Philippines ranks 20th world’s most charitable country

UK-based Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has been producing its World Giving Index for more than a decade. The first CAF World Giving Index was published in the wake of the global financial crisis, and now this long-running study has given us the opportunity to look at how the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath have impacted giving around the world.

The study provides combined insight into the scope and nature of giving around the world and looks at three aspects of giving behavior and asks: Have you done any of the following in the past month?

• Helped a stranger, or someone you didn’t know who needed help?

• Donated money to a charity?

• Volunteered your time to an organization?

The Philippines placed 20th out of 119 countries with an overall score of 47% in the 2022 edition of World Giving Index.

The Philippines ranked highest in volunteering time, placing 6th with a score of 39%. This was followed by helping a stranger (rank 15th) and donating money (79th).

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Source: CAF

Marcos expresses commitment to resolving housing shortage.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, 27 March, reaffirmed that his government is committed to resolving the housing shortage in the country as he instructed the National Housing Authority and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development to take action to address the issue.

The President gave the assurance after leading the ceremonial turnover of more than 1,000 housing units in St. Gregory Homes, Malabon, which is part of the National Housing for Filipino Housing program.

In his speech, the President expressed his commitment to ensuring the success of the government’s human settlements and housing projects.

Marcos also emphasized that addressing the significant housing backlog in the Philippines is essential to him.

“Our priority is to address the heavy housing backlog in the Philippines,” Marcos said.

“For this reason, I challenge myself and my fellow government officials at the DHSUD, NHA, and LGUs to address the housing shortage issue during my tenure,” Marcos added.

The Chief Executive also issued a directive to the NHA, DHSUD, and other government agencies to focus on solving problems in government housing projects.

“I am reiterating my directive to the NHA, DHSUD, and other pertinent government agencies to persistently and meticulously resolve the housing problem,” Marcos said.

He said that the NHA and DHSUD should ensure that no one is left behind or neglected in the continuing progress toward providing decent housing for Filipinos.

The President also encouraged the beneficiaries to continue supporting the government’s programs and projects aimed at helping and improving the quality of life of every Filipino.

“I am confident that we can accomplish this goal if we collaborate, follow the law, and unite as Filipinos,” Marcos said.

Source: Daily Tribune

Avon says lack of confidence hinders Filipinas starting a business

More than half of Filipinas have cited the lack of confidence as an obstacle that prevents them from starting a business, according to a report by global beauty brand Avon.

In a statement on Wednesday, Avon said its Global Progress for Women report showed that 52% of Filipina respondents pointed to the lack of confidence as a barrier to starting a business, while 79% blamed insufficient financial resources for hampering their entrepreneurial goal.

The Avon report, which was conducted by global research company Censuswide, involved more than 7,000 women from the United Kingdom, Italy, Romania, Poland, Philippines, Turkey, and South Africa. The research was done from Jan. 18 to 23 this year.

According to Avon, the research showed that 90% of Filipinas want a higher income but have been hindered by social and cultural norms.

“These statistics are alarming, as a deeper dive into the report reveals that 90% of Filipina women want to earn more money. However, the barriers that keep them from greater economic opportunities spotlight larger Philippine social and cultural issues that need to be addressed,” Avon said.

Citing a 2021 study by the World Bank, Avon said that gender norms in the Philippines have dominated the economic and domestic roles for men and women, adding that men have been typically deemed as breadwinners while women have been seen as homemakers.

“These beliefs are still quite widespread across the country — leaving Filipina women to deal with the social expectation to prioritize their home and family lives over the chance to pursue productive work,” Avon said.

“Although Filipina women have access to more opportunities than before, they are still surrounded by stereotypes and the society’s traditional expectations that challenge them career-wise and financially,” it added.

Among the surveyed countries, the typical challenges faced by women when starting a business include finances (61%), fear of failure (44%), not knowing where to start (36%), lack of knowledge of the market (34%), and lack of confidence (33%).

Meanwhile, the report also revealed that 77% of women in the seven countries surveyed wish to earn more via another income stream or in their current job, while 35% said that men are favored in having access to starting their own business.

In terms of inequalities faced by women at work and from reaching their full financial potential, the Avon report showed that the top obstacle is the lack of flexible working opportunities (48%), followed by earned income (46%), and the ability to start their own business (29%).

Avon Chief Executive Officer Angela Cretu said cultural stereotypes and the lack of flexible working are hampering the opportunities and work choices of women.

Amid the celebration of International Women’s Month this March, Ms. Cretu urged to open the conversation on the barriers preventing women from equal access to work.

“Driving positive change for women has been hard-wired into Avon’s business since the beginning: every time you buy a lipstick you are helping to support a female entrepreneur. Removing the barriers to economic participation that women face is crucial to helping drive progress for women,” Ms. Cretu said.

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Source: Business World and Avon