Day: November 5, 2014

Photo shows LANDBANK Agricultural and Development Lending Sector Head EVP Cecilia Borromeo (4th from left) accepting the Philippine Best Practices award from DAP Senior Vice President for Support Operations Bernardo Dizon (5th from left) during the 26th National Quality Forum held in Makati City.  With them are (L-R):  LANDBANK Environmental Program and Management Department Head Prudencio Callado III, LANDBANK Strategic Planning Group Head SVP Liduvino Geron, LANDBANK Lending Program Management Group Head FVP  Leila Martin, PSQ Board of Trustee/Professional Development & Training Lead Noly Cayabyab, and President of PSQ Board of Trustees Angelica Fraginal.

LANDBANK’s environmental due diligence (EDD) on its financed projects is the Philippines’ official entry to the 3rd International Best Practices Competition (public sector category) of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce in November 2014 . This is the first time that the Philippines will be sending entries to this prestigious competition participated in by several other institutions from different countries.

The International Best Practices Competition is organized by the Global Benchmarking Network, a global network of organizations and experts focused on promoting and facilitating the use of benchmarking.

LANDBANK’s entry won in the 1st Philippine Best Practice and Benchmarking Competition (for private and public sectors) held last October 24 at Shangri-La Hotel, Makati City. The competition was spearheaded by the Philippine Society for Quality, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Development Academy of the Philippines.

LANDBANK’s EDD System is a comprehensive process of evaluating compliance of Bank-financed projects to Philippine environmental laws and regulations. It is imbedded in LANDBANK’s credit delivery starting from loan packaging to loan payment. The EDD System helps LANDBANK clients mitigate risks associated with possible imposition of penalties or closure due to environment-related violations.

It was initially implemented in 1994 as part of the Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework for World Bank-financed projects. Normally, banks implement EDD on a selective basis specifically for projects financed under their special/ Official Development Assistance (ODA) program. But for LANDBANK, it covers 100 percent of all its financed projects regardless of cost. All of LANDBANK’s 35 Provincial Lending Centers nationwide and 6 Head Office-based Lending Units implement EDD, with technical support for environmental assessment of projects through the Bank’s Environmental Program and Management Department.

Under LANDBANK’s EDD, an Environmental Report for each project is prepared which contains the following: evaluation of impact and recommendation of mitigating activities to reduce impact of their operations to the environment, determination of the environmental risk rating of each project, evaluation of continuing compliance with environmental laws and regulations, and determination of the environmental benefits such as eligibility of projects for inclusion under the Clean Development Mechanism.

From 2004 to 2013, LANDBANK has evaluated a total of 3,360 projects nationwide. To date, there are no reports on LANDBANK-financed project closure due to violations on environmental requirements.

Photo shows LANDBANK Agricultural and Development Lending Sector Head EVP Cecilia Borromeo (4th from left) accepting the Philippine Best Practices award from DAP Senior Vice President for Support Operations Bernardo Dizon (5th from left) during the 26th National Quality Forum held in Makati City.  With them are (L-R):  LANDBANK Environmental Program and Management Department Head Prudencio Callado III, LANDBANK Strategic Planning Group Head SVP Liduvino Geron, LANDBANK Lending Program Management Group Head FVP  Leila Martin, PSQ Board of Trustee/Professional Development & Training Lead Noly Cayabyab, and President of PSQ Board of Trustees Angelica Fraginal.

LANDBANK’s environmental due diligence (EDD) on its financed projects is the Philippines’ official entry to the 3rd International Best Practices Competition (public sector category) of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce in November 2014 . This is the first time that the Philippines will be sending entries to this prestigious competition participated in by several other institutions from different countries.

The International Best Practices Competition is organized by the Global Benchmarking Network, a global network of organizations and experts focused on promoting and facilitating the use of benchmarking.

LANDBANK’s entry won in the 1st Philippine Best Practice and Benchmarking Competition (for private and public sectors) held last October 24 at Shangri-La Hotel, Makati City. The competition was spearheaded by the Philippine Society for Quality, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Development Academy of the Philippines.

LANDBANK’s EDD System is a comprehensive process of evaluating compliance of Bank-financed projects to Philippine environmental laws and regulations. It is imbedded in LANDBANK’s credit delivery starting from loan packaging to loan payment. The EDD System helps LANDBANK clients mitigate risks associated with possible imposition of penalties or closure due to environment-related violations.

It was initially implemented in 1994 as part of the Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework for World Bank-financed projects. Normally, banks implement EDD on a selective basis specifically for projects financed under their special/ Official Development Assistance (ODA) program. But for LANDBANK, it covers 100 percent of all its financed projects regardless of cost. All of LANDBANK’s 35 Provincial Lending Centers nationwide and 6 Head Office-based Lending Units implement EDD, with technical support for environmental assessment of projects through the Bank’s Environmental Program and Management Department.

Under LANDBANK’s EDD, an Environmental Report for each project is prepared which contains the following: evaluation of impact and recommendation of mitigating activities to reduce impact of their operations to the environment, determination of the environmental risk rating of each project, evaluation of continuing compliance with environmental laws and regulations, and determination of the environmental benefits such as eligibility of projects for inclusion under the Clean Development Mechanism.

From 2004 to 2013, LANDBANK has evaluated a total of 3,360 projects nationwide. To date, there are no reports on LANDBANK-financed project closure due to violations on environmental requirements.