Fastfood chain Binalot wins intl award for helping banana farmers

The Filipino fastfood chain Binalot Fiesta Foods has received an international citation for initiating a livelihood program for banana farmers. Rommel Juan, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Binalot, took home an Intel-AIM Corporate Social Responsibility Award (IACRA) in the recently concluded 9th annual Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. IACRA was launched as a special award at the AFCSR four years ago to pay tribute to Asian companies that integrate corporate social responsibility (CSR) into the way they conduct business. The award aims to promote good corporate citizenship in Asia in keeping with the shared advocacies of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), a premier business and management graduate school, and Intel, an American global technology company and the world's largest semiconductor chip maker with a long-standing commitment to CSR. Binalot Fiesta Foods is a restaurant that offers traditional Filipino preparation of food, binalot style, wrapped and served in banana leaves/ Binalot was recognized for successfully promoting a "win-win" approach to CSR wherein both the corporation and the community benefits from its CSR program. Binalot Fiesta Foods, established in 1996, has over 40 branches in the Philippines. "We congratulate Binalot and hope that their example is emulated by many more businesses in the region," says Dr. Anjan Ghosh, Corporate Affairs Director of Asia Pacific, Intel, said in an article posted on www.earthtimes.org. Binalot’s main CSR program is DAHON or "Dignity and Livelihood for the Community." Binalot purchases banana leaves directly from banana farmers. According to www.earthtimes.org, through the DAHON Program, Binalot, provides an extra income of $5 to $8 daily to about 30 families in Nagcarlan and an $25 additional income per week for every Aeta family in the Zambales community. Binalot is also working on developing another community to provide another type of sustainable packaging: the tampipi-boxes made from woven palm leaves. Binalot also uses electric motorcycles for its delivery system. In selecting Binalot for the IACRA for 2010, the board of judges recognized the truth in Binalot ad campaigns that state: "with every Binalot meal you buy, you are able to help a community and protect the environment." Juan finds it interesting that he was recognized by the same organization, AFCSR, which taught him back in 2006 about integrating CSR in business practices. “My aunt Chit Juan is known for being active in developing CSR projects that value sustainability. She was then engaged in creating the Figaro Foundation and asked me to attend the Asian Forum for CSR (AFCSR) in Jakarta," recalls Juan. “It’s really amazing to be recognized by the institution where you actually acquired a lot of insights on CSR."