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| (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/Home Credit Philippines) |
Home Credit Philippines (HCPH), the country’s leading consumer finance company, celebrated Pride Month this year with a series of activities aimed at strengthening its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). With DEI embedded in its culture and DNA, HCPH hosted #PrideAtHome: A Pride Month Forum and joined the Pride PH Festival last June 23 and 25, 2022 respectively.
“At Home Credit, we believe in DIVERSITY: different individuals valuing each other regardless of race, skills, intellect, talent, and years. There are no small roles at Home Credit, and everyone is important,” said HCPH Chief People Officer Alpha Omega Aquino. As a global company, DEI is an integral focus of Home Credit’s Environmental, Social, and Governance programs- a non-financial framework used to measure how a company is run and operated. HCPH’s ESG-linked loans are geared to promote financial inclusion to help all Filipinos, particularly women from underserved communities in the country.
Pride Starts At HOME
HCPH celebrated Pride Month with initiatives geared at mainstreaming DEI within the organization and beyond. On June 23, HCPH partnered with the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce (PLCC) for #PrideAtHome: A hybrid Pride Month Forum aimed at becoming a platform for employees to learn more about SOGIE (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression) and Gender Allyship. PLCC Director Atty. Quino Reyes talked about SOGIE 101 to HCPH employees, saying that all SOGIESC should be respected and treated equally, emphasizing how we are all equal and worthy of respect. Meanwhile, PLCC Chairman Ronn Astillas talked about Gender Allyship explaining that diversity and inclusion should be institutionalized as policies and that the key is to work together with partners. HCPH also sent a 100+ strong contingent to march for the Alab for Love: Pride PH Festival 2022 at the Quezon City Memorial Circle last June 25, 2022 alongside NGOs, LGBT organizations, and companies. HCPH’s Pride contingent featured a marching band and included employees from its Ore, Spark, and Vertis sites. HCPH Public Relations Head Ken Lerona also gave a solidarity speech at the event, emphasizing Home Credit’s commitment to promote diversity, foster equity, and advocate for inclusion not only in the company but society at large.
A Strong Commitment To DEI
In April 2011, HCPH joined the Philippine Business Coalition for Women Empowerment (PBCWE) and the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce (PLCC) to further cement its commitment to achieving gender equality and inclusion in the workplace. In partnership with PBCWE, the company is currently undergoing a Gender Equality Assessment, Results, and Strategies (GEARS), an assessment tool that will analyze and understand the current state of Workplace Gender Equality (WGE) within the company. This will provide Philippine-specific data to form a baseline of information used to create policies, guidelines, and projects to help improve Home Credit’s DEI programs. “While DEI has always been a part of our practice, we acknowledge that these are just the necessary first steps we must take to live up to our commitment to be a diverse and inclusive company. We believe that Pride starts at Home and so we promise to ensure that Home Credit Philippines continues to be a safe home for our employees and the Filipinos we serve,” Lerona said.
