MANILA, Philippines. April 6, 2021 – Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) has partnered with Singapore-based Temasek Foundation to augment the Jollibee Group FoodAID Program, which seeks to help feed healthcare workers and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Temasek Foundation is a non-profit philanthropic organization that supports programs that uplift lives and communities in Singapore and beyond. The Foundation aims to strengthen social resilience, foster international exchange and regional capabilities, advance science, and protect the planet.

Through the support provided by Temasek Foundation, JGF and its partners were able to distribute 105,650 meals across Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal from September to December 2020. Of these, 99,400 meals were served to communities, while the remaining 6,250 meals were served to healthcare workers from 20 public hospitals.

The FoodAID Program was implemented through three initiatives, all of which were supported by the Temasek Foundation.

First is the distribution of ready-to-cook food packs that were directly delivered to communities through JGF’s local partner organizations. JGF leveraged on Jollibee Group’s expertise in meal preparation and product development of specially designed food packs—Chicken Guisado and Beef Meatballs—that allow more people to be provided with nutritious, delicious meals at a lower cost.

Second is Project Karinderya—a program that helps feed families while facilitating livelihood development of karinderya (local food stores) operators. Through the support from Temasek Foundation, JGF partnered with Kasagana-Ka Development Center (KDCI) and Kabuhayan sa Ganap na Kasarinlan Credit and Savings Cooperative (K-Coop) to re-establish 30 karinderyas that served 200 families with daily meals for 30 days. JGF also provided training for karinderya owners and health cadets on food preparation, food safety, and customer service to further build their capacities and help them become self-sufficient even after the project duration.

Third is the distribution of ready-to-eat meals to healthcare workers who are working at hospitals in Metro Manila with the highest incidences of COVID-19.

“COVID-19 is a global long-term public health crisis, undermining not just our physical and mental health but also our economy and livelihoods. Viruses do not respect borders and it is only when we band together as one will we be able to defeat this global enemy. We are happy to work with Jollibee Group Foundation in the Philippines to provide more than 105,000 meals and other support where they are most needed. The smiles and resolve of the beneficiaries to soldier on and pull through together is an indication that we are on the right track,” said Mr. Benedict Cheong, Chief Executive of Temasek Foundation International. 

“There exists a need for sustained collaborative efforts that can effectively promote access to food among communities by the pandemic and recent disasters. We thank the Temasek Foundation for their trust in the Jollibee Group and their belief in the objectives of the FoodAID Program. Truly, crises such as this pandemic have the power to band like-minded people and groups together,” said Jollibee Group Foundation Executive Director Gisela Tiongson.

Together with partners and donors, Jollibee Group FoodAID Program has mobilized Php300 million (USD 6.2 million)-worth of food assistance or 4.7 million meals for families and frontliners from March to December 2020.

As the social development arm of Jollibee Group, JGF implements programs on agriculture, education, and disaster response with partner communities nationwide.

Made possible through philanthropic endowments gifted by Singapore’s Temasek, Temasek Foundation’s programs strive towards achieving positive outcomes for individuals and communities now, and for generations to come.

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About Jollibee Group 

Jollibee Group is one of the fastest-growing Asian restaurant companies in the world. It operates in 33 countries, with over 5,800 stores globally with branches in the Philippines, United States, Canada, the People’s Republic of China, United Kingdom, Italy, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Panama, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and India. It has eight wholly-owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger), four franchised brands (Burger King and Panda Express in the Philippines, Dunkin’ Donuts and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China), 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and 60% ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee and PHO24 brands.  

Jollibee Group is a significant investor in Titan Dining LP, a private equity fund and the ultimate holding entity of the Tim Ho Wan (THW) Brand and has a joint venture with the THW Group to open THW restaurants in Mainland China. It also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States. The Group will also establish a 50/50 joint venture to operate and expand Yoshinoya – one of the largest and most recognized Japanese restaurant brands globally – in the Philippines.

Jollibee Group was named the Philippines’ most admired company by the Asian Wall Street Journal for ten years. It was also honored as one of Asia’s Fab 50 Companies and among the World’s Best Employers by Forbes. In 2020, Gallup awarded the Jollibee Group with the Exceptional Workplace Award, making it the first Philippine-based company to receive the distinction.

Jollibee Group has grown brands that bring delightful dining experiences to its customers worldwide, in line with its mission of serving great tasting food and spreading the joy of eating to everyone.

For inquiries on this article, please contact: 

Abi Matsuzawa

+639175585934 / abi.matsuzawa@fullcirclecomms-pr.com