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| (Image Source: The Peach Kitchen/Kenny Rogers Roasters) |
Food becomes even more enjoyable and meaningful when it’s prepared with compassion and support for others. This is the aim of Kenny Rogers Roasters as it held its third Farmvocacy Program. Rooted on its message “Eat Healthy, Help Greatly", the program fosters a farm-to-table approach where every purchase of Kenny Rogers Roasters’ selected menu item provides support to local farmers. On its third year, the program selected its well-loved Chimichurri Roast, whose ingredients are sourced locally, as the featured dish. Early this year, customers who ordered the Chimichurri Roast Solo Plate, through dine-in, takeout or delivery, also helped Kenny Rogers support Urban Farmers PH – an organization that nurtures unused public spaces, inviting people to discover that farming is enjoyable, doable, and transferrable – wherein a portion of every purchase of Chimichurri Roast is donated to the said organization.
Through the Farmvocacy Program, the roast chicken restaurant chain has accumulated a total of Php300,000. The proceeds donated to Urban Farmers PH were used to support the Taguig Integrated School and Barrio Obrero Elementary School, providing essential resources for their plant beds, seedling nurseries, and technical training in urban farming. Through these initiatives, Urban Farmers PH is instilling the value and appreciation for agriculture among young urban dwellers while fostering healthy eating. This support aims to further strengthen the momentum of urban farming in the Philippines. Even with challenges like limited space and access to resources, the program helped urban farming in the country thrive, offering a promising means for sustainable urban development and improved food access.
Kenny Rogers Roasters’ dedication to helping local farmers through the Farmvocacy Program shows its commitment to support local communities and to help improve food security while pushing for environmental sustainability, community resilience, and economic development. So far, the Farmvocacy Program has already provided support to various local farming organizations, most recently with Samahang Magmamanga ng Zambales Inc.
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Cebuana Lhuillier Champions Inclusivity In Quezon City Pride March
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| (Image Source: Malaya Business Insight/Cebuana Lhuillier) |
In a vibrant display of solidarity and support for the LGBTQIA+ community, Cebuana Lhuillier proudly participated in the country’s largest pride march held at the Quezon City Memorial Circle last June 22, 2024. The event was participated in by thousands of individuals, organizations, and companies who celebrate diversity and support equal rights for LGBTQIA+ community. By joining this year’s pride march along with 200,000 other attendees, Cebuana Lhuillier reaffirmed its commitment to the ongoing struggle for LGBTQIA+ rights while celebrating the community’s colors and the progress they’ve made. More so, the company’s participation on this year’s march entitled “Love Laban 2 Everyone” emphasized that the company treats inclusivity as a sustained commitment, rather than a momentary effort.
Over the years, Cebuana Lhuillier has continuously championed diversity and inclusion throughout its organization. Heavily driven by its ongoing internal campaign called “iBelong”, the company continues to pour efforts on making everyone in the organization feel welcome and safe, regardless of gender. Through this, the company demonstrated how its company culture of diversity and inclusivity reflects not just internally, but also externally. Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier expressed his enthusiasm for the event, stating, “We are proud to stand with the LGBTQIA+ community in their fight for equality, acceptance, and SOGIE rights. At Cebuana Lhuillier, we believe that diversity strengthens our organization, and we are committed to promoting a culture of inclusion both within our company and in the communities we serve.” Several Cebuana Lhuillier employees joined the Pride March to embody the spirit of unity, love, and support. Holding signages and flaglets, the team marched side by side on a sea of rainbow flags, through rain and shine, to prove its utmost support the LGBTQIA+. Though the main program may have been postponed due to inclement weather conditions, the message of hope and inclusivity shone through with the warm spirit everyone shared.
As the pride march came to an end, the message left was clear: Cebuana Lhuillier is a strong LGBTQIA+ ally and that it stands firm in treating everyone with dignity and respect. This event also marked a significant milestone for the company as it is the first time that they took part in the QC Pride March. Through this initiative, Cebuana Lhuillier has proven how dedicated they are to their advocacies — whether it may be financial inclusion or societal inclusivity — and that everyone can thrive while staying true to their authentic selves.
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Jollibee Brings Iconic Chickenjoy To Seattle
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| (Image Source: Jollibee Group) |
The joy continues to spread in North America as homegrown Filipino fastfood brand Jollibee recently opened its first branch in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. as part of the Jollibee Group’s aggressive growth plan in the region. Long lines of customers were seen in the Seattle opening with the first customer lining up as early as 5:00 am, four hours before opening. Jollibee’s new branch joins its two existing Washington State locations: Tacoma, which opened in October 2023; and in Tukwila, which is where the beloved brand first opened its doors in the state back in 2010.
Primely located in the city’s South End area at 3820 Rainier Avenue South in the Rainier Valley Square Shopping Center, the new Jollibee promises to deliver a joyful dining experience to both its loyal fans and curious first timers. Jollibee’s new outpost in The Emerald City marks its third store in Washington State and 101st store in North America. “We are so thrilled to give our joyful dining experience to both our fans and those who will be enjoying Jollibee for the very first time in Seattle. Rainier Valley reflects such a beautiful mosaic of cultures where everyone feels welcome. We are glad to become part now of such a diverse yet close-knit community that has also become a culinary destination in its own right," said Jollibee North America President Maribeth Dela Cruz. Home to a dynamic mix of immigrants from around the world, Rainier Valley is considered one of the country’s most diverse neighborhoods that boasts of a cultural richness and strong sense of community. Dela Cruz added, “These attributes make Rainier Valley a perfect spot for the brand, as Jollibee believes that great food knows no boundaries and that there is something for everyone on our deliciously diverse menu line-up."
