Together with bloggers and influencers, Aboitiz held their first-ever roundtable discussion on championing sustainability among community founders and sustainability advocates.

 

They introduced two initiatives: a weather-sensing and forecasting app called WeatherPH and a crowdfunding platform called KINDer.

 

Get #WeatherWiser

 

The Weather Solutions mobile app (WeatherPH) offers accurate 7-day, by-the-hour, and localized forecasts. It uses 826 automated weather stations (AWS) deployed all over the Philippines.

 

Knowing the kind of weather to expect by the hour allows us to plan our day better. I’ve found myself caught in the rain many times before, especially while traveling on a motorcycle, so this definitely resonates with me. WeatherPh is a great tool to use when planning ahead for outdoor activities. It also has a user-friendly interface that makes it accessible to the everyday Juan.

 

Watch this video to learn how to become #WeatherWiser using the WeatherPh app.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCIRZ7mSG9o&feature=youtu.be

 

The app feeds into the Weather Philippines Foundation’s advocacy of helping build a #WeatherWiser Philippines, which has now expanded to include the optimization of weather knowledge for socio-economic growth and progress. Weather Philippines Foundation (WPF) is Aboitiz Foundation’s largest single donation, with a big vision of delivering readily available, accurate, and localized weather forecast to the Filipino community.

 

Founded by the Aboitiz Group, Weather Solutions, Inc. (Weather Solutions) is the first weather-centric social enterprise in the Philippines. They aim to provide accurate, platform-based weather information that will help businesses improve their operations and decision-making processes. Revenues generated by Weather Solutions will be donated to the Weather Philippines Foundation in order to support their sustainable efforts.

 

Improved weather knowledge is especially advantageous to the following sectors:

 

Retail – helps them know what products to sell at certain periods

Energy – enables optimum generation scheduling for sources like solar and hydro

Agricultural Sector – improves preparedness for weather-related events, such as drought and flooding

Construction – helps avoid project delays caused by changing weather conditions

 

Weather Solutions is already working with the following clients:

 

SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP), a hydro power plant operator, uses Weather Solutions’ real-time and forecasted data in their watershed operations.

Call Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) uses the weather data to identify areas which will be affected by severe weather conditions, allowing them to redirect incoming transactions to other business locations.

Red Cross is working with Weather Solutions for their forecast-based financing in the Philippines, as they aim to close the gap between disaster risk reduction and emergency relief.

 

Be KINDer

 

Aboitiz also introduced KINDer, an online crowdfunding platform that features various advocacies in the Philippines. Via the website kinder.aboitiz.com, you can now browse through campaigns and donate in just a few clicks. It’s your Netflix for advocacies!

 

It’s a great way to explore worthy causes and get to know real people and their stories.

 

So how is it different from other crowdfunding platforms? Instead of working with individuals, KINDer partners with civic society organizations, companies, or legal groups that need funding support. It prioritizes campaigns that have social development agenda.

 

The Aboitiz Group got their inspiration for building the KINDer platform from their encounters with smaller organizations – like the Bangketa Eskwela and CORA – that have compelling advocacies but are in need of funding support.

 

Environmentalist and Planet CORA founder Antoinette Taus talked passionately about Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

 

KINDer is Aboitiz Foundation’s gift to society as they celebrate their 30th anniversary.

 

If you are working with an organization and you’d like to enroll your projects or campaigns on KINDer, you may send your project details to aboitizfoundation@aboitiz.com. Your proposal will then be subjected to a review process that will take 3-5 days. If you pass their guidelines, you will be asked to send in some required documents, after which you’re free to post a campaign on KINDer.

 

Get to Know the Aboitiz Group

 

Upon hearing the company name Aboitiz, the first thing that comes to people’s mind is shipping. They say this is because of Sharon Cuneta’s popular TV commercial with the catchy tagline ‘Sakay Na’. This TV commercial was for Superferry, one of the largest ferry companies in the Philippines. What most people do not know is that Aboitiz is more than just about shipping. As a matter of fact, Superferry has long been sold by the company and is now owned by the China-Asean Investment Cooperation Fund, a private equity fund owned by the Chinese government.

 

Aboitiz has several companies under its wing, including Union Bank of the Philippines, Pilmico Foods Corporation, Aboitiz Power Corporation, and many others. The conglomerate has companies operating in the sectors of power, construction, shipbuilding, banking and financial services, food, infrastructure, and land. In 2017, Aboitiz made it to the Forbes Global 2000, ranking 1793rd among the world’s top 2,000 public companies.

 

Founded by Paulino Aboitiz in the late 1800s, Aboitiz & Company (ACO)  has come a long way from its humble beginnings as an abaca trading and general merchandise business in Ormoc, Leyte. They later ventured into inter-island shipping as they started transporting their goods across the Visayas region. ACO was formally incorporated in 1920 and now serves as the Aboitiz family’s private holding company.

 

ACO’s journey from a small family business to becoming one of the most respected and largest business groups in the Philippines is a testament to the company’s solid foundation built on integrity, trust, quality, and fairness. They go beyond just profitability when running their businesses, integrating social development and environmental stewardship into their business processes.

 

Aboitiz aims to create a truly sustainable enterprise worthy of being passed on to future generations. They are committed to driving change for a better world by advancing not only businesses but communities as well.