Food

His mother contracted German measles while carrying him. Jan Aldrin L. Lontoc, 31, was born deaf as a result. Lontoc, however, refused to let his illness stand in the way of his goals in life, which included becoming the best version of himself and contributing significantly to his community. Lontoc worked as a part-time server for a catering firm after completing a two-year course in hotel and restaurant services. Additionally, he worked with Bench and Hapee Toothpaste.

“I learned about the Caravan Food Group, Inc. when I submitted my resume at the UNILAB Office. And that was the start of my working relationship with Elait in 2017,” Lontoc said.

The Caravan Food Group Inc. is the company behind Elait and Overdoughs. Elait offers ice cream where customers can witness ice cream being rolled with their favorite flavors right in front of them. Overdoughs, on the other hand, offers their very own versions of donuts or doughnuts, mouthwatering chunky cookies or Chonky Cookies, brownies or brookies, pizza and fries.

What makes these two establishments stand out is that they provide employment and opportunities for the deaf.

“When I was a teenager, I remember visiting a clothing shop. The employees at the shop were all at the cashier talking to each other. And then there was a guy who approached me but he was not talking. He was trying his best to really assist me and it was then that I noticed that there was a name tag and the word deaf was placed,’ recalled Francis Carl Reyes, CEO and Founder of Caravan Food Group Inc.

That was Reyes’ first experience with a deaf person who he felt was the “epitome of good customer service. No matter who you are, he is going to assist you. No judgement.” That experience made him decide that he would employ deaf partners for his store.

He tried out the deaf partner program initially with Elait. When he saw that it was doing well, he implemented it at Overdoughs. Initially, Reyes started with two able and two deaf partners and he would be observing how they were doing their jobs.

Before he was deployed in Elait, Lontoc underwent training and he said that it was a good experience for him.

“I learned a lot during my training with Elait. I learned how to roll the ice cream properly and serve customers. After a while, my supervisors gave me the opportunity to transfer to Overdoughs. There, I learned to prepare the doughnuts and our best-selling Chonky Cookies,” Lontoc said.

In spite of the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, Lontoc persevered and rose the ranks to become a team leader in just five years.

“As of now, I am currently in training to be an area supervisor and I am very thankful to my managers because they are very supportive,” Lontoc said.

In the upcoming months, Lontoc will undoubtedly be busy as Reyes plans to turn more of their Overdoughs locations into cafes so that guests can enjoy their other offerings, which include pizzas, fried chicken, fries, and empanadas.

At the moment, Overdoughs has one such location in Greenhills where patrons may not only enjoy wonderful food but also do good.

“I have learned to do my best, to be patient, trustworthy, dependable and reliable. I want to be a successful area supervisor, a position, I hope I can have for a lifetime. Now that I am married, I want to have a stable job for my family,” Lontoc said.

The 22nd of August is National Siopao Day, so save the date! And what better way to honor this day than by indulging in the top Asado Siopao in the nation? Chowking is going all out by offering a buy one, get one deal on its popular Chunky Asado Siopao.

From 2 PM to 4 PM on August 22, customers can enjoy this promo in any Chowking branch nationwide, through the Chowking Delivery website (chowkingdelivery.com), via the Chowking App, or even on food delivery platforms.

Known for its Hong Kong-style Asado filling packed in a soft, fluffy bun, the Chowking Chunky Asado Siopao boasts of its full-bodied roasted flavor which is achieved through a meticulous slow-roasting process. Each siopao is infused with a generous amount of sauce, guaranteed to satisfy every customer.

Customers of Chowking mark your calendars for August 22 and share your National Siopao Day experience using the hashtag #ChowkingNationalSiopaoDay and tag ChowkingPH on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Tiktok. Follow the Chowking Facebook  page here for additional information about National Siopao Day. Holiday of the National Siopao – B1T1 DTI Fair Trade Permit No. The 2022 Series of FTEB-148685

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

Provincial consumers can fill their shopping bags with as many fresh fruits and vegetables for only P399 while also helping our Filipino farmers

Community grocery giant WalterMart continues to improve its retail offering while the nation deals with post-pandemic difficulties including rising costs and inflation consequences by launching the UNLI FRESH program in major provinces like Cavite, Batangas, Pampanga, and Bulacan.

These provincial communities will receive a value-oriented shopping experience from UNFLI FRESH thanks to its partnership with core trade partner Mayani, the nation’s fastest-growing farm-to-table platform with a network of over 139,000 smallholder farmers and fisherfolks, beginning with Waltermart Bacoor this August 5–7.

“We see this as a pro-active shared step towards making fresh produce and agricultural products more accessible, value-driven, and perhaps most importantly in light of the growing provincial demand, more inclusive to the evolving consumer base beyond the metropolis,” said Lance Villanueva, the Co-Founder and Chief of Fulfillment of Mayani.

Villanueva also pointed out that this builds on the impact partnership momentum WalterMart and Mayani started after jointly activating their Palengke Fresh and Community Pantry network support projects in 2021.

