Jollibee Foods Corporation, JGF Partner with YouthWorks PH to Help Youth Become Job-ready

Training for their future. Through the YouthWorks PH project, those who are considered NEET can soon undergo free senior crew skills training that will equip them with the right competencies and experience to secure a job in the food and beverage sector. 

In an effort to increase opportunities for youth employment in the country, the Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), together with its social development arm Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF), has teamed up with the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to develop a training program under its workforce development initiative, YouthWorks PH. 

JGF’s President Gisela Tiongson and Jollibee Foods Corporation Philippines’ Chief Human Resources Officer Ruth Angeles, together with the representatives from PBEd, USAID, and Primary Structures Educational Foundation, Inc. – School of Knowledge for Industrial Labor, and JFC business units, joined the ceremonial signing of the memorandum of agreement and memorandum of understanding for the YouthWorks PH program last June 6.

The program is geared towards making education and training more responsive to the needs of the economy by working with the government, various industries, and the academe to provide opportunities to youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET).

“Youth unemployment is at 11.2%, even while we experience a high number of vacancies in different industries. But we want to change this by bringing all our strengths together. Our partnership for the YouthWorks PH program is anchored on our shared commitment with JFC to support underprivileged youth to gain access to relevant education and eventually have an opportunity to improve their lives with gainful employment.” ~Gisela Tiongson, JGF President

A Joyful Training

Start of the journey. The classroom training for the pilot batch of the Jollibee Group Foundation and YouthWorks PH Program officially commenced on July 1 in Cebu. The trainees will have two months of classroom training before starting their supervised industry learning in select Jollibee, Chowking, and Greenwich stores.

Through the YouthWorks PH project, those who are considered NEET can soon undergo free senior crew skills training that will equip them with the right competencies and experience to secure a job in the food and beverage sector. 

 

JFC will lead the program's pilot batch, which will include 26 NEET youth in Cebu City. In addition to providing work-based training and pre-employment support to the participants in select Jollibee, Chowking, and Greenwich stores, JFC and JGF will also cover the participants' training costs, training allowances, and accommodation.

“We are elated to see the pilot batch of 26 out-of-school youth in Cebu City jump-start this opportunity. This project is a testament to what we can achieve when we break down silos and work together. When government, businesses, educators, and communities join forces, we can empower young people, unlock their potential, and build a brighter future for all.” ~Justine Raagas, PBEd Executive Director

Sharing the joyful experience 

 

“In JFC, we Choose Joy, and part of a joyful experience is being able to create a positive influence on the lives of others. We are looking forward to the successful pilot implementation of this initiative in JFC and hoping to replicate the initiative in other areas to be able to reach more youth.” ~Ruth Angeles, Jollibee Foods Corporation Philippines’ Chief Human Resources Officer 

JFC and JGF embarked on this initiative as part of its commitment to the community support focus area under its global sustainability agenda, Joy for Tomorrow.   

Partners in full force. Representatives from the Jollibee Foods Corporation and Jollibee Group Foundation, together with the team from Philippine Business Education and the United States Agency for International Development, form a handshake chain after sealing the partnership for the YouthWorks PH project.

The partnership came on the heels of the Company’s successful tie-up with various local governments to provide employment opportunities for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, and with the Department of Labor and Employment under the latter’s Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES). All these programs have the common goal of expanding employment opportunities for all Filipinos.

About Jollibee Group 

Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC, also known as Jollibee Group) is one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the world. Its mission is to serve great-tasting food and bring the joy of eating to everyone through its 18 brands with over 6,900 stores across 33 countries. 

 

The Jollibee Group has eight wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger); four franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, and Yoshinoya in the Philippines, and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China); 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; 60% ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee; and 51% ownership of Milksha, a popular Taiwanese bubble tea brand. JFC also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States.

