Earth Island Institute Asia-Pacific

Quezon City, Philippines – November 30, 2023 – With heavy hearts, the Earth Island Institute Philippines (EIIPH) mourns the loss of Mali (Vishwamali), the beloved Asian elephant who graced the Manila Zoo for over four decades. The gentle giant passed away on November 28, 2023, at an estimated age of 43.

Vishwamali (Mali) was a captive elephant. She was taken from her family in Sri Lanka at the age of three and brought to the Manila Zoo in 1977 as a gift to then-First Lady Imelda Marcos. Her life was confined within the boundaries of a small, barren enclosure, a stark contrast to the vast landscapes and rich social connections that define an elephant’s natural existence.

EIIPH, a staunch advocate for animal welfare, firmly believes that wild animals, like Mali, belong in their natural habitats, not as captive spectacles for human amusement. Elephants, the epitome of social cohesion, forge deep bonds within their families and herds. They traverse vast territories in search of sustenance and companionship, their complex communication relying on a symphony of vocalizations and body language. Confining these majestic creatures to sterile enclosures is a cruel deprivation of their innate behaviors and the fulfillment they deserve.

Asian elephants are classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and play a vital role in the ecosystem. They keep ecological balance through eating some species of plants and spreading the seeds of some.They also create trails through grazing and trampling that act as forest fire control lines. Mali could have done a better service to the ecosystem in the wild than in the zoo for so-called “educational purposes”.

The wildlife trade, fueled by the demand for exotic animals, continues to threaten the existence of elephants in the wild. Zoos, despite their claims of conservation, contribute to this exploitation by acquiring animals through various means, including direct capture, captive breeding, and inter-zoo exchanges.

EIIPH, with a deep sense of compassion, calls upon the Manila Zoo to cease its operations and release its remaining animals to sanctuaries where they can experience true freedom and dignity. We also implore the public to refrain from patronizing zoos and instead support organizations dedicated to protecting wildlife in their natural sanctuaries.

“We are in grief when we heard of the untimely death of “Mali”. Her life and all other animals in captivity just like dolphins are analogous – they lead sad, wasted lives for shallow human entertainment.” said Ms. Trixie Concepcion, Regional Director of Earth Island Institute Asia-Pacific

Mali’s passing serves as a poignant reminder of the detrimental impact of captive wildlife exhibits. Her story should resonate with the public, urging them to embrace a more humane and compassionate approach to wild animals. Let us honor Mali’s memory by advocating for a world where wild animals are cherished and protected in their rightful domains.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the leading mobility infrastructure and solutions provider in the Philippines, is one with UNICEF Philippines in its unwavering commitment to champion the rights and well-being of children on World Children’s Day 2023, last November 20.

To celebrate World Children’s Day, several prominent structures under MPTC in north, south Luzon, and the Visayas— NLEX Corporation’s headquarters in Balintawak, Caloocan; motorists rest stop NLEX Drive and Dine in Valenzuela; MPT South’s LEED Gold Certified green headquarters South Hub in Imus, Cavite and the iconic Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway in Cebu—were lit in blue to symbolize hope and a promise of safer roads and sustainable business practices that benefit children.

“MPTC and our group of companies have road safety at the core of our construction, maintenance, and operations. We are on a mission to contribute to the country’s economic and social growth to provide a better life to our customers, communities, employees, and of course, their children. This partnership with UNICEF allows us to further live up to our life-long commitment to road safety,” said MPTC President and CEO Rogelio Singson.

“Every child has the right to a safe and healthy environment where they can play, walk, and move, without harm. We hope to further our joint effort and collective action to ensure that more children have access to their basic rights, including having a role and voice for a more sustainable world,” said UNICEF Fundraising Chief Cristina Bertolino.

In a study by UNICEF, on average, more than 600 children and adolescents become casualties of unsafe roads every day — that’s one casualty every two minutes. This fuels the organization to strengthen its ties with different sectors to make efforts that will benefit the next generation.

