Level of corporate awareness and involvement on the environmental and community sustainability practices of selected food manufacturing companies in the national capital region, Philippines

The study assessed the level of corporate awareness on environmental and community sustainability practices of selected food manufacturing companies in the National Capital Region. This also covered the extent of involvement and the challenges faced by these companies in pursuing their sustainability practices primarily in terms of planet (environment) and people (community/social) it also examined the extent of sustainability integration to strategic business core. The primary objective was to describe the corporate sustainability best practices of the manufacturing firms in the National Capital Region and be able to share the findings to our entrepreneurship students and business practitioners. The study utilized the descriptive method of research using a modified survey instrument divided into four parts; company profile, level of corporate awareness and extent of involvement to sustainability practices, extent of sustainability integration to strategic business core and the challenges encountered in pursuing sustainability practices. There are one hundred four retrieved instruments from the respondents. The findings revealed that the manufacturing companies are aware of the environmental practices and fully aware in the community sustainability practices. Food manufacturing companies had great extent of involvement in both areas. On the assessment of companies’ extent of sustainability integration to strategic business core, the food manufacturing companies have a common response of high extent of integration in four major areas such as; leadership, policy setting, program development and monitoring and reporting. Customer expectations and cost implications were the barriers being identified by the companies in pursuing their sustainability practices. Based on the findings, the food manufacturing companies are responsive to waste management program and are fully responsible in providing a conducive workplace. Also, middle managers seriously considered the integration of the sustainability practices in its strategic business core. Finally, it is recommended that these bottom lines (people, planet, profit) must be integrated on the development of companies’ strategic plan. Adequate financial budget must be allocated in continuous environmental and community programs of the company. Thus, creating a maximize stakeholders value. Moreover, the present and actual sustainability practices and the improvement on the challenges in pursuing sustainability programs must be used as a good reference in designing the manufacturing companies’ sustainability practices framework.