A Whistleblower Policy has been in place since 2004 to promote the highest standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of the Company’s affairs.

The policy aims to deter and uncover corrupt, illegal, unethical, fraudulent or other conduct detrimental to the Group’s interests committed by officers and employees as well as third parties/any other persons such as suppliers and contractors. The Group encourages its officers and employees, suppliers and contractors to provide information that evidences unsafe, unlawful, unethical, fraudulent or wasteful practices. It does not disregard anonymous complaints.

This policy enables the Group to effectively deal with reports from whistleblowers in a manner that will protect the identity of the whistleblower and provide for the appropriate use of the information provided. It also establishes the policies for protecting whistleblowers against reprisal by any person internal or external to the Company and provide for the appropriate infrastructure including the appointment of a “Whistleblower Protection Officer”, a “Whistleblower Investigations Officer” and alternative means of reporting.

The Board, together with the Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee, had appointed a Protection Officer as well as an Investigations Officer to administer the Company’s Whistleblower programme.

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Pursuant to the Code of Business Ethics (the “Code” for purposes of this section), all employees are prohibited from engaging in any activity or harbouring any personal interests that conflict or appear to conflict with the Company’s interests.

All employees are required to disclose any conflict of interest on an annual basis.

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 The Company implements a Securities Dealings Policy which adopts and operationalises the statutory prohibition on certain designated persons within the Company to deal in the Company’ securities while in possession of unpublished material price-sensitive information and/or to provide such information to others.

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To be updated

1. What are the company’s policy for its employees’ safety, health, and welfare?
   
   The Company is committed to provide its employees a safe and healthy working environment. It is also committed in upholding fundamental human rights and adhering to labor standards.
   
   The health and safety of our employees are of paramount concern to the Company. We strive to provide a workplace free of preventable hazards and to comply with all laws and regulations governing workplace safety and health, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

2. Show data relating to health, safety and welfare of its employees.
   1. Safety, Health and Environment AwarenessThe Company is mindful of the employees’ health and safety. As such, it provides an ongoing safety training of plantation and cannery employees, and enforce the use of personal protective equipment (PPEs) required in performing their duties and responsibilities.
      
      These safety trainings have been extended to our service providers in both the plantation and cannery. We conducted inspection of trucks, safety talks, imposed the use of PPEs and initiated accident forums on safety and training on defensive driving.
      
      
   2. Welfare of EmployeesWorkers are paid above average rates in the industry, and are informed of the terms and conditions of employment prior to their appointment. They also undergo annual medical examinations or whenever required. Child and forced labor and any other form of exploitation are not practised. Discrimination on the grounds of nationality, ethnic group, religion, age and gender is also not practised.
      
      A comprehensive package of salaries and fringe benefits for employees is considered one of the most upgraded packages for agri-industrial workers in Southern Philippines. Employees enjoy benefits which include:
      1. Free retirement plan with a vesting provision granting benefits to employees with 10 or more years of service upon resignation.
      2. Voluntary supplementary provident plan with a vesting provision granting benefits to employees with 10 or more years of service.
      3. Medical and Dental plan – administered by a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) which includes free hospitalization at the company’s 95-bed hospital and accredited hospitals and clinics; medicines; and medical and dental services.
      4. Housing Benefits
         1. Company Housing Units (for Plantation employees only); and
         2. Monthly Housing Subsidy for those not enjoying company housing units.
      5. Rice Allowance.
      6. Free transportation to and from work.
      7. Free school bus for employees’ children.
      8. Annual vacation ranging from 16 to 25 days based on years of service.
      9. Sick leave with pay for 16 to 18 days for the rank-and-file, and 19 to 20 days for supervisors and executives.
      10. Bereavement leave of 3 days with pay.
      11. Paternity leave of 7 days with pay, up to four entitlements.
      12. Death benefits: 12 months salary based on current rate or the employee’s Personal Retirement Account (PRA) consisting of Company’s contributions and earnings, whichever is higher, plus 1 week’s pay per year of regular service but not exceeding 6 weeks’ pay.
      13. Scholarship programs.
      14. Educational, religious and recreational facilities.
      15. 18-hole golf course open to all employees.
      16. Maintains and subsidizes schools (Del Monte School, Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School and Holy Cross High School).
      17. Voluntary Membership to Consumer and Credit Cooperatives for all employees.

      The Group’s agro-industrial workers enjoy one of the most attractive compensation and benefit packages. Complementing government-mandated privileges for all employees and qualified dependents is a broad range of free medical and dental services, a comprehensive retirement package, and voluntary plans for providential and insurance benefits.
      
