Trusted multinational consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) Philippines recently expanded its baby care export to Asia’s biggest players, Korea and Vietnam, as follow-through on the company’s Php 864 million investment in the Philippines.

“As our country moves on to economic recovery with the new leadership and administration, P&G is supporting this with our investments that promote superior manufacturing of products for export, job upskilling, and economic growth,” says P&G Philippines President and General Manager Raffy Fajardo. The new Pampers export line will produce premium quality Pampers Pull Up Diaper Pants for export to Korea and Vietnam.

For DTI Secretary Fred Pascual, the manufacturing line can also be used as a stepping stone to further globalize the Philippine export industry citing the recently formalized participation of the Philippines in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

“As a Philippine-based manufacturer, P&G Philippines can leverage RCEP to enhance its access to the Asia-Pacific regional market, as well as its linkages to the global value chain. RCEP will make some production inputs more accessible, our exports more competitive, and manufacturing in the country less expensive. But as it stands, the new line will link the Philippines to the global value chain for manufacturing and distributing diapers across Asia,” says Pascual.

To date, P&G Philippines is exporting its superior hygiene, feminine care, baby care, and laundry detergents to nine countries in the Asia-Pacific region, with South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand on the roster.

The main machinery and equipment used for the new Pampers line is among the most advanced Pampers pants line in P&G across the globe. With this, P&G and DTI are anticipating not only creation of direct and indirect jobs but also the upskilling and re-skilling of workers with the technological skills and know-how required to work on the line.

DTI also mentioned that the new Pampers line supports their mission to facilitate a healthy business environment that enables trade and businesses to thrive.

“P&G Philippines’ investment is a testament to our country’s strong macroeconomic fundamentals and shows that our structural reforms are well-crafted and working toward facilitating investments. These pandemic shock absorbers (so to speak) caused the Philippine economy last year, 2022, to grow at the high rate of 7.6% GDP, the highest rate in over four decades,” says Pascual.

For over 87 years, and most especially during times of need, P&G has always been a Force for Growth and a Force for Good in the Philippines – serving the country through its superior trusted products that promote health and hygiene, and investments that help boost the economy and create jobs. In this new era of economic growth, P&G again demonstrated its commitment to be a nation-building partner that the country can count on.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) Philippines, whose portfolio has been trusted for its superior health care, home care, beauty, grooming and hygiene products, partners with Manila Water Foundation (MWF) to promote proper handwashing with soap to students with the turnover of SafeWash handwashing facilities to 285 schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Rizal.

These include 10-faucet foot-pedal-operated hygiene facilities and the distribution of hygiene supplies to enable the safe return of more than 770,000 students, teachers, and staff to in-person classes in NCR and Rizal. All facilities have been turned over to beneficiaries, just in time for the return of face-to-face classes on November 2, 2022.

“Ito pong pagtatayo ng handwashing facility na programa ng Procter & Gamble Philippines at Manila Water Foundation ay patunay na sa lahat ng pagkakataon ang local government at national agencies, lahat ng stakeholders ay nagbibigay ng paglalaan ng panahon at konsiderasyon kung pano mapapaigting at mapapabuti pa ang ating edukasyon,” shares Mr. Wilfredo E. Cabral, Regional Director of Department of Education (DepEd) NCR.

As face-to-face classes resume, the need to enable the health and safety of pupils and teachers becomes more crucial. Aside from constructing handwashing facilities and provision of hygiene products, P&G also provided info-education materials and conducted hygiene education sessions to ensure deeper stewardship of the donated facilities and raise awareness of the importance of handwashing with soap and clean water to prevent COVID-19 and other communicable diseases.

“Even once we successfully contain COVID-19, we hope that handwashing becomes a habit, one that the students will take on to their adult life. We must remember that aside from COVID-19, handwashing is also critical to prevent the spread of other diseases, such as the common cough and colds, diarrheal diseases, and parasitic diseases,” shares Dr. Crystle Cotingting, the Medical Officer III of the Health Promotion Bureau of the Department of Health (DOH).

#SafeWASH in Schools

(Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano during one of SafeWash’s turnover in Taguig City)

The #SafeWASH in Schools is a collaborative project between P&G through its flagship brand Safeguard and MWF. It aims to promote proper hygiene and sanitation practices among school children, teachers and staff through effective Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects.

The project supports the WASH in Schools (WinS) program of DepEd and the BIDA Kid campaign of DOH. The program further strengthens health and safety protocols in schools for the ongoing expansion of in-person classes.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) Philippines continues to sustain hygiene promotion and access as public schools resume face-to-face classes this August. P&G recently donated back-to-school COVID-19 hygiene kits to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for distribution to over 389, 921 students nationwide.

