“Okay lang ako, basta yung mga anak ko may makain (I’m okay, as long as my children can eat).” This heartbreaking statement echoed across the country as families lost sources of livelihood and struggled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The multiple lockdowns have put countless families at risk of extreme hunger.

Recognizing the impending hunger crisis at the onset of community lockdowns, the Jollibee Group and Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) immediately activated its FoodAID Program to provide much needed meals for medical frontliners and families in need.

“Fortunately, we already have systems in place and a strong network of partner organizations, so we were ready to heed the calls for assistance from affected communities,” shared LA Cruzat, JGF Senior Program Manager.

Since March last year, when the lockdown was first imposed, FoodAID has already distributed more than 7.7M meals worth more than P345 million.

Leveraging On Our Resources

To serve communities, JGF partnered with over 80 community-based organizations and distributed meals including ready-to-cook Chicken Guisado packs developed by Jollibee’s Research and Development Team.

“The project meant a lot to us and our communities,” related Yvette Berganio of Ako Bakwit. “More than giving food, the project offered hope to communities as it provided help when it was needed the most,” she added. Yvette related stories like that of Stephanie from Caloocan City who contracted the virus along with her family, and the FoodAID Chicken Guisado was the only relief support that they received.

Maximizing Partnerships

JGF also supported karinderyas (eateries) since their embeddedness in communities and proximity to families, made them strategic mechanisms to make meals easily accessible. Through an initiative called Project Karinderya, which was implemented by KASAGANA-KA Development Center, Inc. and Kabuhayan sa Ganap na Kasarinlan Credit and Savings Cooperative, JGF together with donors provided funds for meal subsidies and trained karinderya owners on food safety.

During the project, 100% of the participating karinderya owners were able to recover their income while making meals readily available for beneficiary families. Marissa Detoito from Lagro, Quezon City was among those who participated. Marissa said, “Project Karinderya was a big help to because more customers have enjoyed our food, thus adding more to our income.”

As a result, 320 karinderya owners recovered their livelihood while serving 6,400 families or approximately 32,000 individuals with meals for 30 days.

The Mission Continues

Through FoodAID, partners and volunteers became part of finding solutions to an immense and unprecedented challenge, embodying the true spirit of bayanihan and the values of cooperation that have always guided JGF.

“As we abide by the Jollibee Group’s mission to share the joy of eating to everyone, we have seen time and again that this can only be achieved when organizations and individuals come together – there’s just much more joy to share when others also take part in this mission,” concludes LA.