PEOPLE  ASIA:  GINA  LOPEZ,  A  'CSR'  STATE  OF  MIND

MANILA, NOVEMBER 2, 2009 (STAR) PEOPLE  ASIA - By Kap Maceda Aguila - To whom much is given, much is expected. You can even do a Spiderman and say that with great power comes great responsibility.

Undoubtedly, Gina Lopez has become the heart of ABS-CBN, nay, the Lopez conglomerate. Equally comfortable in a boardroom and in the frontlines,

Gina is a perfect fit for the responsibility.

The concept and practice of corporate social responsibility or CSR — simply defined in Wikipedia as a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model — is a term much bandied about in business. It calls upon companies to meet their role in uplifting the quality of life in the communities where they operate.

In practical terms, the triple bottom line has taken precedence over more traditional indices of operational performance. Where it previously had been exclusively about the green stuff, the new trend and thinking has expanded the spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational success. Economic, ecological, and social impact are now all taken into consideration; people and planet now take precedence over profit. The onus has been effectively put on management to draw up and enforce fair labor practices and sustainable environmental policies – even as they reap economic benefit with a more lasting impact to the organization.

But talk, like policy, is cheap. They’ve never been known to help anyone save, perhaps, for the unscrupulous odd firm that treats CSR as nothing more than a page on its annual report. the notion of “responsibility” as nothing more than giving a one-time cash donation – complete with a complement of press people for maximum publicity points.

On the other hand, there are companies that have genuine desire to help others, with policies and practices continually evolving towards the attainment of true CSR. One such company is television giant ABS-CBN, trying to give back to society thanks in large part to Gina Lopez, head of the ABS-CBN Foundation.

For Gina, CSR (or its new evolution Sustained Social Responsibility or SSR) is not an abstract. Philanthropy is not work, it’s a state of mind, and she very well knows the immense opportunity that ABS-CBN opens. “Media are very powerful,” she said. “When they give me, say, 30 seconds of airtime, those 30 seconds are very effective in getting the message through.”

[PHOTO AT LEFT COURTESY IF ABS-CBN CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS: MS. GINA LOPEZ].
 

At first meeting, Regina “Gina” Lopez will impress you as someone who knows what she wants and, more importantly, how to get it. She is a woman who doesn’t waste time. For the People Asia shoot, she brought a handful of magazines and sheaves of paper, which she went through while being made up. When that was done, she wanted the interview to commence right away as her hair was being styled and finishing touches were applied on her face. Taking it a step further, she’s probably one who’s does not suffer fools gladly. “I’m impatient,” she declared, albeit with a smile.

But Gina is working on it through meditation techniques and yoga – something that she looks at as a way to improve not just her health, but her general sense of wellbeing.

Patience certainly comes handy in her work. As managing director of the Foundation, she is frequently thrust into positions and situations that test exactly that. But her abiding love for the work she does is apparent. She can talk about any aspect of the Foundation’s work with such vim and vigor. She can recite figures and facts from memory, and her eyes light up with the enthusiasm of a child.

And she knows how to take full advantage of the universality of the medium, and has conceived and implemented programs to this end. E-media shows, Bantay Bata 163, Bantay Kalikasan, and Bantay Foundation are just some of the trailblazing projects that have helped further an array of causes. “Education, nutrition, environment, money – these are simple, important things that make life complete,” she said when the ABS-CBN Foundation was launched in the United States. “The (economic) numbers alone don’t translate the nation’s progress.”

Whereas other companies have people high on the totem pole but low on CSR EQ, Gina is savvy and engaged. She is genuinely excited about the Pasig River cleanup campaign, which she spearheads in cooperation with local and national agencies, along with private companies who all have a stake in the rejuvenation of our storied yet much abused waterway. “We need to relocate the people who live along the riverbanks,” she insisted. And they have indeed begun to do just that. “In fact, people are lining up and are excited to be relocated.” She sees completion of the project this year.

This kind of “walk the talk” ethos has made Gina someone a much admired doer of good – a role model for aspiring CSR practitioners.

Consider that today she could just as easily be taking endless trips abroad living a life of leisure as a privileged beneficiary of her family’s many businesses. Fortunately for us, Gina gets her high doing meaningful, helpful work. She truly has found her place in the world right here, “I am in a privileged position to help them,” she shared in a past People Asia interview.

It wasn’t always so. She admits to being lost. For about two decades, she joined what she now considers a religious cult – much to the disappointment and worry of her parents. Still, this experience enabled her to live a life less than privileged – working with and for poor people in Africa and India.

Now, it seems she is making up for lost time. Just as her late father, Eugenio Lopez Jr., was a man of deed, Gina has learned the art of making things happen. It’s easy to see how people gravitate to Lopez – and follow her lead.

Recently, Gina and her brother Gabby Lopez (for ABS-CBN) were honored by the City of Manila – adding to a growing list of recognitions. The ABS-CBN chair and CEO was named Outstanding Manilan for Telecommunications and Broadcast for the “dynamic leadership of ABS-CBN.”

Gina, on the other hand, was cited for her Pasig River cleanup campaign “Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig” and her initiatives for waste management and environment conservation. Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim conferred the twin honor to the Lopezes. Gina was also lauded for “her sincere love and concern for the underprivileged Filipino youth.”

Asked if she would eventually like to venture into politics, Gina replied: “Why should I when I am already able to help so many people where I am right now?”

Politics, she added, can actually become a hindrance for good deeds. At the end of the day, government can do nothing without cooperation and the support of the private sector. And certainly, Gina is a shining beacon in that area. “If every individual commits to work for public service… whatever happens, we’ll still make a difference in this country,” she said.

So, public office or not, CSR or whatever, the ABS-CBN Foundation managing director will continue to see how she can be of service to those most in need.