Food

With 6,300 solar panels in operation at its Canlubang Baking Facility (CBF), the Jollibee Group     is fast-tracking its transition to sustainable energy. This is the company’s largest solar panel installation to date. The Jollibee Group’s worldwide sustainability agenda, Joy for Tomorrow, serves as a framework for the company’s commitment to more sustainable business practices, which includes this program.

The Jollibee Group has partnered with First Gen Corporation through Pi Energy Inc. to power one-third of its manufacturing facilities with solar energy through Zenith Foods Corporation (ZFC), a subsidiary of the Jollibee Group. On January 9, 2024, in Canlubang, Laguna, officials from the Jollibee Group and First Gen Corporation led the switch-on ceremonies alongside Calamba City Mayor Roseller Rizal.

During the ceremony, Jollibee Group Supply Chain Head Michael Ong underscored the company’s drive to lessen the environmental impact of its supply chain operations. “In our quest to bring the joy of eating not only for today’s generation but that of tomorrow’s, we integrate solar energy into our state-of-the-art Canlubang Baking Facility. This is our largest installation to date, but this is also just the beginning. We have more locations planned in the months ahead, and we are determined to accelerate further our journey towards carbon neutrality,” he said.

Calamba City Mayor Ross Rizal cited the project’s role in helping achieve the city’s goals on sustainability for the business community. “Your [ZFC] initiative to promote sustainability in your facilities will not only have positive results for your company, but it will also be in solidarity with the government’s call for a more orderly operation of companies that considers many factors, including those that concern our environment,” he said. 

Ong and his team at ZFC started accelerating the integration of sustainable business practices into the Jollibee Group’s commissaries and logistics centers in 2020. The Canlubang Baking Facility is now the second out of the four target sites for solar panel installation. The first one was Zen3, also in Canlubang, which was installed with 3,000 solar panels last November 2023. The solar panel installation in the two other sites is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2024.

These commissaries and logistics centers support the Jollibee Group’s portfolio of brands in the Philippines, such as Jollibee, Greenwich, Burger King, Red Ribbon, Chowking, and Mang Inasal.

Solarizing for the future

First Gen constructed four rooftop solar power plants for ZFC’s commissaries, cold storage, and logistics facilities.

Carlo Vega, First Gen’s Vice President for Power Marketing, Trading, and Economics, said, “We are thankful to Jollibee Group’s ZFC for their trust in our company to be their reliable energy partner in our shared vision of a cleaner and greener future for this generation and the next.”

A journey towards more sustainability

Based on the baseline data from 2020, Ong said that, with the exception of solar energy utilization, waste reduction at Jollibee Group manufacturing locations nationwide has decreased by 38% by 2022. Additionally, the manufacturing facilities have reduced their energy and water use ratios by 21.5% and 23%, respectively.

“We learned that our impact on the planet revolves around three critical areas: energy, water, and waste. With this newfound awareness, we embrace the challenge of ‘Joy for Tomorrow,’ and we set out to establish strategies, systems, and initiatives that will allow us to treat our planet more responsibly,” said Jose Miñana Jr., Jollibee Group’s Chief Sustainability and Public Affairs Officer.

The Reimagine Recycling program, a joint venture between Save Philippine Seas and Coca-Cola Philippines, is pleased to announce the awarding of grants totaling PHP 500,000 to five community-based initiatives.

Reimagine Recycling is in its fifth year of supporting organizations that promote solutions for the circular economy, deal with solid waste management, and improve the welfare of the informal waste sector. This year, the campaign also included grassroots efforts and programs to stop waste from leaking into marine and riverine environments.

Through cash grants, mentorship, and capacity-building seminars on stakeholder management and communications, Reimagine Recycling offers crucial reinforcement.

“We have seen how transformative Reimagine Recycling has been for our past grantees. The funding helps them get to the next level in terms of scale and scope, and the networks of Save Philippine Seas and Coca-Cola Philippines also help create connections with other stakeholders in the waste value chain,” shared Anna Oposa, Executive Director of Save Philippine Seas.

Supporting sustainable initiatives

Following a competitive application process that opened in October 2023, the following projects were selected for grant funding from Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, which can help expand and build a stronger foundation for their respective initiatives:

• RezBin is an initiative by siblings with backgrounds in the startup industry. Realizing that poor disposal habits, aside from the lack of recycling facilities, are also the main causes of plastic waste issues in the Philippines, the project aims to make plastic disposal easy and enjoyable, fostering positive and sustainable habits among Filipinos

• THREADS by PAMMÉ is a training program for informal trash collectors focused on plastic waste recycling. PAMMÉ repurposes plastic waste into sustainable fashion products, contributes to recycling markets, and supports informal livelihoods.

