A History of Sharing
 

Creating the Framework (1979-1987) In a sense , the story of Metrobank Foundation is intertwined with the story of the Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company. When, at the young age of twenty-nine, George S.K. Ty founded Metrobank in 1962, he already had a vision of becoming a leader in the financial world. At the same time, Chairman Ty was, even then, steadfastly committed to the idea that leadership in business implied leadership in community service as well. For Mr. Ty, it was very clear that every private corporation had social responsibilities and the more successful the corporation, the greater were its responsibilities to the community. As the embodiment of this resolve to share the fruits of Metrobank's success with society, the Metrobank Foundation came into being on January 8, 1979. From its inception, the Foundation strove to assess the needs of its target sectors and evolve the most efficient ways to improve social conditions.

As the bank grew so did the Foundation. Seeing that the health sector was a strategic area where judiciously conceived contributions could make a big difference in people's lives, it was decided to obtain a controlling interest in the Manila Doctors Hospital in Ermita, Manila. With its involvement in the Hospital, Metrobank Foundation hoped to develop a medical institution which would provide an impeccable model of health care in the country. The Foundation embarked on a long term improvement program which saw the expansion and enhancement of hospital facilities. Eventually, the Foundation set up programs to support the charity wards of the hospital and its outreach missions, and to provide scholarships for students in the Manila Doctors' College, the educational arm of the Manila Doctors' Hospital.

Another original project which defined the Foundation's working parameters was the Young Painters' Annual, then known as the National Painting Competition. The year of the competition's inception, 1984, was a time of economic crisis for the country. It was felt that a painting contest could help improve the climate by providing a venue for artistic simulation. Likewise, the arts helped foster creativity, an important attribute to encourage in any program to enhance a society's global competitiveness. Among the first batch of winners was Roberto Feleo, who has since made a name for himself, winning other national and international awards in arts. Just a year after its inception, the Competition bagged the prestigious Anvil Award in 1985 as "Outstanding Special Events Program."

Still another pillar of the Foundation's program which was defined in this period is the concern for the well-being of teachers. Teachers have always been highly regarded in Chinese society. Imbued with this perspective, Chairman Ty was disheartened to note that many of the country's mentors were marching on the streets asking for better work conditions. He then conceived of an awards program which would honor educators and act as incentive to the teaching profession. Thus was born the Search for Outstanding Teachers in 1985. The first batch of winners consisted of ten awardees.

The success of the Search led the Foundation to create, in 1986, another awards program focused on a special education sector: Chinese teachers. This was in recognition of Metrobank's roots in the Chinese Filipino Community and of the important contributions of Chinese Filipinos to nation-building. Meanwhile, the Search for Outstanding Teachers was likewise awarded an Anvil Award as an "Outstanding Institutional PR Program."

Filling In the Spaces (1988-1993) In the next phase of the Foundation's history, efforts were made to consolidate and enrich existing programs as a way to address gaps in program delivery. Starting in 1988, for example, the Foundation began collecting the top winning entries of the Painting Competition since it was realized that this was one way of safeguarding the works and documenting the artistic production of the period. Collection pieces were thoroughly documented, conserved and stored. In 1993, it was decided to add a preliminary board of judges to create a two-step selection process that would ascertain that entries were thoroughly reviewed, especially with regard to originality. A public viewing of paintings chosen after the first screening was instituted to elicit more comments and generate greater interest.

With regards to the Search for Outstanding Teachers, the number of awards was increased to twelve in 1989 as slots were added to the elementary category to reflect that majority of the country's teachers teach at this level. Eventually, slots were apportioned among the four major geographical divisions-National Capital Region, Rest of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao-to ensure better regional distribution of awards. Beginning in 1992, semi-finalists were asked to come to Manila for personal interviews. This gave the preliminary board a chance to review their initial assessment of candidates as based on submitted documents. Candidates were thus able to demonstrate actual classroom skills before a panel of professional educators.

Also beginning in 1992, the Search information campaign was mobilized with fora being conducted in places such as Cotabato City, Iloilo, and Cabagan, Isabela. Foundation officials began to participate more in education sector affairs-visiting schools, attending educators conventions as well as meetings of the Regional Directors of the Department of Education. A second Assistant Corporate Secretary was hired to attend to the day-to-day administration of the Foundation's growing projects.

This period saw the Foundation mobilizing its resources to help Filipinos affected by the many calamities that hit the country. It was one of the first organizations to donate a million pesos to the victims of the earthquake of 1990.

