11 November 2013 - After being a guest speaker in the second edition of the Le Havre Forum in September 2013, Gawad Kalinga (GK) Chairman Tony Meloto returned to Paris, this time to speak at the closing ceremony of the third edition of the Entrepreneurs d’Avenir (“Entrepreneurs of the Future”) held in Paris from November 5 to 6.

Entrepreneurs d’Avenir honors companies that succeed in reconciling efficiency with social, ethical, and environmental responsibility. It attracts entrepreneurs, civil society actors, government officials, and pioneers involved in the emergence of an innovative and positive economy.

Held in the historic Conseil économique, social et environnemental (“Economic, Social and Environmental Council”), Tony Meloto shared the stage with notable French figures in the field of corporate social and environmental responsibility, such as former French Minister and current candidate for Mayor of Paris, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet.

During his remarks, Tony Meloto described the GK brand and related how corporate social responsibility made good business sense for companies.

“When there were labor problems in a Unilever plant in the Philippines, Unilever built the Selecta GK Village to create industrial peace. When Hanjin had difficulty with the poor areas surrounding their shipyard, they asked GK to build 350 homes in this area. As a result there was peace.”

GK has the full support of the Philippine Embassy in Paris and works in tandem with the Embassy’s economic diplomacy team. Every time Tony Meloto addresses French companies, he always promotes the Philippines as an attractive investment destination and Europe’s gateway into Asia. END