Food

Women have made major contributions to agriculture, a field generally associated with men, yet these achievements are sometimes overlooked. According to official data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, from 2007 to 2016, roughly 25% of workers in the agricultural sector are women. However, a report from the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) suggests that this figure may not accurately reflect real participation on the ground.

A significant portion of women may be underreported in the agricultural industry since, according to the PCW’s website, “women’s work in agriculture is normally considered to be extensions of their household tasks and therefore not reported as work.”

The Jollibee Group highlights the stories of three female farmers in this article as evidence that women may prosper in the agricultural industry.

Celebrating women farmers

Maricel Sevilleja of San Jose, Nueva Ecija; Noralyn Lopez of Tagudin, Ilocos Sur; and Bernadeth Carandang of Magallanes, Cavite are among the women farmers under the Farmer Entrepreneurship Program (FEP) of the Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF), the social development arm of the Jollibee Group.

The FEP was started in 2008 to help smallholder farmers become entrepreneurs—they learn technical and business skills so they can improve not only their produce, but also their source of livelihood. JGF partners with various organizations to provide the training and interventions, such as helping famers form clusters, so they can collectively meet the volume and quality requirements of buyers like the Jollibee Group.

Sevilleja, now 41 years old and a mother of two, started farming in 2006 when her parents became too old to farm. “Farming is not only for men. We can do what men can,” she said. “Farming may be hard but when you think about it, no work in this world is easy. We only need to learn how to love and enjoy our work.”

“To my fellow women farmers, don’t be afraid to grow and learn more about modern farming. For those who would like to become farmers, welcome! Let’s show the world that women can be great farmers too.”

Like Sevilleja, Noralyn Lopez is also a farmer’s daughter. But farming wasn’t her first choice for work. “Six years akong nagtrabaho as office staff. Tumigil ako last year at nagsimulang tumulong sa tatay ko sa pag-supply ng onion sa Jollibee Group,” she shared.” (I worked as an office staff for six years. I stopped working last year to help my father in farming onions to supply to the Jollibee Group.)

Lopez also shared her encouraging experience: “Wala naman ng gender issue. May gender equality naman na po. Ang mga kasama naman namin sa farming, itinuturing naman na akong kapatid.” (There’s a sense of gender equality. My colleagues see me as their sibling.)

Bernadette Carandang shares the same sentiment. “Kaming mag-asawa, parehong magsasaka. Hindi limitasyon ang pagiging babae para sa ganitong larangan,” she said. (My husband and I are both farmers. Being a woman should never be a hindrance for this type of work.)

Before becoming a farmer, Carandang used to work in an electronics company. Today, she’s also a teacher and a farmer leader of Mag-Samakame cooperative in Cavite. She emphasized the need for sustained programs that help farmers improve their livelihood, such as the FEP.

Helping farmers to become entrepreneurs

“Tinuruan ako ng FEP na gawing matatag na negosyo ang pagsasaka,” Carandang shared. “Bukod sa kaalaman sa makabagong pagsasaka dahil sa mga bigay nitong teknikal na kaalaman, ang paghubog sa aking kamalayan na ang pagsasaka ay isang profession ay hindi matatawaran.” (FEP taught me to turn farming into a stable business. Apart from the technical skills in modern farming that I have learned from them, I have also developed the mindset that farming is a profession. This to me is invaluable.)

The Jollibee Group sources its veggies, including tomatoes, green bell peppers, and white onions, directly from smallholder farmers in the Philippines, including Sevilleja, Lopez, and Carandang, for use in a few of its products, including Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, and Mang Inasal. FEP farmers have produced sales of P370 million over the past five years.

“The Jollibee Group is one of the few institutional buyers. That’s a lot of money you’re making. Currently, we are planning to coordinate with our local government unit to make our connection with institutional buyers more transparent,” Carandang stated. (The Jollibee Group is our first institutional buyer; as a result, our income has increased.) We hope to work with our local government unit to strengthen our relationship with institutional buyers.

But one of the greater challenges that must be addressed these days is how the younger generation perceives farming.  “Sabi ko nga sa mga estudyante ko, ‘Ano ang gusto niyo maging pag dating ng araw?’ Walang may gusto mag farming. Ngayon, tinuturuan ko sila na ang agriculture ay hindi pang mahirap. Ito ay business. Kung may farmer, may pag-asa,” Carandang said. (I asked my students, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ No one wants to become a farmer. Now I’m teaching them that farming is not a poor man’s job. It is a business. When we have more farmers, we have more hope for the future.)

