Global Child Forum (GCF) has been recognized for its efforts in protecting children’s rights and for its responsible business practices. The GCF, in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group, evaluated over 1,100 companies across various sectors and regions to assess their efforts in integrating children’s rights into their operations.
Scoring 8.9 out of 10 overall, PLDT surpassed the technology and telecom sector average by four points and emerged as the highest-rated Philippine company assessed by the GCF. Across governance, workplace, marketplace, and community and environment categories, PLDT excelled, achieving perfect scores in 21 out of 25 indicators.
“We are proud of this recognition by the Global Child Forum that underscores our longstanding commitment to creating a safe and sustainable environment for important members of society — our children,” said Alfredo Panlilio, president and CEO of PLDT and Smart.
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Initiated by H.M. the King and H.M. the Queen of Sweden in 2009, the Global Child Forum brings together thought leaders and influencers from academe, business, civil society, and government in order to spur action for social change around children’s rights.
Partnerships
This recognition marks a significant advancement from PLDT’s previous ratings, showcasing its evolution from an Improver and Achiever to a benchmark Leader. The company’s commitment shows in its perfect scores for workplace indicators, ensuring a safe and family-friendly environment for its employees and partners. High scores across governance, marketplace, and community and environment underscore PLDT’s dedication to children’s rights integration.
Since 2018, PLDT and Smart have partnered with Unicef, adopting the Children’s Rights and Business Principles (CRBP) framework. It has integrated CRBP into various aspects of its operations, piloting tools like the Mobile Operators Child Rights Impact Self-Assessment (MO-CRIA) in 2021 to better understand the impact on children’s rights and further enhance their practices.
PLDT also forged partnerships with various entities and provided resources and training to ensure child protection remains a core focus of their sustainability roadmap.