Stakeholders

In accordance with our Manual of Corporate Governance (MCG), the Board ensures that shareholders, including minority shareholders, are treated equally and fairly. Shareholders with the same class of shares are treated equally as well and in accordance with the rights each share entitles them to and the applicable laws.

Our shareholders’ rights are in our MCG, By-Laws, and Articles of Incorporation. At the minimum, our Board respects the following basic rights of our shareholders:

1. Voting Right
   Shareholders, including minority shareholders, have the right to elect, remove, and replace directors and vote on certain corporate acts in accordance with the Corporation Code. The nomination procedures of the Corporation shall also be provided to all shareholders to promote awareness of their right to elect and vote at the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting (ASM) through the notice and agenda of the meeting. Cumulative voting shall be used in the election of directors. Directors may be removed with or without cause, but directors shall not be removed without cause if it will deny minority shareholders representation in the Board. Removal of directors requires an affirmative vote of 2/3 of the outstanding capital of the Corporation.
    
2. Preemptive Right
   All shareholders have preemptive rights as set out in the Corporation Code and the Articles of Incorporation, unless there is a specific denial of this right in the Articles of Incorporation or an amendment thereto. They shall have the right to subscribe to the capital stock of the Corporation. The Articles of Incorporation may lay down the specific rights and powers of shareholders with respect to the particular shares they hold, all of which are protected by law so long as they are not in conflict with the Corporation Code.
    
3. Right of Inspection
   Shareholders are allowed to inspect corporate books and records, including minutes of Board meetings and stock registries, in accordance with the Corporation Code. They shall be provided an annual report, including financial statements, without cost or restrictions.
    
4. Right of Information
   Upon request and for a legitimate purpose, a shareholder shall be provided with periodic reports, which disclose personal and professional information about the directors and officers and certain other matters such as their holdings of the Corporation's shares, dealings with the Corporation, relationships among directors and key officers, and the aggregate compensation of directors and officers. The Information Statement/Proxy Statement where these are stated must be distributed to the shareholders before annual general meetings and in the Registration Statement and Prospectus in case of registration of shares for public offering with the Commission.
   
   The shareholders, including minority shareholders, shall have the right to propose the holding of a meeting, and the right to propose items in the agenda of the meeting, provided the items are for legitimate business purposes.
   
   In accordance with existing law and jurisprudence, minority shareholders shall have access to any and all information relating to matters for which the Management is accountable for and to those relating to matters for which the Management should include such information and, if not included, then the minority shareholders can propose to include such matters in the agenda of the ASM provided always that this right of access is conditioned upon the requesting shareholder's legitimate purpose.
    
5. Right to Dividends
   Shareholders have the right to receive dividends subject to the discretion of the Board. However, the Commission may direct the Corporation to declare dividends when its retained earnings are in excess of 100% of its paid-in capital stock, except (a) when justified by definite corporate expansion projects or programs approved by the Board; (b) when the Corporation is prohibited under any loan agreement with any financial institution or creditor, whether local or foreign, from declaring dividends without its consent, and such consent has not been secured; or (c) when it can be clearly shown that such retention is necessary under special circumstances obtaining in the Corporation such as when there is a need for special reserve for probable contingencies.
   
   As a policy and as much as practicable, Globe shall observe a 30-day period for the payment of dividends to shareholders from the declaration date of such dividends. The dividend policy is posted on the Globe website and reflected in our Integrated Report and Integrated Annual Corporate Governance Report.
    
6. Appraisal Right
   In accordance with the Corporation Code, shareholders may exercise appraisal rights under the following circumstances:
    
   1. In case any amendment to the Articles of Incorporation has the effect of changing or restricting the rights of any shareholder or class of shares, or of authorizing preferences in any respect superior to those of outstanding shares of any class, or of extending or shortening the term of corporate existence;
   2. In case of sale, lease, exchange, transfer, mortgage, pledge, or other disposition of all or substantially all of the corporate property and assets as provided in the Corporation Code; and
   3. In case of merger or consolidation.

Customer Experience defines our brand of service, how we differentiate ourselves from the competition, and how we continuously innovate to delight our customers and other stakeholders.

