles and other modern conveniences. Corporations do in fact provide a great deal of very real, direct and tangible benefit to the community as a whole. What if they could contribute just a little bit more though? What if contributing more would not cost them anything at all and would still provide a great deal of free advertising and positive public relations for the corporation? Now, what if you, the reader, could be the one to provide your company with all of that?
There is a concept known as Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR that dictates that the corporate entities give something back to the community. This is generally accepted to be more than just the benefits that they already do provide. Many corporations conduct internal fundraising drives, but such a concept is not likely to be very effective here except perhaps among the top echelons of the corporate realm. There is very little that the working people can do to contribute at a meaningful level financially. Still, there are a great many other options. A corporation may host a feeding program for homeless, though this would cost a lot of money. Likewise, they may gather all of their employees together and select a park or a stretch of road or even river to keep clean? The possibilities for what corporations can do, even without the need to commit financial resources to the projects, are limited only by the imagination. The corporations however, are generally far too busy managing their daily operations to be bothered by such minutia. Thus, it is up to the people that are the very heart of that corporation to propose such projects.
It is very easy for people to speak to their friends before and after work, to pass around some ideas and to see what other people would be interested in doing for the surrounding community. Anyone can ask for ideas and suggestions from their friends and co-workers. When a general consensus has been formed, approach management and let them know what is being planned. The corporation can either stand down and allow the people to take all of the credit or the corporation can stand up and begin “sponsoring”... or at least officially recognizing such contributions by their employees. When they are made aware of the potential for public relations and press, it is very likely that even the mightiest of corporations will be more than happy to step up to the plate and let the world know how much they... and their employees care about the community and the people living there.
The challenge is set forth herein, and the proverbial gauntlet has been thrown down. The only remaining question seems to be, how many people will be sending their projects and success stories in to the Manila Hotline to be published here?