• Love for Green Universe addresses inadequate access to fresh food in urban areas worsened by environmental concerns faced by farmers. The project empowers farmers by repurposing PET bottles as durable UV sheets for crop protection, providing a sustainable alternative to commercially available sheets susceptible to adverse weather conditions.

• After conducting surveys in the coastal barangays of Naawan, Misamis Oriental, COAST discovered community concerns such as beach plastic litter, household plastic management, and reliance on single-use plastics. COAST takes action through initiatives like regular coastal clean-ups, public forums, and strategic partnerships to raise awareness, empower communities, and lay the foundation for sustainable practices.

• Upstyle was founded to transform waste into opportunities for environmental and societal betterment, driven by the escalating waste crisis and economic challenges in certain communities. Their goal is to teach upcycling as a livelihood project, working with dedicated volunteers to create products from waste materials and imparting this skill to communities, providing a sustainable means of earning a living.

Coca-Cola Philippines President Tony Del Rosario expressed gratitude for the ongoing collaboration with Save Philippine Seas in promoting marine conservation. He commended all teams participating in Reimagine Recycling Year 5, saying “Each proposal is truly promising, with a significant impact on the environment and our communities. It was inspiring to connect with brilliant young minds driving change in nation-building through innovative circular economy initiatives.”

Cecile Alcantara, President of Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, also affirmed the foundation’s commitment to supporting innovations that empower communities and inspire Filipinos to initiate their waste solution programs. “As advocates for positive change, we firmly believe in the transformative power of collaboration and its ability to create a lasting impact in our communities,” Alcantara said.

The Foundation reports that past winners of Reimagine Recycling continue to scale up, expand, and benefit underprivileged communities.

• Alon and Araw, which started as a free surfboard borrowing program for local children in exchange for regular participation in weekly beach clean-ups, now work with over 40 underprivileged fisherfolk families vulnerable to threats of climate change. They organize sustainability-related activities for more than 70 children between 5 to 18 years old, whom they call ocean defenders.

• According to the Philippine Textile Research Institute, the country generates the equivalent of 303 Olympic-size pools of textile waste annually. To help address this problem, Barrio Studios devised an idea to transform textile waste into higher-value goods. Through their efforts, they champion textile recycling in the country, help businesses become more sustainable, and create more green jobs for women.

• Smart Recycle PH helps users connect with verified collection partners for their recyclable materials and get to know and shop for sustainable products and services. They assist consumers in earning Smart Recycle Points and converting them into trees with RAFI One to Tree. The initiative has recovered more than 350,000 kilograms of recyclables, received 1,000 tree pledges, and increased its partners to 60.

The Coca-Cola Company declared in 2018 that it will work toward a worldwide circular economy in order to help reduce waste by continuing to use packaging as a valuable resource.Coca-Cola Philippines is speeding up additional waste management solutions in addition to the Reimagine Recycling program by launching “May Ikabobote Pa,” a consumer engagement initiative that aims to educate and engage customers about the steps they can take to recycle their empty plastic bottles.

SavePhilippineseas.org has more information about Reimagine Recycling. Visit coca-cola.com/ph/en/sustainability to learn more about Coca-Cola Philippines’ sustainability-related projects.

In order to promote the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Law, Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), one of the fastest growing restaurant companies in the world, recently signed an agreement with Republic Cement and Building Materials, Inc. (“Republic Cement”).

By adding value or purpose through upcycling or recycling, the EPR law seeks to prolong the life of plastics and decrease the amount of plastic waste generated.

JFC intends to recover post-consumer plastic packaging wastes, divert them from landfills and waterways, and transport them to Republic Cement for co-processing as part of its Joy for Tomorrow’s global sustainability goal.

Republic Cement, a leading local cement manufacturer and the pioneer of co-processing in the country, will use the collected post-consumer packaging wastes as alternative fuel in the cement manufacturing process.

During the MOA signing held at the Republic Cement head office in Taguig City, Republic Cement CEO Mr. Roman Menz emphasized the role of the company in supporting organizations like JFC.

“Republic Cement provides a very important solution to fight plastic pollution by diverting wastes away from landfills and waterways, away from areas where it can negatively affect communities. We are happy to see the commitment of the JFC towards doing their part in solving our current plastic pollution crisis. Republic Cement is with JFC in their journey for a greener, more sustainable world.”