At the Manila Doctors Hospital, the high point of the improvement program was the construction of the Norberto Ty Medical Tower, an eleven-storey building named after Chairman George S. K. Ty's late father. The new facility was officially inaugurated by then President Corazon C. Aquino in August 1991.

Breaking New Ground (1993-1995) October 17, 1993 was a milestone for the Foundation. During the wedding reception of his son Arthur, Chairman George S. K. Ty announced that he was donating a million of his personal shares of stocks of the Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company to the Metrobank Foundation. This was his way of sharing with the community the fruits of the Metrobank Group of Companies' remarkable success. Then equivalent to about 600 million pesos, the Foundation's holdings steadily increased in value to more than a billion pesos, one of the largest endowments in the Philippines.

Mrs. Corazon Aquino would say of Chairman Ty's "gift of social development" that "the beautiful example of openness, international solidarity, and outstanding philanthropy...needs to be emulated by more people who have been blessed in life." Mrs. Aquino graciously accepted the invitation to chair the newly-created Board of Advisers which would guide the Foundation as it ventures into other areas in the light of its renewed mandate.

The tremendous increase in resources resulted in an expression in an expansion of the Foundation's activities. Among the new projects were the grants program for selected key sectors of society which were seen as critical players in national development: the media, the military, and the uniformed personnel of the Department of Interior and Local Government. Like wise, programs for the enhancement of English language instruction were instituted because of the importance of English in international business. Awards were given to the topnotchers of the Licensure Examination for Teachers. More funds were also allocated for projects addressed to the Chinese Filipino community by way of acknowledging the bank's gratitude for that sector's generous support. Finally the bid to show that Filipinos could be relied on the help their neighbors was launched with the sponsoring of several projects aimed at fostering international understanding such as the scholarship program for foreign nationals studying at the Asian Institute of Management.

Recognizing the critical role of the sciences in any push for industrialization, the Foundation initiated one of its largest assistance projects: the stipend program for the teachers of English, Science, and Math in the Regional Science High School system which had just been organized by DECS. This project which was originally proposed by Mrs. Aquino, was provided funding support of PhP 10 million over the next four years.

A national college scholarship program was established with an initial batch of 100 scholars. Foundation officers were fielded to personally interview applicants.

Concretizing gains (1996 to present) In the present phase of operations, the Foundation has come to realize that it must continuously link-up with more like-minded partners to maximize resources and to ensure that the gains of the past are sustained. With the arrival of a new Executive Director and the increase in staff, the Foundation embarked on a program of multi-sectoral consultations and networking activities. For the first time, workshops were undertaken with Search and Young Painters' Annual winners to assess the way in which these competitions were conducted. A forum of educators was convened to further review the Search criteria. Likewise, discussions were held with arts groups all over the country. Discussions were also held with a cross-section of development partners and beneficiaries to determine areas of cooperation and program improvement.

Foundation officials used every opportunity to interact with affiliated institutions. Regional Science High Schools, project sites, and schools participating in the scholarship program were visited, their officials interviewed. Other types of linkages were enhanced. The Foundation participated in the activities of the Presidential Committee to Assist the National Museum, the Sulong Pampanga Foundation where Mr. Ty is Vice Chairman, the Philippine Sports Commission and in the projects of the First Lady Amelita Ramos: "Piso Para sa Pasig" of the Clean and Green Foundation. The Foundation's Executive Director was elected head of the League of Corporate Foundations' largest subgroup, the Committee on Education. Under the Metrobank Foundation's leadership, the committee produced a landmark study on the educational component of corporate philanthropy.

Overall, improvements in its communications, networking, documentation, planning, and monitoring capabilities indicate Metrobank Foundation's resolve to promote a culture of excellence by striving for excellence in program delivery.

Paving the Way for the Future As the Metropolitan Bank and Trust company continues to blaze new trails in the banking industry, the Metrobank Foundation will endeavor to match such pioneering efforts. It shall institutionalize its professed mission of hewing closely to its core values as an organization. It shall deepen its existing programs by constant monitoring and impact assessment. It shall broaden the networks and partnerships. Of particular priority is the establishment of strategic alliances with other companies and subsidiaries of the Metrobank Group.

Even as Metrobank expands its global presence, the Foundation will likewise begin to forge links with other corporate foundations in the Asia-Pacific region for sharing of best practices. In carrying out these objectives, prudent management of financial resources, relevant skills upgrading, and use of appropriate levels of information technology will be the main areas of management focus.

Through the Foundation, the Metrobank Group shall, in the years to come, be able to express its commitment to leading the way in the promotion of a holistic human development grounded in a culture of excellence.