“With the recent earthquake up in the north and the disruption in the agricultural sector, this undertaking could not have come at a more relevant time,” Villanueva adds.

WalterMart will elevate the shopping experience through a dedicated UNLI FRESH grocery pavilion while being compliant with its 5S safe shopping program: Screening, Shield, Sanitation, Social distancing, and Service Heart. The said spot will also be festive in terms of fresh options – a wide assortment that the consumers can fill their bags with for only P399.

“I believe there is no better time to let our provincial shoppes enjoy our UNLIFRESH than now. At WalterMart, it is our mission to elevate our customers’ shopping experience. Because of this we want to give all of our shoppers the chance to enjoy the UNLIFRESH activity that we have initially offered in select Manila stores. Not only does it give value, we believe it also adds fun to the whole shopping mission,” said Len Salita, Vice President for Merchandising and Head of the Fresh Department of WalterMart.

Salita adds that Mayani has been a long-time partner of WalterMart and the common values that they share simply defines the success of this endeavor. “We trust that given Mayani’s strong network, we will be able to deliver the real value of having directly sourced fresh fruits and vegetables within our customers’ reach, and the same time extend the much needed market linkage to our partner farmers.”

UNLI FRESH will arrive in a caravan from Friday to Sunday at various provincial WalterMart Malls: from August 12 to 14 in Tanauan, Batangas; from August 19 to 21 in San Fernando, Pampanga; and from August 26 to 28 in Sta Maria, Bulacan.

One and all, please! All kinds of toys and characters participate in the new Happy Meal Carnival Deal at McDonald’s Philippines!

Children will receive an additional surprise item with every Happy Meal purchase thanks to the Carnival Deal, a unique Happy Meal promotion. Children have countless opportunities to spice up playing if they bring home new toys! Despite the few and missed opportunities for outside discoveries and adventures, the Happy Meal Carnival Deal and its selection of toys allow kids to explore in a different way: by developing their imaginative worlds. Children may create their very own toy circus with a range of toys included, including those with science themes, fairy tale themes, and even dinosaur toys!

McDonald’s is prepared to bring the fun and excitement with every Happy Meal purchase, whether you choose to eat informally to take advantage of the lively restaurant atmosphere, stop by the drive-thru or take out window on the expressway before leaving for a family outing, or order McDelivery to enjoy quality time together at home on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Let kids unleash their inner ringleader with the McDonald’s Happy Meal Carnival Deal and encourage their creativity! Utilize this unique deal offered at McDonald’s Dine-In, Drive Thru, Take Out, and McDelivery from July 22 to August 11 to turn playtime into a show.

According to Kenneth Yang, President & CEO of McDonald’s Philippines, “our basic commitment at McDonald’s has always been about generating meaningful, feel-good moments for our customers and staff, and making a difference in the community.” Together with his father, Chairman and Founder Dr. George Yang, Mr. Yang, who is the majority owner and master franchise holder, has always been passionate about fostering great experiences through the brand’s products and services as well as in how it interacts and connects with its clients.

Through the years, these initiatives have not only touched the emotions of Filipinos but have also resulted in brand and economic growth—even in trying times like the pandemic. With its reliable, high-quality cuisine, cutting-edge services, assistance for its employees and underserved communities, and role as a partner of the government in battling the pandemic, McDonald’s has stayed resilient and maintained its recovery momentum heading into 2022.

Demonstrating how its campaigns and initiatives have become a force for good, McDonald’s Philippines recently won several awards at the recently concluded APAC Tambuli Awards. Organized from Manila by the School of Communication of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) in collaboration with local and international industry partners, the Tambuli Awards focus on mainstream brand campaigns that celebrate humanity, inspire purpose, and deliver results.

Committed to uplift the poor and marginalized sectors, McDonald’s launched a corporate campaign “Serving communities with good food and kindness” to highlight how the QSR giant leveraged its scale, operations and employees to gather support from the government, stakeholders, and partners to help those communities in need.

This campaign won in the Corporate Purpose category, Hunger and Poverty, a new award category that highlights the reason for why a business exists, as reflected in its mission, vision, goals, strategic direction, culture, and practices, for the common good of its employees, other stakeholders, and the communities they serve.

Reflecting McDonald’s commitment to promoting nation-building while developing a sense of responsibility among Filipinos, the Voter Registration Countdown took the Bronze in the Humanity and Culture Category for Responsible Citizenship. This campaign encouraged citizens to exercise their right to vote by offering a generous discount voucher on McDonald’s meals as an incentive for registering.

Also recognized was the Share the Light campaign, McDonald’s omnibus holiday campaign, which took customers on a Ride-Thru Christmas Lights Show experience; brought community cheer through Share-A-Meal; and delighted customers with holiday desserts and Coke aluminum cup collectibles. The campaign garnered a Bronze in the Media category – Brand Experience and Activation for the Drive-Thru Light show and was a finalist for the digital, social, and e-commerce category.