To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com

Through the Salamuch Crew program, McDonald’s Philippines expressed gratitude to its dedicated crew members operating in all of its McDonald’s restaurants countrywide for their dedication to bringing out the best in people.

Launched in November 2023, “Salamuch, Crew!” aims to create a culture of kindness among McDonald’s patrons, employees, and managers by deepening the meaning of the phrase “thank you” and providing avenues for expressing gratitude and appreciation.

  
“We’re very excited to celebrate our first ever National Salamuch, Crew! Day simultaneously in our stores all over the Philippines. Salamuch Crew! is McDonald’s way of saying thank you together with our customers, to our close to 60,000 crew who serve our customers every day and allow us to continue growing in the country. It is very heartwarming to read the notes and stories from our customers about how our crew made their McDonald’s experience great, and how these stories foster a deeper sense of appreciation and recognition among our crew,” said Adi Hernandez, Assistant Vice President for Corporate Relations and Impact, McDonald’s Philippines.

The project began with the launch of the “Salamuch!” virtual wall, an innovative platform that allowed customers to express their gratitude through personalized messages to crew members. This included ten gigantic, IG-worthy walls in select stores such as Katipunan, UN Del Pilar, and Commonwealth. Additionally, physical drop boxes for handwritten notes were made available in selected stores, with the most heartfelt messages displayed on picturesque, social media-ready walls. Across the platforms, the call to express their “thank you” to the crews drew in thousands of messages.

“By leading with gratitude, McDonald’s Philippines is not only elevating the workplace experience of our crew and managers, but we also aim to inspire more in the service industry to do the same– make every individual feel valued, empowered, and fulfilled in their work,” added Hernandez. The culminating event took place last April 17 at the Quezon Avenue-Ligaya store, which was broadcast live via Zoom to over 380 McDonald’s locations nationwide, including the latest addition in Tacloban, Leyte. The Quezon Avenue-Ligaya and Tacloban celebrations gathered almost a hundred participants, including media and other invited guests.

The day was filled with fun activities, including games, bonding exercises, raffles, and their favorite McDonald’s meals, all meticulously organized for the company’s crew members. A special segment of the event involved reading aloud the best customer letters from the “Salamuch!” drop boxes, further fostering a sense of community and appreciation.

Salamuch Crew Certificates were given to employees in recognition of their exceptional contributions, highlighting the importance of positive recognition in the workplace.

Highlighting the event was a surprise video appearance by showbiz personality and social media influencer Nikko Natividad, who shared inspiring words about how his experience as a food service crew played a role in his journey to success in the entertainment industry.

“Every crew member is a truly valuable member of McDonald’s Philippines. We work towards ensuring that our workplace culture is welcoming and inclusive, allowing for our people to do their work well and grow,” said Ben Marasigan, Vice President for Human Capital Group, McDonald’s Philippines, who was present at the McDonald’s branch in Quezon City where the media was invited to witness the celebration. This is based on progressive people practices like direct hiring, flexible scheduling, benefits available only at McDonald’s, and a training and development program that fosters growth. Our Chairman and master franchise holder for McDonald’s Philippines, Dr. George Yang, is a strong supporter of this philosophy. Yang has always held the view that investing in people and the things that help them feel and be their best is necessary for success and growth.

“Salamuch, Crew! Day” served as a potent reminder of compassion and thankfulness rather than just being a campaign or an occasion. By doing this, McDonald’s Philippines intends to inspire more Filipinos to genuinely say “thank you” or “Salamuch” to those who serve us on a daily basis in the service industry and beyond, in addition to celebrating the accomplishments of its workforce.

On March 23, 2024, over 4,700 Jollibee Group stores and facilities in the Philippines, China, North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia will turn off their lights in solidarity with over 190 other countries to raise awareness about the negative effects of climate change on the environment.

The following restaurants will donate an hour for the Earth: Highlands Coffee in Vietnam; Tim Ho Wan, Yonghe King, and Hong Zhuang Yuan in China; Jollibee, Smashburger, and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in North America and Canada; and Mang Inasal, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Panda Express, Yoshinoya, Burger King, and Common Man Coffee Roasters branches in the Philippines. until nine thirty p.m. (local time), as they will all turn out their lights at the same time, including their billboards and signage.