The donation marks another milestone in P&G and USAID’s efforts to support underserved communities and protect them from the ongoing risk of COVID-19. Included in the packages are P&G manufactured medical-grade face masks, and hygiene kits containing Safeguard body wash, soap, and hand sanitizers.

“We are one with the country in promoting safe and healthy communities and we support educational institutions as they resume face-to-face classes this year,” says Anna Legarda, Communications Director of P&G Philippines. “P&G’s partnership with USAID enables us to bring our brands’ superior health and hygiene benefits to more communities and be a force for good in the country,” she adds.

Reports from early this year stated that the pandemic magnified long-standing health system ills, raising the importance of safeguarding the public through proper hygiene and infection prevention and control to mitigate the risk of disease transmission.

“Supporting the safe re-opening of schools remains to be a crucial undertaking in promoting quality education and bouncing back from the country's learning crisis. We thank P&G for its unwavering support in confronting and coping with national pandemic disruptions and in the pursuit of better health and education for all, especially the most vulnerable," says Dr. Laurentiu Stan, Chief of Party of USAID's ReachHealth Project.

The initiative is in collaboration with USAID’s ReachHealth project, a five-year activity that aims to improve access to critical health services for Filipino families through technical assistance in family planning and COVID-19 response. Implemented by Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International, USAID ReachHealth has worked with government agencies such as the Department of Health, and private companies like P&G.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) Philippines, the leading and trusted manufacturer of its health care, home care, beauty, and grooming products, continues to be a force for good with its recently concluded annual local Equality & Inclusion (E&I) Symposium with the theme “wE&I, Together We Care”.

“I really loved this year’s theme. Because for Equality & Inclusion to truly flourish, they must come from our collective actions. It is from what we do, how we think and act. I hope this inspires us that we all have a role to play in driving Equality & Inclusion in the company. Each one of us has a role to play in learning about, and tackling our unconscious biases, and supporting one another so truly together, we care,” said Evelyn Ng, P&G’s Equality and Inclusion Leader and Vice President and Regional Comptroller for Asia Pacific, Middle East, & Africa.

Speakers included Caloy Ignacio, a P&G leader, and proud single parent. Ignacio, the director of their source plan pay operations department, shared his story of how the company enabled him to succeed as a father. Having to adopt his niece due to his sister’s untimely passing, he expressed how P&G’s industry-leading policies helped him fulfill one of the most important roles in his life.

“Now that my adoption has been finalized, I plan to take my paternity leave by the end of this year and I’m so excited about it. P&G has rolled out a policy called Share the Care which allows for a minimum of 8 weeks of fully paid parental leave even for adoptive parents. This will give me more time to spend with my daughter and fully devote myself to her as her Dad. The past years have been challenging for me, but P&G has been there for me all throughout to help me balance fatherhood and my career,” said Caloy.

P&G's Share The Care policy provides a minimum of 8 weeks of fully paid parental leave and offers all kinds of parents equal opportunity to care for and bond with biological or adopted children new to their family. New fathers, regardless of gender and marital status, are now enabled to share and support caregiving duties beyond the standard 7 days mandated by Philippine law.

Hendra Lim also shared his perspectives on equality and inclusion as the leader of the Gay, Ally, Bisexual, and Lesbian Employees (GABLE) affinity group for the P&G’s Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa region. He is also the company’s Director of Finance for the Sales department and Market Strategy & Planning. To him, it is important to nurture a culture of allyship for LGBTQ+ colleagues.

He realized this more strongly after an experience with his previous manager that influenced and led him to where he is now. In 2015, Hendra was expecting his twin sons via surrogacy. Due to a complication during the last trimester, Hendra had to take an earlier sabbatical to welcome the early arrival of his sons.

“Although I felt guilty for the sudden absence that I had to take, my former manager and mentor assured me that P&G has a policy that will allow me to take an extended leave and focus on my duties as an incoming father to my twins. This entire experience was my inspiration to be more active in GABLE. It is important to educate and equip people in understanding unconventional partnerships and parenting. Hence, why activities such as this E&I forum really serve as an avenue for us to learn more about our community and helps us to continue to become a force for good and a force for growth,” said Lim

P&G's GABLE affinity group is one of the company's globally recognized affinity groups dedicated to creating an inclusive environment in which LGBTQ+ employees feel valued, accepted, and able to perform at their best. P&G's commitment to LGBTQ+ colleagues and consumers is felt and supported both internally and externally - taking a stand for equality and marching as an LGBTQ+ community alongside our P&G allies, supporters, and teammates.

P&G Philippines has always been ahead of the times in terms of progressive policies and benefits to support its diverse workforce. Apart from legal spouses, the company recognizes domestic and same-sex partners as eligible dependents for healthcare, medical plan, life and accident insurance, bereavement leave and assistance, emergency loans, housing loans, international relocation assistance, and other relevant benefits.