“The Intel Involved volunteers have actively and enthusiastically helped the students in their English, and this enthusiasm has flowed on to the students. As a result, their eagerness to learn and school results have noticeably improved.”

Said Mrs. Florencia Perlado, Principal at Javalera Elementary School.

One of the key corporate values of Intel is to “be an asset to our communities worldwide” Through constant and collaborative interactions with its external stakeholders, Intel strives to become an asset in the communities where it operates. The Intel® Involved in the Community program is a volunteer program that interacts with local communities, and focuses on four key areas – technology inclusion, education, environment stewardship and safety, and community development.

Intel® Involved in the Philippines has logged the highest percentage of employee volunteers worldwide. For this reason, the program has encouraged not just Intel employees but also members of the local government and the entire community to become active participants in community development. Today, the Municipality of General Trias in Cavite, where Intel Philippines is located, has begun to call itself “The Town of Volunteers”

Challenge

• Align community relations initiatives around education, the environment, health, safety and community outreach with volunteerism
• Raise awareness and increase employee engagement in community volunteerism
• Streamline and formalize Intel’s volunteer program

Approach

• Implement the Intel® Involved in the Community program in the Philippines, focusing on education, environment, health, safety and community outreach in the Municipality of General Trias
• Create a team of volunteer leaders who will focus on strategies critical to the success of an employee volunteer program through the Intel® Involved Steering Committee (IISC)
• Create the Intel Cavite Community Advisory Panel (ICCAP) to develop a stakeholder management process to prioritize community projects

Benefits

• Under the Intel Involved Matching Grant program, for every 20 hours an Intel employee spends volunteering in a selected educational institution or NGO, the organization receives US$80 from Intel Foundation.
• In September 2007, Intel had raised nearly PhP37 million (US$832,100), benefiting 33 public schools and more than 30,000 students in the Municipality of General Trias.
• By the end of 2006, Intel Involved Matching Grant program donations resulted in the building of 24 classrooms, two multi-purpose halls, a speech laboratory, 44 rooms for students, two clinics, five libraries, science classrooms and computer laboratories. 17 classrooms were renovated and 166 new computers were provided.
• The program has pioneered strategic and sustainable activities that are now incorporated in the local government’s policies.
• The program of volunteerism is an integral link connecting the company, Intel employees and the community.

Getting Involved
The Intel® Involved in the Community program was launched in the Philippines in 1997 with only ten volunteers, most of whom were doctors and nurses in the company clinic. Chona Ignalaga, Intel Philippines Community Relations and Intel Involved Manager, reviewed the programs and recognized the opportunity to expand the volunteer programs beyond medically-oriented services.

“I saw a huge opportunity to reach out more broadly to operators and technicians within the company and grow the program. So I put up notices and advertisements in restrooms and bulletin boards, and used the public address system to inform Intel personnel about the program.”

“As a result, more than 100 employees contacted me to voice their interest. This quickly rose to over 500 in just the first two years. I met with them during their respective shifts to better appreciate what causes were important to them – based on this, we decided to focus our community relations initiatives around education, the environment, health, safety and community outreach.”

By 2007, 4,083 personnel – equivalent to 80 percent of the total number of Intel Philippines employees – volunteered for projects in the schools within the community. A team was also put together to oversee the direction of the employee volunteer program – the Intel Involved Steering Committee (IISC). The responsibility of the group was to assist in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of the programs. In 2007, 65 employees made up the IISC.

One major initiative of the Intel Involved program is the Intel Involved Matching Grant program. Launched in 2004, the program aims to promote and maximize the benefits Intel employees provide to local schools. Intel employees volunteer in select schools or in the Intel Computer Clubhouse, which provides a creative and safe after-school learning environment where young people from under-served communities work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas, develop skills and build confidence through the use of technology. Under the Intel Involved Matching Grant program, hours spent by Intel employees volunteering in schools in their communities were matched by a dollar grant from Intel Foundation. Every 20 hours of volunteer work by Intel volunteers in pre-identified schools and learning institutions is equivalent to US80. During the pilot phase, employees logged 99,650 volunteer hours which were equivalent to PhP12.2 million (US249,125). By September 2007, the Intel Foundation donated PhP37 million (US$832,100) to 33 public schools in General Trias Municipality. This was as a result of Intel Involved volunteers helping more than 30,000 students and 333,113 hours of volunteer service.