As the Company’s services expand from telecommunications to an amazing world of digital lifestyle, our Privacy Policy outlines the Company's policy in relation to the collection, use, and protection of Customer Data. We also have policies and practices on Information Technology Governance and Cybersecurity, and Data Privacy and Intellectual Property Rights that are embedded in our Manual of Corporate Governance.

We prioritize protecting our customers’ data and regard privacy with utmost importance. For this, we have set and observe clear-cut measures on:

• Judicious use and collection of customer data, whether the information is personal or non-personal
• Limiting access to or processing of private data to authorized personnel and with strict confidentiality
• Abiding by Groupe Special Mobile Association’s (GSMA) high-level privacy principles based on internationally recognized and accepted principles of privacy and data protection

To promote the intelligent and judicious use of the internet, we also educate the youth to better understand the impact of their online behavior so they can be responsible digital citizens with the award-winning Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP). Held in partnership with Optus and Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (Singtel), this cyber wellness advocacy targets students in Grades 7-12 from public and private high schools nationwide.
 

Developing countries—particularly low-lying, coastal areas like the Philippines—bear the biggest brunt of Climate Change as they are usually the worst hit by droughts, flooding, famine, and extreme weather events.

Thus, environmental sustainability emerges as our immediate responsibility, especially in the face of two contrasting events: global warming and the rising demand for energy in homes and industries.

In response to two of the SDGs: Responsible Consumption and Production and Climate Action, we promote environmental sustainability by reducing and managing our business operations' impact on the planet. This is enacted with our Environmental Sustainability Policy.

We also comply with DENR’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) system. Globe pays nominal filing fees required for the submission of applications for Environmental Clearance Certificates (ECC) or Certificates of Non-Coverage (CNC) for all cell sites and other facilities, as well as miscellaneous expenses incurred in the preparation of applications and the related environmental impact studies.

On the operations front, we push our paperless billing initiative with electronic billing statements. In 2016, we introduced Bill via Text through GlobeMYBILL where customers receive a text with a link to their latest billing statements online. We continuously innovate and introduce more channels for customers to view billing statements with more ease and flexibility.

Free rides to work are available through Globe Shuttle in support of carpooling. We also have bike facilities in numerous Globe locations and offer various telecommuting solutions, including online messaging apps like Google Hangouts and Skype, Cisco IP conference phone calls, and large-screen MondoPad sessions, which minimize our employees’ carbon footprint when they travel to work.

Rooted in our philosophy of “Circle of Happiness,” we believe that empowered employees deliver better and more innovative Globe products and services that, in turn, make customers feel special and valued. Happy customers then develop brand affinity and loyalty that redound to higher shareholder value, making shareholders feel confident and rewarded.

Hence, we put a premium on workplace diversity, just compensation and benefits, engagement, safety and well-being, human rights, and the continued learning of every Ka-Globe. We strive to create a wonderful work environment for everyone.

By promoting full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, and espousing a safe and secure working environment for all workers, we respond to the SDGs of promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth. Also incorporated in this mission are factors such as labor productivity and eliminating hazardous work, to enhance trade assistance and access to financial services.

We also have a longstanding, healthy, and constructive relationship with the Globe Telecom Employees Union Federation of Free Workers (GTEU-FFW), characterized by industrial peace and anchored on a mutual agreement to focus on shared goals such as attaining higher levels of productivity and consistent quality of service to customers across different segments.

In today’s knowledge-based economy, human capital development as a valuable organizational resource has become central to business strategy. Globe University is the venue for competency-building requirements of the company, enabling the Next Globe and offering innovative learning solutions beyond Globe. Through an emphasis on creating and facilitating a corporate learning culture and developing the capability of Globe and its employees, it seeks to amplify organizational know-how to deliver the industry’s best-trained workforce as a source of competitive advantage.

For the health and safety of employees, part of our policy includes the commitment to:

• Continuously assess all health and safety hazards in the workplace and provide programs for its elimination.
• Comply with all occupational safety and health news applicable to the telecommunication business.
• Train and motivate employees to work in a safe manner and encourage the business partners to adopt these principles.
• Report the occupational safety and health performance to all stakeholders.
• Conduct a regular review of the Company's management system to ensure that the commitments of this policy are being delivered and that Globe strives for continual improvement.