 

The Jollibee Group, through its subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. (JWPL) owns 92% participating interest in Titan Dining LP, a private equity fund that owns the Tim Ho Wan brand. The Jollibee Group has a joint venture with the THW Group to open and operate THW restaurants in Mainland China. The Company also established a joint venture company that will own and operate Tiong Bahru Bakery and Common Man Coffee Roasters in the Philippines. Recently, the Jollibee Group signed agreements to own 10% ownership in Botrista, a leader in the beverage technology space.  The Company also owns a 90% participating interest in Titan Dining Partners II Ltd to further grow Asia Pacific food service brands and/or bring strong global food service brands to Asia Pacific.

 

The Jollibee Group has launched its global sustainability agenda dubbed Joy for Tomorrow, which aims to strengthen the Company’s commitment to sustainable business practices. The agenda centers on the key pillars of Food, People, and Planet, and consists of 10 focus areas namely: food safety, food quality, nutrition & transparency, employee welfare, farmers livelihood, community support, good governance, packaging & recycling, waste reduction, and energy & water efficiency. Each focus area sets goals and initiatives that contribute and align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

 

The 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 and World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies by Forbes. The Company is also a three-time recipient of Gallup’s Exceptional Workplace Award and was recently cited in TIME’s List of the World’s Best Companies and Fortune’s Southeast Asia 500 List.

 

To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com

From Part-Time Service Crew to Full-Time Area Manager: Amizah Catubig’s Journey with Jollibee Foods Corporation

Around a year after she took over the Jollibee Basilan branch, Amizah, and the team worked on their goals and eventually earned a double 100% rating in the corporate audit and bagged its first Gold Award in FSC in 2011.

Amizah Jobaina Catubig holds the distinction of being the first female manager of Jollibee Basilan. On top of that, she has led the store to receive its first Gold Award from the company's Food, Safety, and Cleanliness (FSC) Standards audit within the first year of becoming its manager.

Amizah started as a part-time service crew and now oversees seven Jollibee stores in Davao as an Area Manager (AM). 

Today, among all the milestones in her 20-year career in Jollibee Group, she counts how she started her career at the Jollibee Climaco branch in Zamboanga City on January 5, 2003, as one of the most memorable.

A colorful career in Mindanao

It took Amizah, or Jov to her colleagues, three tries before landing a job in Jollibee in 2003.

“Out of the 18 applicants at that time, I was blessed to become one of the three who passed and got hired. Nasa news parati ang Basilan during this time. There were bombings and threats in [the] town. Rizal Park, which is just in front of the store, was bombed. (“Basilan was always in the news during this time.”). We felt the impact in the store. We witnessed [how] the customers panicked. We posted merchandising materials strategically for awareness. We strengthened store Food Service Cleanliness (FSC) Standards and implemented cost-saving initiatives. Our frontliners communicated to our customers in the local dialect for them to feel at home. We were able to turn a negative store into a profitable one. I am in the position to influence others to embrace the differences, [to] respect the person’s culture and religion. Inaaral ko ‘yung dialect saan man ako ma-assign to really blend in with the team. (“I learned their dialect wherever I was assigned to really blend in with the team.”) “Pinapakita ko sa gawa. At pinaparamdam ko that we are fair to all,” she said. (“I show by doing. And I make them feel that we are fair to all.”). Gumanda ang buhay namin because of Jollibee. (We have a better life today because of Jollibee.”). I personally pay the utilities of our mosque monthly. Natuto kaming makisalamuha at the age of 5. Nakitira kami, palipat-lipat sa bahay ng lola at tita namin. (“We had to learn how to deal with people at age 5. We lived with our grandmother and aunt and would move between their houses.”). Ang Alagang Jollibee ay madadama mo. (“You can feel the Alagang Jollibee. It fosters a culture that values respect and fairness. I take [that] pride where I go, that I work in a company that values its people and promotes Filipino values.” ~Amizah Jobaina Catubig, first female manager of Jollibee Basilan

In 2004, she became the cluster's training manager and led staff training and deployment for new stores in the Zamboanga City area. Three years later, she became an Assistant Manager.

