Ballon urges inclusive development in CSR summit

On the second day of the 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conference and Expo, held Tuesday, 2 July, in Makati City, Ramon Magsaysay awardee and community leader Roberto “Ka Dodoy” Ballon, Jr. called on the business sector to build deeper, more inclusive partnerships with the country’s farming and fishing communities.

The annual conference, spearheaded by the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF), serves as the main event for National CSR Week. This year’s theme – “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity for Shared Prosperity” – underscored the need to uplift marginalized sectors through meaningful, collaborative action.

Ballon, a fisherman from Zamboanga Sibugay, emphasized that real development must include those often excluded from national conversations. 

“These communities are often invisible in policy decisions, overlooked in development plans, and underrepresented at decision-making tables,” he said.

Speaking before corporate executives and civil society leaders, Ballon recounted how his own community had benefited from sustained support from both government and civil society groups. But he warned that similar support remains out of reach for many rural areas across the Philippines. 

“There is still so much to be done,” he said, adding that fishing and farming communities “live with the consequences of environmental collapse every single day.”

He urged companies to go beyond one-off donations and take a holistic approach to sustainability. At the core of his address was a framework he called the “Three Es” – Environment, Enterprise, and Empowerment – which calls for restoring natural ecosystems, building community-based enterprises, and developing local leadership.

“Protecting nature is not just an act of charity. It is a matter of survival,” Ballon stressed, adding that social inclusion and ecological protection must go hand in hand.

His message aligned with LCF’s flagship initiative, LIFE (LCF’s Initiative for Food Security, Nutrition, and Empowerment). Now in full implementation, the LIFE program continues to address hunger, malnutrition, and poverty through agriculture-based solutions and inclusive community development. 

In closing, Ballon shared a second framework – the “Three Ts”: Time, Talent, and Treasure. He challenged the corporate community to invest not only resources but also expertise and presence in underserved communities. 

“It is not enough to donate or sponsor an event,” he said. 

“Invest not just with money – but with heart.”

As the conference enters its final day, LCF expressed optimism that the momentum generated would lead to concrete, long-term engagement with the sectors that need it most.