Jollibee Group continues to assist karinderyas (local eateries) to help them sustain their businesses and ensure safer and better food service operations. Through its restaurant teams, Global Quality Management Unit, and Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF), Jollibee Group shared best practices on Food Safety with almost 70 local eatery owners from Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, and Rizal who were part of Project Karinderya. The activity aimed to raise awareness on the importance of safe and clean food, with an emphasis on proper handwashing.
In mid-2020, JGF, Kasagana-Ka Development Center Inc. (KDCI), and Kabuhayan sa Ganap na Kasarinlan Credit and Savings Cooperative (KCoop) jointly launched Project Karinderya to help both local eateries and families survive the effects of the pandemic. Through Project Karinderya, small eateries received financial support and training to build their owners’ skills, allowing them to sustain their businesses.
In addition, Project Karinderya provided vulnerable families with meal subsidies for 30 days. These vouchers were used to purchase meals from participating karinderyas, ensuring that the eateries had regular customers while addressing hunger in their communities.
“When we launched Project Karinderya two years ago, we leveraged Jollibee Group’s expertise in food management and shared with karinderya owners additional knowledge on food preparation, food safety, and customer service. With this activity, we want to recognize our karinderya partners by showing that we are still here to assist them—not only to sustain and grow their businesses, but also to help them spread the joy of eating to their customers,” said JGF Executive Director Gisela Tiongson.
After the workshop, Jollibee Group distributed handwashing implements and food safety reminders to reinforce the learnings of the day.
“We endeavor to consistently serve superior-tasting and safe food, an imperative as we continue to expand and dominate the Philippine market and accelerate the growth of Jollibee Group businesses globally,” added Jollibee Group Global Quality Management Head Wally Mateo. “At Jollibee Group, strong values are just as important as business acumen and operations skills, and we have a strong track record of doing what’s right. We are focused on creating a great company—one that makes a positive difference in people’s lives.”
Creating more food safety heroes
When Project Karinderya was launched at the height of the pandemic, small eateries were given financial support and training to build their owners’ skills so they could sustain their businesses.
Edna Pangan (6th from left) and other karinderya owners were invited to hear best practices from Jollibee Group’s restaurant teams so they could apply these practices to their own businesses.
Edna Pangan, 50, who has been operating a karinderya in Trece Martires, Cavite for 15 years, was forced to stop her eatery in 2020 due to quarantine restrictions. However, when restrictions eased, she saw an opportunity to re-open her eatery and benefitted from the lessons she learned through Project Karinderya.
Edna is already thinking of ways to apply the day’s learnings to her business. She said, “Talagang dagdag kaalaman ito. Para sa mga mamimili sa amin, makakasiguro sila na malinis, maayos at masustansya at hindi lang basta masarap—may kalidad ang bibilhin nila sa amin” (These are additional knowledge for us. Our customers will be assured that the food we serve is clean, nutritious, delicious, and of high quality.)