On the other hand, McDonald’s tribute to mothers on Mother’s Day, in the form of a touching video ‘A Mother’s Slumber’ that enjoined Filipinos to reciprocate their moms’ efforts by giving her a day of rest, melted many hearts and eventually became a Finalist in the Creative Category for Brand Storytelling.

“We are honored to have our initiatives well received by industry experts both here and abroad just as they have resonated well with our customers. This recognition by the APAC Tambuli serves as an inspiration for us to continue delivering  feel-good moments and uplifting brand experiences for our customers, employees, and the community through good and bad times,” Mr. Yang shared.

Another feat for the company was to have McDonald’s Marketing Manager Ashley Santillan, the master orchestrator behind the brand’s major launches in 2021 and a strong advocate of inclusivity, to be named as one of the two Young Marketing Leaders of the Year. Even before diversity, inclusion, and equality became buzzwords, Ashley had already been working on bringing these values to life in her campaigns, such as the 2019 McDonald’s Mother’s Day thematic video ‘Story of Us’ which welcomed all kinds of families— including single mothers; and ‘McDeliverBack’, a campaign that gave recognition and showed appreciation to the underrepresented delivery riders. Her pursuit for creative excellence and passion for purpose has resulted in consistent delivery of results for the business, the brand, and McDonald’s customers.

Without the collaboration and assistance of McDonald’s partner agencies, Leo Burnett Manila, TBWA Santiago Magada Puno, and Wunderman Thompson for creative services, Greenbulb Communications for public relations, and OMD Philippines for media, none of these things would be possible.

In addition to award-winning ads, the collaboration of the McDonald’s team, its partner agencies, and all those participating in the campaigns helped to produce long-lasting initiatives that reflected the brand’s mission and values.

The Jollibee Group and Yoshinoya International hailed its partnership in a ceremony that culminated in a beef bowl toast led by Jollibee Group President & CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong (front row, 3rd from left), Asia Yoshinoya CEO Tetsuya Naruse (front row, 4th from left), Jollibee Group President for Philippine Business Joseph Tanbuntiong (front row, 2nd from left), and Jollibee Group Chief Real Estate and Design Officer William Tan Untiong (back row, 3rd from left).

On June 25, the Jollibee Group hosted officials from Yoshinoya International for a partnership ceremony to commemorate their partnership in bringing the Philippines’ first authentic Yoshinoya Japan beef bowl experience.

The Jollibee Group’s first venture into Japanese cuisine is Yoshinoya, a chain of restaurants known for their beef bowls. With the intention of eventually expanding to 50 outlets, Jollibee Foods Corporation and Yoshinoya International Philippines Inc. (“Yoshinoya International”) established a joint venture to run the Yoshinoya stores throughout the nation.

The Yoshinoya International executives who attended the private ceremony were Tetsuya Naruse, CEO of Asia Yoshinoya International Sdn Bhd (“Asia Yoshinoya”); Shigekazu Miyata, President of Yoshinoya International; and Shigeo Kurokawa, Director of Yoshinoya International.

Asia Yoshinoya CEO Tetsuya Naruse hailed its partnership with the Jollibee Group during the partnership ceremony. “In the history of Yoshinoya, I can say that we have never encountered a company such as yours. I’ve met the best partners that we could work with and I’m really looking forward to this partnership.”

“We would like to thank Yoshinoya International for partnering with Jollibee Group. Together, under Yoshinoya Jollibee Foods Inc., we will grow and expand Yoshinoya in the Philippines, and we will work hard to make it the No. 1 Japanese restaurant in the country,” said Joseph Tanbuntiong, President for Philippine Business of the Jollibee Group.

In a disclosure released in February 2021, the Jollibee Group said it aims to be the leading market developer of foreign restaurant brands in the country, as these foreign franchised brands are expected to contribute to the sustainable growth of its domestic business. Jollibee Group continues to see the success of brands like Burger King, Panda Express, and PHO24 and will apply the same success drivers in expanding Yoshinoya.

Partnership for success

Like the humble beginnings of the Jollibee Group, Yoshinoya started as a family-run shop located at Nihonbashi Fish Market in Tokyo. Today, Yoshinoya has more than 2,000 global locations.

“Our dreams to make it big one day in our respective markets have driven Yoshinoya and the Jollibee Group to continuously work hard and always strive for excellence,” said Tanbuntiong. “With similar values and a true love for great tasting food, we see a strong foundation for success in this partnership.”

“I met Jollibee Group Founder and Chairman Tony Tan Caktiong, and after our conversation, I concluded that there is no other company that we would like to do this partnership with. And although some years have passed since then, we have reached this moment today and it’s all thanks to all your efforts,” added Naruse.

“Part of who we are in Yoshinoya Holdings is being ‘For the People,’ which means reaching as many people as possible with our tasty and value-for-money food—this is also what the Jollibee Group is all about. I look forward to working well together and I commit that we in Yoshinoya will give our full support to the Jollibee Group,” he added.

Yoshinoya is poised for its official debut in July and is now prepared to deliver the same excellent tasting and genuine Japanese Beef Bowls.