Ignacio R. Bunye
Speaking Out
June 20, 2022
ON TOP of its Sinag initiatives, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is also organizing a series of activities this month, in partnership with various local and international institutions, to establish the Philippines’ first Sustainability Awareness Month.
BPI President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jose Teodoro “TG” K. Limcaoco explained that BPI is in a good position to help jumpstart the country’s maiden month-long sustainability campaign via a Sustainability Awareness Month, or SAM, which it intends to become an annual Philippine tradition.
For BPI, sustainability does not stop at encouraging recycling and minimizing consumption of single-use plastics. It also means providing opportunities for financial wellness for individuals, communities, and businesses from different economic backgrounds, as well as financing geared towards a greener economy and resilient society.
A good number of the Bank’s sustainability efforts have centered on green financing covering big and small projects related to energy efficiency, renewable energy and climate resilience which includes green buildings, as well as sustainable agriculture.
Of this, Limcaoco said, “More than just helping our clients attain better financial returns, BPI strives to achieve sustainability by creating shared value for its stakeholders that include clients and shareholders, employees, and our communities. The faster we transition into sustainable lifestyle and habits, the faster we see economic returns not only in every Filipino’s home but for the country as well.”
In celebrating June as Sustainability Awareness Month with the theme “Banking on Sustainability for a Lasting Future,” BPI has lined up various online activities for its clients, employees, and communities, to ensure that sustainability is championed across its key stakeholders.
These include a forum dubbed Environmental and Climate Risks: Identification to Mitigation, which was held on June 16. Last June 17, BPI Foundation, and Bayan Academy launched the BPI Small Enterprise Acceleration Lab (BPI Seal) Track 1: Small Enterprise Growth Agenda (Sega) “Empowering small and micro enterprises to achieve sustainable development.”
On June 24, the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP) will also lead the discussion Managing Transition Risks for Sustainability. Meanwhile, PIC Philippines and BPI will lead a presentation on Sustainability Imperatives for the Swine Industry and Philippine Economic Updates on June 28.
Capping the roster of special events in June, a webinar organized by the Philippine Star, by the end of the month will feature BPI and other subject matter experts to discuss From Surviving to Thriving: The Making of a Sustainable Philippines.
BPI breaks ground on new headquarters
BPI recently broke ground on the site of its new headquarters, a 45-storey Grade AAA office tower with LEED, WELL and IFC-EDGE green building targets. BPI Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala (JAZA), Vice Chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala, BPI President and CEO Jose Teodoro “TG” Limcaoco, immediate past President and Director Cezar “Bong” Consing, Ayala Land President and CEO Bernard Vincent Dy and Makati Mayor Abby Binay led the ceremony.
JAZA said: “Ultimately, our new headquarters will reflect BPI’s enduring commitment to innovation, sustainability, inclusivity and, of course, excellence in customer service.
We very much look forward to its completion, targeted for the first quarter of 2030, and while that may be some time away, we know it will be worth the wait.”
“Today, we broke ground and officially launched the redevelopment of this site for our new headquarters, and at the same time, symbolically laid the groundwork for all future plans toward building a better Philippines,” said Limcaoco. “Of course, the driving force underneath it all is our desire to serve our customers, our community, and our country the best way we can.”
Said Dy: “Aside from being a landmark project, we also envision this new office development contributing significantly to the revitalization of the Makati Central Business District.”
BPI has moved its main office several times over the course of its 170-year history. From its first home in the Aduana (Customs House) in Intramuros, the bank moved to its first-owned building at the corner of Cabildo and Victoria Streets circa 1862; then to the office at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Herrera (now V.A. Rufino) Street in Makati circa 1966 and then to the old BPI building which was inaugurated in 1980, during the presidency of Xavier P. Loinaz.