Our comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health Policy is committed to providing the best protection for the health and safety of our employees and the communities surrounding our operations. This includes requiring all employees to undergo annual physical examinations to gauge current health and physical condition. The result will be used by Globe's in-house health adviser located at The Globe Tower (TGT) Clinic to create a personalized wellness program to improve the Company's overall health with quarterly consultations to check if the program is on track and to set the baseline for next year's wellness program.
 

Globe protects the rights of our creditors by maintaining, at all times, our good credit standing. Thus, we strictly observe contractual obligations and regard with utmost importance the fair and truthful disclosure and transparency of financial records and dealings to assure creditors of our continued creditworthiness.

We also follow socially responsible procurement practices for vendors and maximize value through commodity management, selection of best-in-class suppliers, and pursuit of process excellence in procurement and supply chain management.

As the leader in mobile technology in the Philippines, we take care of the local communities impacted by our business operations and put development programs in place.

In accordance with ISO 26000, we constantly embed shared value in our business model to create a Globe of Good. We respond to the following UN SDGs through a wealth of overarching principles and practices:

• Good Health and Well-Being: promoting sound mental health and well-being
• Quality Education: helping ensure all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, have achieved digital literacy through ICT training by 2030
• Decent Work and Economic Growth: helping achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading, and innovation, including a thorough focus on high-value added and labor-intensive sectors
• Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: contributing to national capacity to prevent violence and crime, starting with our own workplaces and organizational jurisdiction
• Sustainable Cities and Communities: making human settlements inclusive, safe, and resilient

 Through our five-year expanded Global Filipino School (GFS) program, Globe intends to transform select public schools into centers of excellence in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and innovative teaching methods. This program is expected to benefit all of the Department of Education’s 218 school divisions nationwide by 2020.

Through great partnerships, we can provide crowdfunded loans to deserving local micro-enterprises in the areas of agriculture, food, retail, and services. We also have ongoing ecotourism efforts that cater to communities involved in fisheries and aquatic resources.

Just as we have sought greater cooperation with national agencies and local government units (LGUs) to allow faster processing of permits to facilitate the building of cell sites, we also cooperate with homeowners’ associations (HOAs) to expedite the construction of cell sites to improve internet services. Globe cell sites have been issued radiation-safety certificates by the Department of Health, proof that radio frequency signals coming from such facilities do not pose any adverse health impact.

We harness mobile and ICT solutions for the welfare of the public at large, from emergency response to disaster preparedness and management. Globe recognizes that communication is a critical tool for capacity building and an effective emergency response mechanism, putting it at the frontlines of supporting 911 as the new nationwide emergency hotline number.

By 2020, we seek to substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements that adopt and implement integrated policies toward climate change mitigation and resilience to disasters. Towards this end, we have actively pursued a plethora of programs and partnerships.

After becoming the first telecommunications company in the country to be re-certified in Business Continuity Management System (ISO 22301) on an enterprise-wide scale in 2016, we stepped up on the implementation of best practices on business resiliency to assure our customers and stakeholders that we are equipped to handle business disruptions in the event of a major incident or disaster.

Every Ka-Globe is also provided with two days of Volunteer Time Off annually to pursue their advocacy. Globe provides activity-based and skill-based volunteering to support the work of a partner group or community, organizing everyone who wants to join various advocacies and providing pro-bono services, skills transfer, or capacity building. We also offer volunteaming, where employees can freely choose which advocacy they want to support.

Customer Experience defines our brand of service, how we differentiate ourselves from shifting our focus to sustainable value creation, we published our first Integrated Report for 2017. It contains information about our strategy, governance, and performance in the context of its external environment and how these create value for our stakeholders and stakeholder community. Through this Integrated Report, we hope to deepen our stakeholders’ understanding of how we contribute to addressing the major challenges and key issues in today’s society, linking our sustainability performance to our business results. This report also highlights our strategy in line with our vision, anticipating a shift towards a pervasive digital lifestyle of every Filipino.

Prepared in accordance with the International Integrated Reporting Framework (International Framework), advocated by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) and in reference to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, our Integrated Report follows a process to help us identify material issues for reporting. Material issues and an update on the stakeholder map were defined through the consultancy services of ThePurposeBusiness, Ltd. founded in Hong Kong. The Materiality Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement exercises were done in 2015, and the outcome started to be reported in 2016.