MANILA, Philippines — Around 4,000 Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) employees stepped away from their regular banking duties in August to take part in a nationwide volunteer campaign that stretched from classrooms and care facilities to watersheds and coastal communities.
The large-scale effort formed part of LANDBANK’s 63rd anniversary celebration and was carried out through its flagship Volunteerific Program, which encourages employees to contribute time and resources to community development and environmental projects. Employees also voluntarily raised ₱1.32 million in cash donations for selected beneficiaries.
The campaign was reported by several Philippine outlets, including the Philippine Information Agency, GMA News, PhilSTAR Life and BusinessMirror. Much of the coverage traces back to information released by LANDBANK itself, with GMA and PhilSTAR Life explicitly identifying their versions as branded or supplied content.
From blood donations to coastal cleanups
The 4,000 participating employees were involved in a wide range of projects, including blood donation drives, school improvements, community outreach, tree planting and coastal cleanups.
Beneficiaries included people living in residential care facilities in Iloilo and Cavite, senior citizens in Rizal, persons with disabilities in Pangasinan, and students in Misamis Occidental. Volunteers also organized feeding activities, wellness programs, recreational events and distributions of essential goods.
LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz said the effort was intended to demonstrate that the institution’s public-service role extends beyond financial services, describing the program as a way for employees to support communities and environmental protection.
500 seedlings planted in a Cagayan watershed
Some of the most visible activities took place outdoors.
Employees conducted simultaneous tree-planting activities in Laguna, Cagayan and Zamboanga del Sur on August 15, while coastal cleanup drives were organized in Sulu and Surigao del Sur.
One environmental project involved planting 500 seedlings at a National Irrigation Administration watershed in Peñablanca, Cagayan.
While planting several hundred seedlings alone cannot determine the long-term health of a watershed, initiatives of this type become more meaningful when accompanied by maintenance, monitoring and sustained conservation efforts.
One part of the campaign reached some of the country’s hardest-to-reach schools
The volunteer drive also intersected with a separate education initiative.
On August 19, LANDBANK turned over renovated classrooms at New Alimodian Elementary School in Cotabato as part of the Department of Education’s Adopt-A-School Program.
The project was identified as the sixth completed school improvement initiative funded through LANDBANK’s ₱6-million assistance program covering 12 “last-mile schools” in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
Previously completed projects listed by the bank include:
- San Francisco Elementary School in Isabela
- Arew Elementary School in Zambales
- Mampurog Elementary School in Camarines Norte
- Osman Elementary School in Aklan
- Sal-ing Elementary School in Bohol
- Tudela Central School in Misamis Occidental
There is a minor point worth clarifying in LANDBANK’s own wording: its September release calls New Alimodian the sixth completed initiative but then lists six “other completed” school projects. That wording could suggest seven completed locations, so it should not be interpreted as an independently verified project count without further clarification from the bank.
Volunteerific is not a new program
The August campaign is part of a much longer employee-volunteer effort.
LANDBANK records show the Volunteerific Program was formally launched in August 2016 as a platform through which employees could participate in projects involving education, livelihood, environmental protection and disaster response. The program was also designed in support of the Philippines’ Volunteer Act and the government’s public-sector volunteerism framework.
Its participation levels have varied significantly over the years.
In 2024, LANDBANK reported 13,785 volunteer hours, with a 16.73% employee participation rate and an average of 6.78 volunteer hours for each participating employee. That year’s activities included Brigada Eskwela projects and relief operations in Malabon and Bulacan following Typhoon Carina.
Earlier records show the program once operated on an even larger scale: LANDBANK’s 2019 annual report said employees generated approximately 146,275 volunteer hours during the program’s third year, with 8,440 volunteers participating.
That historical context makes the latest figure of 4,000 employees more significant—but it also means the August 2026 number should be understood as participation in this particular anniversary campaign, rather than automatically being treated as LANDBANK’s total volunteer participation for the entire year.
Why the story matters beyond the anniversary
Corporate social responsibility campaigns often generate impressive numbers—employees mobilized, seedlings planted or donations collected.
The more important question is what remains after the anniversary banners disappear.
For LANDBANK’s latest campaign, the most measurable commitments include the ₱1.32 million voluntarily raised, the school-rehabilitation program, environmental projects and assistance delivered directly to communities across several regions.
LANDBANK says volunteer activities will continue through the remainder of 2026.
If that happens—and if projects such as the rehabilitated schools and planted watersheds are followed through—the impact of the 4,000-employee mobilization could ultimately be measured not by how many people volunteered for a month, but by what those communities still have years after the volunteers have gone home.
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