Proclaimed “the best chain fried chicken in America” by influential food website Eater.com, Jollibee serves its world-famous crispy and juicy Chickenjoy as well as mouth-watering chicken sandwiches and wildly popular Peach Mango Pie in its Rainier Valley branch. As Jollibee continues its expansion across North America, it looks forward to spreading its “joy of eating” in new markets, like Portland, Oregon, as well as growing its presence in key regions, like New York City (Queens, NY) and North Texas (Arlington, TX), where consumer buzz for the brand continues to grow. To date, Jollibee has more than 1,600 restaurants across 17 countries and is quickly expanding across North America. It is the flagship global brand for chicken category under the 18-brand portfolio of the Jollibee Group.
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Mang Inasal Delights International Guests With Ihaw-Sarap Treats At 1st UN Tourism Forum
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| (Image Source: Mang Inasal) |
Mang Inasal, the Philippines’ Grill Expert, was among the food exhibitors in the first United Nations Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific hosted by the Department of Tourism (DOT) in the country. The event was held last June 26, 2024 at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort in Cebu City. Organized by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Basque Culinary Center, and the DOT, the Gastronomy Tourism Forum was graced and attended by over four hundred (400) participants including ministers from UN member-states, affiliate members, and tourism stakeholders from international organizations.
In a statement, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said, “We strongly see food as a crucial element in enhancing the Philippine cultural experience.” Meanwhile, UNWTO said that “the First UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific aimed to serve as a platform to celebrate the power of gastronomy tourism and harness its transformative power for the benefit of local communities and the environment". During the forum, delegates were treated to a lunch themed “Tripping The Philippines” that featured different delicacies from the various regions of the country and Mang Inasal was the only restaurant brand that was featured in the exhibit.
“We are grateful to DOT for giving Mang Inasal the opportunity to be part of this milestone event. And we made sure that our international guests would remember what Ihaw-Sarap (deliciously grilled) means to us by giving them our Solo Fiesta which is a pack filled with the best of Philippine flavors including our Chicken Inasal, Pork BBQ, Lumpiang Togue, Palabok and Java Rice," said Mang Inasal President Mike V. Castro.
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Globe Assures No Unregistered SIMs In Active Use
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| (Image Source: Mindanao Times/Globe Telecom) |
Globe Telecom has been at the forefront of efforts to strictly implement and comply with the SIM Registration Act, ensuring that all SIMs currently in use are registered. Globe does not allow any customer to use an unregistered SIM. Under its current system, a new SIM is only activated once registered through Globe’s SIM registration platforms. “We designed our SIM Registration system in such a way that no SIM can be used on the network unless registered. Therefore, all active SIMs within our network are in our system. Even as we continue to enhance our SIM registration platform, we already have measures in place that defend against the illegal use of unregistered SIMs,” said Globe Vice President and Head of Consumer Mobile Business Darius Delgado.
Globe currently has 58.8 million mobile subscribers. Following the registration period from December 27, 2022 to July 30, 2023, which covered SIMs already in use before passage of the law, Globe deactivated over 30 million unregistered SIMs. Since then, Globe has also strengthened security measures for SIM registration to ensure the integrity of the registration process for new SIMs. These include advanced encryption protocols to secure data transmitted during the registration process, live photo capture technology to prevent the use of stock or pre-existing photos, and limited ID submission retries to prevent random or repeated attempts to register with fictitious documents. Globe reminds SIM users to submit accurate information and photo IDs as submission of false information is punishable under the law.
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Shopee Bayanihan Delivers Aid To Calamity-Stricken Communities Around Mt. Kanlaon
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| (Image Source: Manila Standard/Shopee Philippines) |
Shopee, together with SPX Express, recently delivered relief supplies to communities affected by the recent eruption of Mt. Kanlaon. After the eruption produced coarse ashfall and sulfur dioxide emissions, families were forced to evacuate areas surrounding the volcano, displacing over 4,000 residents in the area. Currently maintained at Alert Level 2, communities near Mt. Kanlaon continue to experience sulfur dioxide emissions.
As a response, Shopee Bayanihan provided aid for the disaster victims in the municipalities of La Carlota, Bago, La Castellana, and Pontevedra, delivered with the help of its logistics partner SPX Express. Twelve barangays, consisting of 2,000 calamity-stricken residents, received food packs, water, and face masks to address their most pressing needs. In addition, Shopee worked hand in hand with GMA Kapuso Foundation and Caritas Manila in calling for donations via the Shopee app. Shopee users are able to provide help by purchasing donation vouchers that directly went to the partner humanitarian organizations.
Today, Shopee Bayanihan continues to evolve as a multifaceted program through partnerships with like-minded organizations catering to Filipinos’ ever-changing needs. With every initiative under Shopee Bayanihan, Shopee drives toward its mission of harnessing technology’s power to aid communities in need.