      In Mindanao, the Plantation employees live with their families in Group-owned houses and dormitories (for unmarried employees) within housing camps complete with social hall, chapel, playground and plaza, day care centre, primary and secondary schools, camp clinics and a 100-bed hospital managed by a medical service provider. Employee-organized cooperatives provide our workers with services that enhance economic benefits for their families. Cooperative members enjoy annual dividends and patronage refunds.
      
      Children of the Cannery employees enjoy free year-round weekend tutorials on basketball and, as scheduled, other sports (tennis, swimming, martial arts) and creative skills (photography, theatre arts). Core Values are introduced through learning exposure that help them grow a strong sense of community and family life.

3. State the company’s training and development programs for its employees. Show the data.
   1. Training and Development

      The Group cultivates a culture of excellence in encouraging its people to innovate and strive for continuous improvement. To address this, the following programs and projects are being implemented by the Group:

      • The Group’s Roadmap to Global Competitiveness focuses on building the capabilities of each employee on the ground. With the Center of Excellence on Talent Management, key leaders at the plantation, cannery and Philippine market have developed a Competency Framework that will guide their teams towards achieving the Company’s Strategic Roadmap
      • The following training facilities on-site help employees upgrade technical and other skills:

      At “PineU” (Pineapple University), plantation personnel hone their farming expertise through formal sessions and benchmarking trips. “ManU” (Manufacturing University) opened a breakthrough for cannery staff to reorient on processes and adapt to new technologies. ManU also administers two-year supervisory and trade-traineeship programs for high-potential applicants and long-serving employees. On the faculty are our senior managers, who count among leading experts in their respective fields. Similar development programs are implemented in Finance through its Finance University and Marketing’s Brand Leadership University (BLU).

      • A management succession plan is also in place, with deep bench of candidates trained among our ranks to immediately assume responsibilities of Key Management Personnel in the event of vacancy.
   2. Employee Engagement

      As part of the ongoing employee engagement programs, our employees in the Philippines are involved in various activities that promote a healthy work-life balance.

      It has been the Company’s tradition to give back to the community by visiting various communities. The employees volunteer their time to help make lives better for the less fortunate, our way of being a blessing to others.

      Competition on various sporting events in Manila, the cannery and plantation are held each year. These sporting events extend to the employees’ dependents in summer during school break. Programs include sports, music, arts outreach and eco-projects.

      To improve employee communication, our Human Resources Department in the Philippines has enhanced the online HRIS system called MyHR, an online system that maximizes technology for fast and accurate employment transactions. Employees can access and update their personal data, apply for leave, request for certificate of employment, view corporate announcements, download HR forms, policies and videos, and update and monitor employee performance.

      Other employee engagement initiatives by the company include the Montee stores, where employees can purchase DMPI products at a discount, and the Montee Pass, a tie-up with various restaurants and stores for employee discounts and privileges.

      In the Philippines, Labor-Management Cooperation (LMC) councils meet regularly to discuss and decide issues affecting employees, their families, the Group and the community. Memorandums of Agreement (MOA) with three key labor unions stipulate wage increases and enhancements in benefits for farm and factory workers from year to year.

      LMCs prepare the ground for efficient and short negotiations between Union and Management, as manifested in the signing of two MOA’s covering enhanced economic and social benefits for approximately 3,000 employees at the plantation and cannery in the Philippines.

4. State the company’s reward/compensation policy that accounts for the performance of the company beyond short-term financial measures

The Group is committed to providing a motivating environment that recognizes and rewards our employees based on performance, teamwork, and continuous improvement in both the short term and long term, and should be designed to:

1. Motivate our employees to deliver the company’s profitable growth goals;
2. Reward performance;
3. Retain top performers and high potentials; and
4. Promote teamwork.

• The Company’s performance incentive plan aims to motivate and reward employees who contribute towards attaining and exceeding the Company’s annual business objectives. The award is based on the degree to which divisional and corporate financial objectives are met. This incentive plan covers employees at the levels of supervisors and above.
• The Company is one of the first in the Philippines who offered the “flexible benefits program” where regular monthly paid employees of its subsidiary are able to choose their own set of benefits that will support their personal health and wellness objectives. The range of options includes spa and massage services, membership in fitness gyms, sign-up for sports tournaments, educational subsidy for dependents, optical allowance, etc.
• The Company rewards all regular employees for their dedicated and continuous service upon completing a minimum of 5 years and every 5 years thereafter, up to 40 years of service through the Service Awards Program. The awardee receives a special token and an increasing cash amount for each milestone year.

Del Monte recognises the responsibility of business to respect human rights in all aspects of its operations. We expect our employees, suppliers and contractors to adhere to the same human rights principles. We do not tolerate human rights abuses and violations and shall enforce this zero tolerance policy for any human rights violations that our operations might come across.

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