BUSINESS ethics call for corporate social responsibility (CSR) where public interest is given top priority. One Filipino company has been showing the business world the way to do it, and it’s not just through talk, but through action.

At Lamoiyan Corporation, maker of Hapee Toothpaste, about 30 percent of the employees are hearing-impaired. Other people with similar handicaps are also accommodated. But realizing that there are still many more people outside the company needing help, Lamoiyan took it upon itself to support three schools and 14 centers that provide basic sign language courses to the hearing-impaired. Upon graduation, some students are sent to college as scholars, while others are hired by the company.

“The hearing-impaired number close to 500,000 in the Philippines. Only 40,000 of them get schooling,” revealed Dr. Cecilio K. Pedro, Lamoiyan Corporation president, in a short speech delivered during the Leadership Conference Series 2 presented recently by De La Salle University, PLDT-Smart Foundation, and Smart Infinity at Sofitel Philippine Plaza. (The main speaker during the said conference was former British prime minister Tony Blair.)

“More and more companies in the world espouse CSR. In our company, it’s a way of life, not just a marketing ploy,” adds Dr. Pedro. In the company, Dr. Pedro says about 3 to 5 percent of the marketing budget is used to reach out to the hearing-impaired. “It is the responsibility of every Filipino company who can afford, to help.”

And why should Filipino companies extend help to those who need it? “There is hope in this country. For this country to progress, we have to work together. It has to start with you and me. Let us stop blaming the government,” Dr. Pedro explains. “If there is anyone to blame, it is us. If good people are willing to stand up for what is right and do what is right, the Philippines will be a great country.”