Gerard Paul Filart, JFC Vice President for Network Development Group, said that Republic Cement just celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2023, making the relationship significant and appropriate. “We are dedicated to upholding the three primary pillars of our Global Sustainability Agenda: Food, People, and Planet. Through our collaboration with Republic Cement, we are reducing waste and offering a valuable service. We hope that by doing this, we are contributing to more happiness for tomorrow.” 

The MOA encompasses Jollibee Foods Corporation’s fully owned brands in the Philippines, which include Jollibee, Chowking, Mang Inasal, Greenwich, and Red Ribbon; it also covers JFC’s franchised brands, which are Burger King, Panda Express, and Yoshinoya.

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

Recently, the Jollibee Group and the city government of Pasig, represented by Mayor Vico Sotto, signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the company’s inclusive employment program, which offers gainful employment to qualified senior citizens and people with disabilities (PWD) in a few Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, and Burger King locations in Pasig.

Ruth Angeles, vice president of Jollibee Group, head of global organization leadership and culture, and head of human resources Philippines, claims that the company’s commitment to giving all members of society equal employment opportunities while fostering inclusivity and diversity in the workplace is congruent with the Pasig city government’s partnership.

“We are happy to support the local government unit of Pasig in advancing the interests of our elderly and the differently abled. Through this partnership, we recognize their invaluable role, capacity, and desire to work by giving them the opportunity to become productive members of the community,” Angeles added.

Under the agreement, Pasig City’s Public Employment Services Office (PESO) will assist in conducting initial interviews and profiling of the applicants, while the People with Disability Affairs Office and the Office of the Senior Citizen’s Affairs will provide trainers to assist and instruct qualified applicants prior to deployment.

In the interim, the City Health Office will act as the authorized medical facility to perform health exams and provide certified “fit to work” certificates to eligible candidates. The chosen candidates will work in customer interactions and other “front of house” tasks.

In order to expand the program’s eligibility for older citizens and those with disabilities, Jollibee Group has partnered with the provincial governments of Rizal, Manila, Antipolo, and Muntinlupa in addition to Pasig City.

“We aim to form partnerships with other LGUs in the future so we can help uplift more lives and find qualified and reliable staff who can join us in our mission of spreading the joy of eating to everyone,” Angeles said.

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

Interested students may apply until March 1, 2024.

The Ajinomoto Postgraduate Scholarship Grant for 2025 is now available to Filipinos who wish to study abroad in Japan. The program’s goal is to assist worthy people who need financial aid in order to continue their postgraduate studies in human nutrition and food technology. Applications must be submitted by March 1, 2024.

A complete scholarship to study for a master’s degree at any of the following esteemed Japanese universities: Waseda University, Ochanomizu University, Institute of Science Tokyo, University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Nagoya University, and Kagawa Nutrition University.

“The annual scholarship program is Ajinomoto’s way of giving back to empower the future of food technology and nutrition in the Philippines,” says Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) General Manager of Corporate Planning and Public Relations Roann Co.

The candidate’s examination, admission and tuition costs, psychological and medical evaluations, Japanese language instruction, flights, and monthly stipend will all be covered by the scholarship award.

“I am very happy and thankful for this rare opportunity to study with a full scholarship in one of the most prestigious universities in the world. The Ajinomoto Foundation and Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation has always been consistent in providing me prompt support and guidance. This does not only provide me academic privileges but also allows me to learn new cultures, enjoy good food and make new friends,” shared 2023 awardee Johndel Obra who is currently taking Masters in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Tokyo.

As screening process, the grant requires applicants to have excellent academic records – a graduate or expecting to graduate within the top 5% of their class or with a grade point (GPA) of 3.7 or higher. In return, the chosen scholar is sure to gain a lot from the program in terms of academics as well as life experiences.

“When I was awarded with the 2022 Ajinomoto scholarship, I was very excited because Japan was my dream country to visit. Aside from its advanced technology and innovative research, I found a very welcoming and warm country that felt like a second home to me. The scholarship enabled me to be fully equipped in pursuing my current doctoral research program,” shared Ann Elaine Wagan, a BS Nutrition graduate and the 2022 Ajinomoto Scholarship Awardee now taking up PhD on Applied Biosciences at Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University.

One of Ajinomoto’s main initiatives to improve food science education is the annual scholarship program. The company wants to help people all around the world become more healthy. According to Co., “APC hopes to use the grant to further address food and health issues in the Philippines through innovations led by its passionate scholars.”

Visit  https://www.ajinomoto.com.ph/whats-new-archive/2025-ajinomoto-foundation-postgraduate-scholarship-grant/ to learn more about the 2025 Ajinomoto Postgraduate Scholarship grant.