MANILA, Philippines, 24 April 2019 – Ford Philippines received Gold and Silver citations from the 3rd Driven to Serve Awards of the Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists (SPMJ) for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs in the areas of road safety, education and training, and community development.
For the third year in a row, Ford’s Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) and Operation Better World (OBW) were recognized by the award-giving body for their contributions to improving road safety and driving community development.
Ford took home a Gold award for its DSFL program under the road safety category. In 2018, DSFL trained over 3,000 drivers from Metro Manila, Pampanga, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, and Davao with more hands-on driving sessions and increased focus on anti-distracted driving, driving under special conditions, and fuel-efficient driving.
Ford also received a Gold award for its Automotive Technician Scholarship Program under the education and training category. The program awards grants to underprivileged but deserving students for a 15-month Automotive Mechanic vocational course at Don Bosco Technical Institute-Technical Vocational and Education Center. Eighty percent (80%) of the two batches of graduates are currently employed at Ford dealerships and with other automotive brands.
Lastly, Ford garnered a Silver award for Operation Better World (OBW) under the community development category. OBW is Ford’s umbrella program for its CSR projects around the world. In the Philippines, Ford focuses on providing access to clean water and community building initiatives in several Gawad Kalinga areas. In 2017 and 2018, six water facilities were built to serve close to 300 families, bringing up beneficiaries to over 1,400 families with 14 communal water facilities built since 2014. In 2018, Ford also mapped out 9 community medical outreach projects, benefitting over 3,100 patients. Twelve houses were also built and painted in Dasmarinas, Cavite.
Ford Philippines partnered with AmCham Foundation to manage and implement the Automotive Technician Scholarship Program as well as select projects under Operation Better World.
“Corporate social responsibility is definitely an important part of our business. Our CSR programs bring to life our commitment to make a positive impact and drive change in the society,” says Bert Lessard, managing director, Ford Philippines. “We thank SPMJ and the board of judges for recognizing our efforts in helping address the needs of the communities we serve, especially in the areas of road safety, community development, and education”.
Receiving the awards are (from left) Ford Philippines AVP for Communications EJ Francisco (program head for Driving Skills for Life), AVP for Government and Corporate Affairs Josephine Gonzalez (program head for Operation Better World and Automotive Technician Scholarship Program), and Lessard.