building a better future - Cemex

our approach
At CEMEX, we recognize that empowerment is the most
durable form of community support. Through productive and
ongoing dialogues with our host communities, we are able
to target the issues that are most socially and economically
restrictive on local scales, and respond with practical solutions.
We develop programs and tools that catalyze skills
development, self-sufficiency, and entrepreneurship among
their participants.
Given the scope of CEMEX’s community involvement, each
initiative is built around our Social Investment Guidelines,
Responsible Operation Guidelines, and our stakeholder-engagement
parameters. In this manner, we are able to maximize
the effectiveness of our community initiatives for local
constituents as well as our business.
Throughout our global markets, we have observed many
consistent community challenges, some of which include the
following:
• Access to housing
• Integrity of local infrastructure
• Quality and conditions of community institutions (schools,
hospitals, community centers, etc.)
• Disaster relief imperatives
• Insufficient educational resources
challenges ahead:
Speeding the process to replicate community
engagement initiatives in our operations, especially
in countries with emerging economies.
Continuing to raise the profile of social programs
so all our employees become engaged
and play an active role.
Through major initiatives such as Patrimonio Hoy, our Productive
Centers of Self Employment (PCS) program, and our
new Construction School launched through CEMEX-TEC, we
leverage our operational capabilities and business skills to
help community members address these issues, improve the
quality and dignity of their lives, and secure better futures for
themselves. Supporting the socioeconomic development of
our markets in this way, we are building strong relationships
that will help not only communities, but also our own business,
to grow and prosper.
Patrimonio Hoy: much more
than a house
Patrimonio Hoy is our flagship community initiative, which
is dedicated to helping low-income families reach their selfconstruction
goals. Established in 1998, the award-winning
program combines the global presence of CEMEX distribution
centers with the power of microcredit, to offer families
financial and technical assistance in the construction of their
homes. With more than 100 offices in Latin America, Patrimonio
Hoy enables families to build or improve their homes
more quickly, more efficiently, and with better materials—
concrete, cement blocks, and steel—that otherwise would
not be possible within their means.
While Patrimonio Hoy was first launched in Mexico, we have
steadily increased the presence and impacts of the program
in other Latin American countries. In Colombia, for example,
families benefitting from Patrimonio Hoy have increased
nearly tenfold since the program entered the country in
2005. This growth pattern speaks to the widespread need
for improved access to affordable housing, and CEMEX is
committed to meeting this demand both through innovative
community programming and by expanding the availability
of comprehensive housing solutions.
353,856
families benefited since the
Patrimonio Hoy inception,
helping them build 2.5 million
square meters of housing.
Dom. Rep. Mexico Colombia Nicaragua Costa Rica Total
Expansion of the Patrimonio Hoy program
New partners 2010 134 42,345 1,992 561 67 45,099
New partners 2011 168 41,692 2,520 998 167 45,545
Total partners 267 335,865 11,383 5,613 728 353,856
Total square meters built 1,707 2,532,252 39,327 18,219 1,589 2,593,094
Read more about Patrimonio Hoy at www.cemex.com/SustainableDevelopment/LowIncomeHousing.aspx
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