DBS

Jakarta, 13 March, 2010 – It is common for large corporations to donate to communities around the country affected by natural disasters. Nevertheless, financial donations in any amount cannot bring back the livelihood and erase painful memories of loss experienced by these communities. With such knowledge in mind, DBS Indonesia is planning to give back and rebuild the community of Padang Pariaman by going a step further beyond financial aid.

Employees from various DBS branches in Indonesia will work together with the community of Padang Pariaman, an area devastated by a 7.6 Richter earthquake not long ago, to rebuild and restore its livelihood to what it once was.

This program is no mere volunteer work for all DBS employees involved. For them, the decision to volunteer is based on true feelings of philanthropy as many of them can personally relate to the conditions of the stricken community.

“For me, spending my time and energy to give back to the community in Padang means much more than just financial aid to help our brothers and sisters in need. Back in 2004, I was unable to help those in Aceh affected by the tsunami, not even my own family”, said DBS Indonesia Management Trainee Josia C Meutia.

“We therefore hope that through emotional support and spending our time and energy to help the people of Padang Pariaman, we could at least restore smiles on their faces. When that happens, it will be such a valuable and unforgettable experience that I know we cannot find anywhere else,” she added.

This volunteering program is a continuation of a fund-raising event held last October called “Hair for Padang Hope Rally” that involved five senior managers in Consumer Banking. In this symbolic event that showcased true benevolence and care for the community of Padang Pariaman, DBS Group and DBS Indonesia succeeded in collecting Rp 1 billion it channelled to Habitat for Humanity.

“This program goes to show how the energy and “can do spirit” of DBS employees used to serve customers can also be applied in our community program. This program is the initial step in a continuous DBS Indonesia effort up until the stage of rebuilding homes in late 2010,” commented DBS Indonesia Vice President of Group Strategic marketing and Corporate Communications Deffy Lisa Hardjono.

As Asia’s Bank of Choice, DBS is also concerned of about issues affecting the community at large and strives to uplift the quality of life, particularly in Asia,” added Deffy.

This humanitarian program will continue for four days from March 11 – March 14 in Padang Pariaman, and involve local prominent figures, women, psychologists and residents, 40 local children between the ages of 3 and 12, as well as members of the Habitat for Humanity. Scheduled events include rebuilding of residential homes, fun and educational activities for children and film screenings by Indonesian filmmakers.

About PT Bank DBS Indonesia
Since its establishment in 1997, PT Bank DBS Indonesia ("DBSI") has grown its branch network from three in 2004 to 40 branches and sub-branches in 11 cities in Indonesia (Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Pekanbaru, Palembang, Makassar, Pontianak, Samarinda). The launch of five consumer finance centres known as "Rumah DBS" has further expanded DBSI' customer franchise.

With over 1,100 dedicated and experienced staff and a network spanning across four major islands in Indonesia, DBSI is also actively involved with local communities through its cultivation of young talent to become managers across its businesses. DBSI also organises voluntary charitable programmes to help needy children in Indonesia.

Named "Best Trade Finance Bank" for three years running and recipient of the "Rising Star Cash Management Bank" award in 2009, DBSI provides a comprehensive range of banking services including corporate lending, trade financing, consumer financing, treasury, and wealth management for its corporate or individual clients in Indonesia.

About DBS

DBS - Living, Breathing Asia

DBS is the largest bank in Singapore, a leading bank in Hong Kong and is one of the largest financial services groups in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, DBS has operations in 16 markets and is a well-capitalised bank with "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings, one of the highest in the Asia Pacific region.

As a bank that specialises in Asia, DBS leverages its insights, deep understanding of the region and appreciation of local cultures to serve and build lasting relationships with its clients. DBS provides a full range of services in corporate, SME, consumer and wholesale banking activities across Asia and the Middle East. DBS will leverage its growing presence in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to intermediate the increasing trade and investment flows in the Greater China region. The bank is also focused on extending its footprint and facilitating capital flows in fast-growing Indonesia and India.

DBS acknowledges the passion, commitment and can-do spirit in each of its 14,000 staff, representing over 30 nationalities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com. 

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About Habitat for Humanity Indonesia
Habitat for Humanity Indonesia established in 1997. This is a non profit organization dedicated to eliminating homelessness and poverty housing though building simple, decent and affordable houses for the low income families and disaster affected families. Habitat invites people from various background, race and religion together to build a house for the families needed. Habitat has eight branches in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Batam, Medan, Bali and Manado. More than 20,000 families all over Indonesia have been served by Habitat, thanks to Habitat partners and volunteers. In five years time, HFH Indonesia aims to reach 100,000 families. In Disaster Response Project, HFH Indonesia has assisted more than 5,000 families of Aceh Tsunami year 2004, more than 1,000 families of Yogyakarta Earthquake year 2006, and more than 1,000 victim families of Jakarta Flood year 2007.