Jollibee Group assists farmers, donates food to frontliners
The Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) has partnered with Dana Foundation, Inc. on a project called Food Ration Drive. Under this initiative Dana Foundation buys vegetables from smallholder farmers who are part of JGF’s Farmer’s Entrepreneurship Program (FEP).
These vegetables are cooked into meals, which are then distributed to frontline health workers and checkpoint personnel in Davao.
Parents who were trained under JGF’s Busog-Lusog-Talino (BLT) Kitchen Programs were tapped to cook the meals at the BLT Kitchen in Cambanogoy Elementary School in Davao del Norte.
Through this joint initiative with JGF, the Dana Foundation has supported 35 farmers and have distributed 3,250 meals and 250 bags of assorted vegetables to checkpoint personnel and to frontline medical workers stationed at the Davao Regional Medical Center, one of the two designated medical institutions to treat COVID-19 patients in the region.
The Dana Foundation has served as the local implementing arm of JGF in Davao for BLT and FEP since 2013. This entails, among others, fund management, facilitation of local trainings, and nomination of farmer beneficiaries.
JGF’s BLT Program was created to support the Department of Education’s School-Based Feeding Program. BLT School Feeding Kitchens centralize the preparation of meals that are distributed to surrounding schools, feeding hundreds of pupils per kitchen with less time and effort.
FEP seeks to help smallholder farmers become agro-entrepreneurs through a combination of technical and leadership trainings. JGF also links farmer-beneficiaries to corporate buyers, including the brands under the Jollibee Group.
The Jollibee Group has allocated P220 million-worth of food for frontliners and communities to help cope through the COVID-19 pandemic. As of May 3, JGF has completed the P220 million donation. Of this, P100 million was used to provide meals for 1.3 million health and checkpoint frontliners throughout the country. Meanwhile, the P120 million was used to provide food packs to 515,512 indigent families, as well as providing food donations to 27 community kitchens serving frontliners and communities. This was done in coordination with various public and private institutions to distribute food aid to lower income sectors of the society.
The Dana Foundation is one of several partners of the Jollibee Group to distribute food quickly and safely to frontliners and families in need under the FoodAid Program.
Globe tests own frontliners to ensure workers’ safety
Globe Telecom Inc. has started the weekly rapid antibody testing of all its frontliners to ensure that both the workforce and stakeholders are protected from COVID-19 spread and infection.
At least 15 percent of the Globe’s over 8,000 employees have been working in the frontline as critical skeletal force since the beginning of the Enhanced Community Quarantine in mid March and an additional 5 percent are returning to their posts as Globe starts reopening its Stores and fielding more personnel for network build, expansion, and maintenance.
“The safety of our employees and the public are of paramount importance to us. That is why we have decided to do mass testing of our frontline workers on a weekly basis using the rapid antibody testing kits. If some sort of positivity appears in that particular test, then we are going to do a more extensive test, ” said Renato Jiao, Globe chief human resource officer.
Globe is working in close coordination with Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health) in screening its own employees and those of its service contractors. The test kits, which passed the high standards set by AC Health, use a person’s blood sample to measure antibodies which are the body’s response in fighting an infection. Results can be released in half an hour.
Avon supports fight vs domestic abuse amid COVID
Avon is joining women’s organizations and advocates from all corners of the world in appealing to the public to not to turn a blind eye on gender-based violence during COVID-19.
To further support grassroots efforts in securing the safety of vulnerable women, the Avon Foundation For Women has pledged $1 million to non-government organizations providing front-line services such as helplines and refuges, building on its 15-year commitment to help end violence against women and girls.
Avon is also launching a communications effort among its five million Representatives worldwide, their customers, and their communities.
Isolated Not Alone focuses on raising awareness on domestic abuse amidst COVID-19; signposting where to go for help and how to identify and support those at risk; and calling on governments to support the provision of life-saving services, which are in danger of further funding cuts and de-prioritization.
In the Philippines, Avon is embedding emergency hotline numbers and other life-saving information into lifestyle content delivered digitally through local celebrities and digital influencers, so that women can access the support they need with reduced risk of exposure to abusers. Partner NGOs’ hotlines are also open 24/7 to accommodate victims with capacity-building programs for service providers, food and hygiene packs, and counseling and legal consultations.
MGen leads distribution of P1.5M relief goods
Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen) and San Buenaventura Power Co. Ltd. (SBPL) donated 425 sacks of rice and more than 200 boxes of canned goods worth P1.5 Million to aid the Quezon provincial government’s COVID-19 relief efforts amid the extended enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Atimonan One Energy Inc (A1E), another subsidiary of MGen provided personal protective equipment (PPE) including six boxes of N95 face masks, 450 pieces of washable face masks, 100 gallons of alcohol and 10 boxes of surgical gloves for the frontliners of Atimonan, Quezon. A1E employees also donated 19 sacks of rice; while its technical partners and contractors extended financial support and distributed food for residents and volunteers manning the checkpoints in the municipality.
Redondo Peninsula Energy, Inc., another MGen subsidiary, also provided hygiene products to residents of Barangay Cawag in Subic, Zambales.
MMPC sends aid to Santa Rosa City
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) continues its commitment to work side by side with the local government of Santa Rosa City in the fight against the spread of COVID 19 by providing various needs to its frontliners and other essential personnel.
MMPC handed over 200 water dispensers and 50 resting benches to Santa Rosa City Mayor Honorable Arlene Arcillas. Additionally, MMPC produced 400 pieces of face shields from excess scrap and existing inventory materials that were done by some of its employees. The face shields are also included in the donation to the local government.
MMPC President and CEO Mutsuhiro Oshikiri said, “Mitsubishi Motors Philippines is one with the city government of Santa Rosa in the fight against this virus. We hope that the additional equipment will further boost the city’s capabilities. We deeply thankful and grateful for all the sacrifice being done by our frontliners to keep this wonderful city safe. MMPC will remain your partner in these trying times. Mabuhay kayong lahat!”