Amizah remained in the Mindanao region for the next eight years, taking on both exciting and challenging stores. She served as Officer-in-Charge of the Jollibee Zamboanga Tumaga kiosk, a branch struggling with sales then. She became the first female Restaurant Manager from Zamboanga at Jollibee Basilan, Jollibee’s 500th store. After this, she had supervisory stints in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay; Vamenta and Kasuwagan, Cagayan de Oro; and Pershing, Zamboanga. 

She continued her stint in downtown Zamboanga by handling clusters in Pagadian and Ozamis in 2017 and those in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat in 2021 at the height of the pandemic.

A challenge matched with resolve

Of all these stints, Amizah considers the one at Jollibee Basilan in 2010 as the most challenging because of a bombing incident at the park in front of the store, which claimed the lives of ten individuals and sowed fear within the community. 

As a result, store sales suffered. To overcome this, their team beefed up the store’s security workforce and requested police visibility within store premises.

A year after the incident, Jollibee Basilan achieved its first Gold Award in FSC, the prestigious Presidential Awards for Performance Excellence (PAPE). Apart from that, they also achieved a double 100% rating in the corporate audit, another first for the branch, which covers auditing of internal processes. 

FSC is Jollibee’s trademark of service: Food (F) served to the public must meet the company’s excellence standards, or it will not be served at all; the Service (S) must be fast and courteous; Cleanliness (C), from kitchen to utensils, must always be maintained. 

PAPE, meanwhile, signifies the highest level of accomplishment in Jollibee, characterized by the store team’s achievement of the target sales, profit, FSC rating, and operations team performance requirements.

Embracing cultures and ensuring standards

Amizah ensured that she embraced diversity and inclusivity in the Jollibee branches she handled.

All seven Davao stores she currently supervises have received valuable feedback from customers in the Muslim community, particularly for their pork-free offerings that are labeled accordingly on the menu.

Pride in Alagang Jollibee

Jollibee’s unique brand of care extends not only to its customers, but even so to its employees. 

The eldest in the family, Amizah supported the college education of her three younger siblings, who are now all gainfully employed. She was also able to build her family’s home. 

Since her promotion to Area Manager in 2016, she has been extending help to the community where she lives. 

Born to OFW parents—her mother as a house helper and her father as a family driver in the Middle East—Amizah was raised by her grandparents. She grew up knowing how difficult life could be. 

Alagang Jollibee is how she refers to the way the company cares for its employees.

Amizah is proud to be part of Jollibee.

About Jollibee Group 

Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC, also known as Jollibee Group) is one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the world. Its mission is to serve great-tasting food and bring the joy of eating to everyone through its 18 brands with over 6,800 stores across 33 countries including the Philippines, United States, Canada, the People's Republic of China, United Kingdom, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, and Australia. 

The Jollibee Group has eight wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger); four franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, and Yoshinoya in the Philippines, and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China); 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; 60% ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee; and 51% ownership of Milksha, a popular Taiwanese bubble tea brand. JFC also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States.

The Jollibee Group, through its subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. (JWPL) owns 92% participating interest in Titan Dining LP, a private equity fund that owns the Tim Ho Wan brand. The Jollibee Group has a joint venture with the THW Group to open and operate THW restaurants in Mainland China. Recently, the Jollibee Group has signed an agreement to establish a joint venture company that will own and operate Tiong Bahru Bakery and Common Man Coffee Roasters in the Philippines. 

The Jollibee Group has launched its global sustainability agenda dubbed Joy for Tomorrow, which aims to strengthen the company’s commitment to sustainable business practices. The agenda centers on the key pillars of Food, People, and Planet, and consists of 10 focus areas namely: food safety, food quality, nutrition & transparency, employee welfare, farmers livelihood, community support, good governance, packaging & recycling, waste reduction, and energy & water efficiency. Each focus area sets goals and initiatives that contribute and align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

The 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 and World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies by Forbes. The company is also a two-time recipient of Gallup’s Exceptional Workplace Award, making it the only Philippine-based company to receive the distinction. 

