PLDT, Smart support integrating children’s rights into green reporting

TELECOMMUNICATIONS company PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have joined the call to integrate children’s rights into sustainability reporting and business practices of publicly listed companies (PLCs).

The companies support the study conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and UNICEF Philippines (UNICEF).

On their joint study covering sustainability reports of 86 Philippine PLCs in 2023, it found that children’s rights are rarely explicitly addressed in corporate sustainability reports.

It also showed that firms commonly address child labor, but they often overlook broader areas concerning children, such as those aligned with “participation, protection, responsible marketing, and environmental impacts.”

SEC Commissioner Rogelio V. Quevedo said that PLCs in the country are “in a unique position to drive transformation by integrating children’s rights into their corporate sustainability strategies.”

“This helps eliminate exploitative practices, promote friendly policies, and foster an environment where children can thrive,” he said.

PLDT and Smart joined fellow private sector representatives from Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and Sta. Lucia Realty and Development in discussing why children matter to their businesses and how they have been incorporating children’s rights into their sustainability strategies and reporting frameworks.

“As we aim to make meaningful connections through generations, we want today’s children to understand that the PLDT Group’s child protection initiatives and, in fact our focus on sustainability, is our way of showing that we care about them and their future,” said PLDT and Smart Chief Sustainability Officer Melissa Vergel de Dios. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera