MRSGI Plans to Improve Communities with CSR Programs

The Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. (MRSGI) plans on creating more face-to-face outreach programs for the community partners as mobility restrictions gradually ease up in the country.

The company believes that complementing its social responsibility initiatives with warmer connections, such as those that have been successfully established during physical or onsite interactions, can lead to greater success of its programs.

“The digital avenues are wonderful for having allowed us to continue pursuing our CSR programs and introduce innovative ways of connecting with our stakeholders,” said Anna Marie Periquet, MRSGI Vice President for Corporate Affairs. “Now that physical activities are returning to more normal levels, we will take this opportunity to re-establish in-person connections at the heart of our endeavors.”

For over three decades, MRSGI’s initiatives have served not only to improve the lives of Filipinos but also as vehicles for its customers to contribute to their positive impact on the communities. These programs are being implemented through partnerships with various entities, providing scholarship and livelihood opportunities, as well as retail access, to marginalized sectors, small-scale farmers, and SMEs.

By working with eco-farming communities, MRSGI helps with these organizations’ goals of promoting sustainable agricultural practices, raising farmers’ productivity and income, and bringing a greater variety of healthy, sustainably produced products to the market. These communities include GreenEarth Heritage Foundation, which supports the educational scholarships of farmers’ children in Sierra Madre, Bulacan; and Kiboa Ridge Farms, which upholds the livelihood of small-scale farmers in Bukidnon.

MRSGI features products such as GreenEarth’s Moringa Tea, Moringa Powder and other produce plus Kiboa’s adlai rice on the shelves of its Metro Supermarkets, with part of the proceeds going back to their communities.

MRSGI will continue featuring these products and those of other small entrepreneurs as it will extend anew its Bayanihan Metro selling program, which was launched last year in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to help boost market awareness for their partner vendors and suppliers.

Education, a sphere that MRSGI’s founders Victor and Sally Gaisano prioritized, is also a key component of its social responsibilities. In addition to the scholarships being provided by the company’s development arm Vicsal Foundation, MRSGI continues to work with non-profit organizations Caritas Margins and World Vision, through the placement of Segunda Mana donation boxes and coin canisters, respectively, to support their education programs for poor yet deserving children.

Being in the retail industry, promoting a safe and healthy environment is also of utmost priority for MRSGI, which amplified its commitment during the pandemic by expanding its health programs. It partnered with the Department of Health for its Bida Solusyon campaign promoting individuals’ role in the fight against COVID-19, and launched its Daghang Salamat social media campaign series to pay tribute to the dedication and resilience of its service personnel and social entrepreneurs at the height of the lockdowns.

Moving forward, MRSGI will continue to connect with the DTI, the DOH, and other partner organizations, and make new alliances with other entities to enrich its livelihood, education, and health-related projects.

“We believe that support from a major retailer like Metro can bring attention to the noble causes of our partners, and open up more avenues of participation for our customers,” said Periquet.

To know more about Metro Retails’ CSR projects, you may visit their website at https://www.metroretail.com.ph/index.php/csr