Sustainability in Focus: A Virtual Learning Workshop for Bloggers

What I Learned and Why It Matters for Filipino Families

As a mom who’s always thinking about the future of my kids, attending BDO’s “Sustainability in Focus: A Virtual Learning Workshop for Bloggers” was not just insightful—it was truly empowering. The workshop didn’t just discuss environmental topics—it highlighted how sustainability affects our daily lives, our communities, and most importantly, our children’s future.

1. Understanding the Global Goals

Speaker: Andrea Gabriel, University of the Philippines

Andrea started with the basics: the transition from the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to today’s more comprehensive 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It focused on improving global well-being—things like health, education, gender equality, and reducing hunger.

Understanding the Global Goals: 5 Pillars of SDG

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are organized into five pillars—People, Prosperity, Planet, Peace, and Partnership—and are guided by principles that ensure everyone is included, protected by human rights, supported starting from the most vulnerable, led by each country, and encouraged to participate in the process.

Andrea also mentioned that the Philippines is one of the fastest-moving countries in terms of SDG progress—meaning we’re taking sustainability seriously.

As a mom, this gave me hope that the world our kids will inherit is slowly but surely improving.

2. How BDO Integrates Sustainability in Everyday Banking

Speaker: Marla Garin-Alvarez, First Vice President & Sustainability Officer, BDO Unibank

As the largest bank in the Philippines, BDO talked about how sustainability is now part of their business culture.

What Sustainability Means to BDO

BDO’s commitment is simple:

Meet today’s needs without compromising the future.

For BDO, sustainability means meeting today’s needs without harming the future, which is why they apply it in many areas—how they create products, manage the company, support their employees, respond to disasters, and help communities.

They apply sustainability to:

Product development
Governance
Employee development
Disaster response
Community programs

Through their Sustainable Finance Framework, BDO also funds projects that protect the environment and support society, such as Green Financing (renewable energy, green buildings), Blue Financing (water and ocean-related projects), Social Financing (jobs and food security), and Orange/Gender Financing (programs that support women.

Their goal? Resilience—for families, communities, and future generations.

As a personal finance blogger, I appreciated how sustainable banking can influence long-term economic and environmental health in the Philippines.

3. Communicating Sustainability Online

Speaker: Malou Talosig-Bartolome, Business Mirror

Malou emphasized that bloggers and content creators have the power to make sustainability relatable.

She encouraged us to share simple, everyday sustainable habits—like saving water, using reusable bags, supporting local farmers, and choosing greener transportation.

Her message that stuck with me:

Small stories inspire big changes.

And it’s true—moms, especially, make decisions that influence their entire household.

Key Takeaways for Moms & Micro-Bloggers

Here are the lessons that resonated with me the most:

✔ Sustainability starts at home.

The habits we teach our kids—from conserving water to minimizing waste—shape their mindset for the future.

✔ Small changes create meaningful impact.

Hindi kailangan bongga or complicated. Everyday actions matter.

✔ We don’t need to be experts.

Blogging about sustainability can be personal, practical, and rooted in real-life experiences.

✔ Financial institutions play a key role.

Banks like BDO help support sustainable development through financing and community initiatives.

This workshop reminded me that sustainability isn’t complicated—it’s a daily commitment. As a mom, I feel more motivated to make mindful choices. And as a blogger, I’m inspired to share more content that helps others live sustainably, too.

Thank you, BDO, for empowering Filipino creators and helping us understand sustainability in a way that feels doable and meaningful.