Javalera Elementary School is one school that has benefited from the program. Intel volunteers interacted with the students through the educational program through teaching math, science and computer skills and other extra-curricular activities. Intel also helped to build a speech laboratory in the school and tutored the students in English grammar, pronunciation, diction and public speaking skills.

“We are the only public school with a speech lab in Cavite and maybe even nationwide. The Intel Involved volunteers have actively and enthusiastically helped the students in their English, and this enthusiasm has flowed on to the students. As a result, their eagerness to learn and school results have noticeably improved,” said Mrs. Florencia Perlado, Principal at Javalera Elementary School.

The Intel Involved Matching Grant program has resulted in improvements in the public schools of the General Trias Municipality. By the end of 2006, grants resulted in 24 new classrooms and two multi-purpose halls, a speech laboratory, 44 new rooms for students, two clinics, five new libraries, science classrooms and new computer laboratories being built. In addition, 17 classrooms were renovated, while 166 new computers were installed by the schools for their students. Previously, there was one classroom for every 100 students in the municipality. Today, this ratio has more than halved to one classroom for every 45 students.

“The effect of their participation in our school has been tremendous. The children and teachers have benefited from receiving new classrooms and supplies, as well as being a source of inspiration in our local community.”

Said Elvie Ambagan, Principal of Buenavista Elementary School.

Around 500 Intel volunteers also served as an auxiliary teaching force for math, science and computer classes. For example, Bacao Elementary School was considered one of the low performing schools in the Second District of General Trias. The lack of books and resources was one of the factors which greatly affected the performance of the students. In October 2007, Typhoon Milenyo struck the area and flooded a number of schools in the area, including Bacao Elementary School. Through the program, the school acquired more books, additional educational materials, computers and an Internet connection.

“The Intel Involved program is invaluable. By helping build our schools and sustain our environment, we are helping our community to empower themselves through the sharing of technical and professional expertise. We are helping them to become better citizens of our country.”

Said Jemille Cubillo, Engineer at the General Trias Municipal Planning Department.

Similarly, 100 percent of the students in Buenavista Elementary School have improved their achievement levels from 80 percent to 83 percent through the science remedial classes conducted by Intel Involved volunteers, while the level of achievement in math increased from 75 percent to over 92 percent.

“Intel Involved volunteers have played an integral part in building our school community to what it is today,” said Elvie Ambagan, Principal of Buenavista Elementary School. “The effect of their participation in our school has been tremendous. The children and teachers have benefited from receiving new classrooms and supplies, as well as being a source of inspiration in our local community.”

Overall, the General Trias Second District reported a 16.83 percent better performance in science, and the achievement level in science overall has increased by 32.70 percent.

Making a Difference to the Local Community
Another initiative of the volunteer program was to develop a stakeholder engagement process in order to help Intel prioritize its community projects. The Intel Cavite Community Advisory Panel (ICCAP) was formed. ICCAP includes community leaders from various sectors, barangays (the Filipino word for “village”) and other general interest groups. As an external voluntary organization, the purpose of ICCAP is to provide recommendations and feedback on the suitability of projects.

The wider community has embraced its contribution to ICCAP and played an active role in Intel’s volunteer programs. “Our department, plus other interest groups like NGOs, religious organizations, schools, civic organizations and the youth want to ensure the sustainability of the Cavite. Being part of ICCAP is an integral part of this,” said Jemille Cubillo, Engineer at the General Trias Municipal Planning Department.

“The Intel Involved program is invaluable. By helping build our schools and sustain our environment, we are helping our community to empower themselves through the sharing of technical and professional expertise. We are helping them to become better citizens of our country.”