MPTC and its business units have been at the forefront of integrating child safety into road safety campaigns, as well as “green highways”. Solar-powered toll plazas and rainwater catchment systems also promote energy efficiency and set the gold standard for sustainable expressway operations.

NLEX and Paramount Consumer Products had the ‘Nickelodeon Safety First with PAW Patrol’ campaign showcasing messages of safety for children. A full awareness campaign for motorists of NLEX and SCTEX was launched on NLEX’s extensive road network.

MPT South, which operates and manages CAVITEX and CALAX, has its Bayani ng Kalsada (BayaniKa) program that teaches kids about road signs and familiarizes them with road safety, in and out of expressways. The program has benefitted over 800 school children from host communities since 2022.

Aside from MPTC’s existing road safety efforts for children, it entered into a multi-year agreement with UNICEF to share resources and committed to building sustainable models for safe school zones and child road traffic injury to support 100 schools in high-risk areas that will benefit over 20,000 children. This partnership project on child road safety has been recognized by the Department of Health with a prestigious Healthy Pilipinas Gold Award for advancing health promotion strategies to help shape a healthier future for Filipino children.

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) climbed 131 spots up to number 43 on the annual World’s Best Employers list by Forbes Magazine and research firm Statista, emerging as the runaway leader among the few Filipino firms that made it to the global ranking.

SMC, led by President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang, climbed to 43rd place this year from 174 in last year’s ranking, to become the only Philippine firm to make it to the top 50 of the world’s best.

Other Philippine companies that made it to the elite roster are Security Bank (54th), Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company or Metrobank (162nd), Ayala Corporation (186th), Alliance Global (283rd), Landbank (304th), LT Group (361st), and SM Investments (420th).

According to Forbes.com, rankings were determined through a survey conducted by market research firm Statista, which covered more than 170,000 employees who work for various multinational companies and institutions from over 50 countries worldwide.

“It’s a great honor to make it to this list of the world’s 700 best employers, along with some of the most recognized and most successful Philippine firms. This just goes to show that Filipinos can compete and run proudly with the very best in the world. It also shows that given the right training, motivation, support, and a sense of a higher purpose, the Filipino workforce is highly motivated, effective, dedicated, and therefore fulfilled in their work,” said Ang.

He added: “Specific to us in San Miguel, I believe that our strong emphasis on business for nation-building, our core value of malasakit, coupled with our decisive and impactful actions related to greater sustainability, has really resonated with our employees. We have also always strived to provide our employees an environment where they can learn, realize their potential, build good relationships with colleagues, and feel they are part of not just a great heritage, but also of something bigger. We believe this has greatly contributed to whatever successes we’ve had over the years.”

This is the second time that SMC has ranked high in a global business survey this year. In September, it placed in the top 50% of Time Magazine’s list of the World’s Best Companies for 2023, ranking 347 overall, and making it to the top two of just six Filipino firms that made it to the list.

Ang said these favorable rankings signifies that San Miguel is still one of the companies that many Filipinos admire and want to work for.

This is especially relevant as the company aims to create new employment opportunities through its various major projects, including the New Manila International Airport (NMIA)–said to be the single largest investment by a Filipino company, and in the Philippines by far.

Recently, it renewed a partnership with the Technical Educations and Skills Authority (TESDA), to expand a joint skills training partnership to train more workers for upcoming job opportunities at the NMIA and other major SMC projects nationwide.

Apart from competitive compensation and benefits, SMC has various programs to help employees hone their skills to advance in their careers and maintain their health and well-being.

The company also provides employees with opportunities to give back to the community through volunteerism for its various Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability programs.

For the Forbes and Statista survey, companies were rated based on criteria including talent development, remote working options, parental leave benefits, diversity, work-life balance, and pride in the product or services that company offers.

Respondents were also asked if they would recommend their company to family and friends and also rate companies within their own industries and countries.

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