Tens of thousands of Citi volunteers celebrate Global Community Day in the Philippines

Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed is joined by more than 300 volunteers to paint chairs and cover books for “Brigada Eskwela” at the Upper Bicutan Elementary School in Taguig, as part of Citi’s worldwide Global Community Day celebration

 Annual event contributes nearly four million hours of service since launch

Citi recently celebrated its annual Global Community Day, as more than 5,000 Citi volunteers in the Philippines engage in service activities in their local communities. In the days leading up to and including Global Community Day, more than 100,000 Citi colleagues, alumni, clients, family and friends in more than 450 cities across 90 countries and territories volunteer on 1,400 service projects that are helping address a range of community needs, from feeding the hungry to revitalizing schools for a better learning environment to preparing young people for jobs.  

On Global Community Day, Citi volunteers invest their time and efforts alongside community and nonprofit partners on service opportunities that help create thriving neighborhoods. Some of these volunteer efforts complement the year-round philanthropic and business-led initiatives, including the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress, that help make our communities stronger.

“Citi is committed to making a positive difference in the Philippines. Participation in our Global Community Day continues to grow every year and I’m proud to volunteer alongside more than 5,000 of my colleagues and their family members,” said Citi Philippines chief executive officer Aftab Ahmed. 

Since the inaugural Global Community Day in 2006, Citi volunteers have contributed nearly four million hours of service to Global Community Day projects in hundreds of cities.  

For this year’s GCD, volunteers got to take part in the Brigada Eskwela where they painted classroom desks and chairs, cleaned classrooms, potted plants and refurbished textbooks for the new school year. They also helped build and paint 10 homes and clear and plough nearby plots in Cavite; conducted workshops on career readiness and finance and legal matters; donated and sorted clothing and toys and watched a movie in cinema with street children; and took part in the Freedom Walk to raise awareness and respect for people with disabilities. 

This year’s GCD partners were the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), Gawad Kalinga, Bayan Academy, ChildHope Philippines, Habitat for Humanity, GMA Kapuso Foundation, World Vision Foundation and the Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRD). 

To learn more about Citi’s citizenship efforts across the globe and to review the 2017 Global Citizenship Report, visit http://citizenship.citigroup.com.