With the help of the wider community, ICCAP and Intel developed many volunteer programs, such as the Intel® Kids Safety Classes and School Emergency Response Teams and science and technology awareness campaigns, including window tours for students. As part of the Intel® Involved Back to School program, Intel provided school supplies such as backpacks, pens, crayons and other stationery supplies to underprivileged schoolchildren in the area. Starting in 2003 with donations to five schools, today Intel provides school supplies to over 30,000 schoolchildren.

Volunteer programs in the General Trias Municipality also focused heavily on environment conservation activities. For example, Intel introduced the annual Global Earth Day to emphasize the importance of caring for the environment and to educate the community on recycling and water and energy conservation. Other initiatives include the Global Coastal Clean-up Day, and tree planting. More than 30,000 trees have been planted in the municipality to date.

“Volunteering has allowed me to learn new skills, share my talents with others and grow both personally and professionally. It’s extremely rewarding and gratifying to know that I have played an active role in making the community a better place,” said Raquel Orellana, Intel Involved volunteer leader and Chairman of the Intel Involved Education Team.

As a result of Intel’s success in creating and introducing strategic and sustainable programs for the community, in 2006 the mayor of the Municipality of General Trias approached Intel so that the government could incorporate Intel’s programs in its policies. For example, Intel’s influence resulted in the local government’s creation of the Municipal Environment Council and the annual Environmental Summit, which was launched in 2004. Intel was also recognized for its leadership and dedication to the Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) excellence in the community.

Intel® Involved in the Philippines
The collaborative nature of the Intel Involved program has bridged the gap between the needs of the community, the focus of Intel, the expertise of its employee volunteers and the resources of all key stakeholders. Over the past decade, 33 barangays have been positively impacted by the Intel Involved program. In 2005 Mayor Luis Ferrer IV declared General Trias a “Town of Volunteers”, in recognition of the spirit of the Intel Involved program. Furthermore, in a Community Perception Survey conducted by a third party in 2005, community respondents gave Intel’s volunteer activities in the schools a 98 percent satisfaction score.

“Intel® Involved volunteers have inspired the local government of General Trias to honor volunteers and their impact in the municipality. Their commitment and hard work in our community spirit has helped to save taxpayer dollars. The program is a valuable asset to our community,” said Mayor Luis Ferrer IV.

The development of the Intel Involved volunteer program demonstrates Intel’s commitment to the community through its employees and other key stakeholders. At Intel, volunteerism has evolved into a significant factor in the retention of employees, who see the program as another reason to stay with a socially responsible employer. Volunteerism plays a central role for Intel Philippines employees. In 2006, four out of every five Intel employees participated in volunteer programs under Intel Involved.

“Intel’s employees have embraced the opportunity to make a difference to the community. Their hard work has influenced local government policies and enriched the local community in the long term, which is an incredibly powerful thing,” said Chona Ignalaga, Intel Philippines Community Relations and Intel Involved Manager.

Intel® Involved Program
The Intel Involved program matches employee expertise and passion with volunteer opportunities in the community. Our employees spend thousands of volunteer hours every year mentoring youth, lending technical expertise, cleaning parks and more. What distinguishes the Intel Involved program is our high volunteerism rate, the global scope of our volunteer efforts, and the unique skills and knowledge that our employees bring that allow them to make a real difference in local communities. The Intel Involved Matching Grant program allows employees to earn money for the schools or non-profits where they volunteer. In the last ten years Intel employees volunteered over 160,000 hours to community and education related projects and an average of 35 percent of our employees volunteer at least once each year.

For more information, visit: http://www.intel.com/community/

“Volunteering has allowed me to learn new skills, share my talents with others and grow both personally and professionally. It’s extremely rewarding and gratifying to know that I have played an active role in making the community a better place.”

Said Raquel Orellana, Intel Involved volunteer leader and
Chairman of the Intel Involved Education Team.