REUTERS

WELLS FARGO Philippines on Friday said that encouraging employees to take part in company-led volunteer work can foster both personal growth and professional development.

“There are a lot of opportunities for them to really live a more purposeful life, find meaning in the process that relates to them or that they care about,” Wells Fargo Philippines Vice-President of Philanthropy and Community Impact Angelo Bernardo B. Tapia told reporters at the opening of WISE Bazaar.

“They are also able to elevate their skills and competencies as an employee,” he added.

According to doctor and health reform advocate Anthony C. Leachon, corporate volunteering reflects a culture of compassion, integrity, and shared purpose, which allows employees to reconnect with their values, communities, and themselves.

“In environments governed by strict corporate standards, volunteering offers a humanizing counterbalance,” he told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.

Mr. Leachon added that volunteerism has a profound impact on mental health. It can be observed in enhanced intellectual engagement, emotional resilience, and spiritual well-being of workers.

“It fosters a sense of belonging and meaning, which are essential pillars of mental health,” he said. “When employees are given space to serve others, they often rediscover their own strength, empathy, and joy.”

Jai Delos Santos, a customer service manager at Wells Fargo Philippines, said that she experienced personal fulfillment and skills improvement since she started volunteering in 2018.

“Aside from opening up my network, because I get to communicate with other people that share the same cause I am interested in, it also has built my leadership skills,” she said in an interview.

“It reinstated my belief that the best result really comes from having empathy, commitment, and collaboration, which I also apply in my professional life,” she added. — Almira Louise S. Martinez