Pepot Miñana Jr., Jollibee Group’s Chief Sustainability and Public Affairs Officer, emphasized: “We believe that all actions count in helping ensure a sustainable future. While participating in Earth Hour starts with turning off the lights, it serves a bigger purpose of being a visible and important reminder that we can take deliberate steps to make a profound difference on the planet.”

Energy management priority

Energy Efficiency is one of the major focus areas under the Jollibee Group’s Sustainability Agenda called Joy for Tomorrow. Under this priority area, the Company has set reduction goals and initiatives that are aligned with and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly “Affordable and Clean Energy” (Goal #7) and “Responsible Consumption and Production” (Goal #12).

The Jollibee Group has implemented several energy-saving measures in its stores and commissaries to manifest this goal. This year, the Company will continue increasing the total number of solar-paneled stores to 64, on top of solar installations in its facilities.

After powering up an extensive 6,300 solar panel installation in its Canlubang Baking Facility last January, the Jollibee Group’s supply chain will mark another milestone by solarizing its two remaining sites, C3 and Jollibee Worldwide Services Logistics, by the second quarter of 2024.

After achieving a 28.2% reduction in energy consumption ratio in 2023, these manufacturing and logistics locations aim to further increase their energy reduction by the end of the year in order to continue supporting the Company’s expanding sustainable business practices.

Every year on the final Saturday of March, Earth Hour is observed in about 190 nations and territories. It encourages millions of people to take action by turning down their lights for one hour in order to limit their consumption of natural resources.

To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com

The Canadian Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay, the Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman, and other important Canadian government and business representatives were recently hosted at the Pasig City, Philippines, headquarters of the Jollibee Group, which is led by President and Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Tanmantiong.

In honor of the 75th anniversary of Philippine-Canadian relations, Minister MacAulay’s visit is a part of Canada’s efforts to deepen relations with the Philippines and look into potential areas of cooperation.

“It is a privilege to host The Honorable Minister MacAulay, His Excellency Ambassador Hartman, and the Canadian delegation to the Jollibee Group,” shared Ernesto Tanmantiong, Chief Executive Officer of the Jollibee Group. “This comes at an opportune time as we recently opened our 100^th Jollibee store in North America, right in Canada’s British Columbia. We thank the Canadian people for welcoming us since day one of our first store opening. Their warm and ever-increasing patronage gives us more joy to expand in Canada and North America, which is a key pillar of our global expansion.”

“During my visit to the Philippines and Malaysia, I had the pleasure of meeting with a number of food companies that source our world-class Canadian agricultural products, including the wonderful folks at Jollibee. With the opening of our first-ever Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office, we are cementing our presence in the region for years to come and boosting trade and cooperation on both sides of the Pacific,” said Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

During the meeting, Minister MacAulay underscored Canada’s commitment to helping build resilient, sustainable supply chains in the region as part of its Indo-Pacific Agriculture strategy.

Alongside Minister MacAulay and Ambassador Hartman were the Honorable Kevin Lamoureux, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the House of Commons; Paul MacKinnon, President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency; and other key representatives from Canada’s agriculture and agri-food industry. Mr. Tanmantiong was joined by William Tan Untiong, Chief Business Support Officer; Joseph Tanbuntiong, Jollibee Group Chief Business Officer; David Beal, Global Chief Marketing Officer; Ferns Yu, President of Jollibee Philippines; and other representatives from Jollibee brand and Jollibee Group procurement.

To cap off the visit, the Canadian delegation made a brief stop at Jollibee’s 1000^th Philippine store at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. They were warmly treated to a Jolly Kids Party, which, for many members of the delegation, also served as their very first taste of Jollibee’s bestsellers such as Chickenjoy fried chicken and Jolly Spaghetti.

Jollibee’s Presence in Canada

Jollibee opened its first store in Canada in Winnipeg in 2016, and currently has 28 stores across the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.

The 100th Jollibee location in North America is located in Canada as well; it debuted in Surrey, British Columbia, in January of last year. Huge lines formed hours in advance to sample their favorite Jollibee dishes, a sign of the company’s solid equity and mouthwatering menu. The lengthy line brought back memories of the first Canada store opening in Winnipeg, where customers had to wait in bitter cold and lots of snow.

According to recent rankings by reputable independent brand valuation and strategy firm Brand Finance, Jollibee is the fifth strongest brand globally and the second fastest-growing restaurant brand.

To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com