It is in moments of crisis and unimaginable difficulties that the power of partnership and its life-changing effects become apparent and most felt; when people band together to go beyond self for the common good.

Such are the stories of hope and inspiration from Ryu and Cecille, Rolando “Jun” Pangilinan, and the “Brave8” led by Pauline Xandra Solis – all employees of the Jollibee Foods Corp., one of the major partners of Coca-Cola in the Philippines, who have shown selflessness in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

Helping by going above and beyond

The Jollibee Manila City Plaza branch in Quiapo, where Ryu and Cecile are assigned, was tasked with providing food aid to front liners. But with the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine, manpower issues arose, leaving Ryu and Cecile the only ones available to take on the task. Undeterred and motivated by their desire to make a difference in their own little ways, the two worked hard together to prepare food packs – Ryu handled the batching and cooking of Chickenjoy while Cecile handled their assembly. Lending a helping hand as well was Cecile’s husband, himself a former Jollibee crew member.

Pauline Xandra Solis of the Greenwich branch in DD Meridian was at first apprehensive and worried about the potential threats of COVID-19. But it was the indomitable spirit and heart of her team, coupled with their desire to be of service, that eventually encouraged her to step up. From an initial two managers and six crew members dubbed the “Brave8”, their team has since grown to 17, where the fire for volunteerism was ignited amongst them, especially for Pauline who has found a renewed purpose in life.

Despite being part of the Jollibee Festival Mall team in Alabang, Jun Pangilinan did not hesitate to be of service to Jollibee Pilar in Las Piñas, where he serves as a ‘borrowed manager’ as most managers are unable to come to work. Enthusiastically riding his bike to get there, he continues to help out and contributes significantly to the performance of the store, with the desire to help other store team members who need an additional hand, all in the service of the community.

Providing continuous support through a constant supply of products

At a time when their customers need all the support they can get, Coca-Coca remains true to its mission of being there for them all the way, by ensuring that the constant supply of beverages is made available to them across the country. It is this kind of commitment that has allowed Jollibee to not only provide refreshment and sustenance to their customers, but much-needed aid to those in need as well. Indeed, they personify the spirit of joyful service which Jollibee has been known for, just as Coca-Cola has been known for bringing happiness to generations not just in the Philippines, but the world over.

Distributing fortified meals to the most vulnerable

A testament to Coca-Cola and Jollibee’s partnership is the P2 million in food assistance enabled by the total beverage company for the pandemic-affected marginalized sectors. This included family-size food packs which contain rice fortified with micronutrients and calories, that were distributed to 1,703 vulnerable low-income households in Taguig and Laguna.

Coca-Cola’s partner, Jollibee Group FoodAID program on the other hand, also distributed P220 million worth of meals both to front liners and families. Over-all, 3.8 million meals–480,000 for hospitals and front liners, 2.5 million for families, 830,000 for checkpoint personnel–have been distributed through various partners.

The Jollibee Group has also been pooling cash donations for its feeding programs from kind-hearted customers through its CoinBank which are found not only on Jollibee store counters, but online as well.

“Through the years, our relationship with Jollibee has truly grown. Today, we not only consider them as one of our major customers, but also a valued partner that shares in our vision and ideals as well,” says Winn Everhart, president and general manager of Coca-Cola Philippines. “This further drive and encourages us to ensure the continuous supply of our products, so that we, too, can be there for our customers and partners, especially during this challenging time.”

Since the pandemic, the Coca-Cola System in the Philippines has partnered with several organizations for COVID-19 relief, response, and recovery effrots. Combined, initiatives have so far yielded 174,000+ PPEs for more than 51,000 medical workers, food packs for 60,000 vulnerable families, and over 2M litres of beverages distributed to almost 1500 hospitals, NGOs, local government units, and national government agencies. The Company is also working on initiatives to help ReSTART businesses, specifically the heavily-impacted micro-retailer sector.

Coca-Cola continues to increase its community support and is sharing updates as well as inspiring stories #ForTheHumanRace on facebook.com/CocaColaPhilippines.