To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com

Jollibee Foods Corporation and Republic Cement Unite to Recover and Divert Plastic Packaging Wastes through Co-Processing

Jollibee Foods Corporation representatives Assistant Vice President and Head of Global Procurement Services Bryan Marc Tividad and Vice President & Head for Network Development Philippines Gerard Paul Filart; together with Republic Cement CEO Roman Menz, Vice President for Manufacturing Lloyd Vicente, and Director of  ecoloop (the resource recovery arm of Republic Cement) Atty. Angela Edralin-Valencia, during the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Agreement to support the EPR Law, which will help prevent plastic waste from landfills and from leaking into urban waterways and oceans.

The Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), one of the fastest growing  restaurant companies in the world, recently inked a partnership with Republic Cement and Building Materials, Inc. ("Republic Cement"), to support the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Law. 

The EPR law aims to reduce the volume of plastic waste generation and extend the life of plastics by adding value or purpose through upcycling or recycling.

As part of its Joy for Tomorrow global sustainability agenda, JFC aims to recover post-consumer plastic packaging wastes, divert it away from the landfills and waterways, and send these to Republic Cement for co-processing. 

Republic Cement, a leading local cement manufacturer and the pioneer of co-processing in the country, will use the collected post-consumer packaging wastes as alternative fuel in the cement manufacturing process.

During the MOA signing held at the Republic Cement head office in Taguig City, Republic Cement CEO Mr. Roman Menz emphasized the role of the company in supporting organizations like JFC. 

“Republic Cement provides a very important solution to fight plastic pollution by diverting wastes away from landfills and waterways, away from areas where it can negatively affect communities. We are happy to see the commitment of the JFC towards doing their part in solving our current plastic pollution crisis. Republic Cement is with JFC in their journey for a greener, more sustainable world.” ~Mr. Roman Menz, Republic Cement CEO

JFC Vice President for Network Development Group Gerard Paul Filart, for his part, shared that the partnership with Republic Cement is timely and momentous as the company just celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2023.

“We are committed to supporting our Global Sustainability Agenda with its three main pillars of Food, People, and Planet. With this partnership with Republic Cement, we are taking steps towards minimizing wastage while providing something of value.  With this, we are hoping we are helping to bring more joy for tomorrow.” ~Gerard Paul Filart, JFC Vice President for Network Development Group

The MOA covers wholly owned brands of Jollibee Foods Corporation in the Philippines, namely Jollibee, Chowking, Mang Inasal, Greenwich, and Red Ribbon; and franchised brands operated by JFC in the country, specifically Burger King, Panda Express, and Yoshinoya.

About Jollibee Group 

Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC, also known as Jollibee Group) is one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the world. Its mission is to serve great-tasting food and bring the joy of eating to everyone through its 18 brands with over 6,800 stores across 33 countries including the Philippines, United States, Canada, the People's Republic of China, United Kingdom, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, and Australia. 

The Jollibee Group has eight wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger); four franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, and Yoshinoya in the Philippines, and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China); 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; 60% ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee; and 51% ownership of Milksha, a popular Taiwanese bubble tea brand. JFC also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States.

The Jollibee Group, through its subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. (JWPL) owns 92% participating interest in Titan Dining LP, a private equity fund that owns the Tim Ho Wan brand. The Jollibee Group has a joint venture with the THW Group to open and operate THW restaurants in Mainland China. Recently, the Jollibee Group has signed an agreement to establish a joint venture company that will own and operate Tiong Bahru Bakery and Common Man Coffee Roasters in the Philippines. 

The Jollibee Group has launched its global sustainability agenda dubbed Joy for Tomorrow, which aims to strengthen the company’s commitment to sustainable business practices. The agenda centers on the key pillars of Food, People, and Planet, and consists of 10 focus areas namely: food safety, food quality, nutrition & transparency, employee welfare, farmers livelihood, community support, good governance, packaging & recycling, waste reduction, and energy & water efficiency. Each focus area sets goals and initiatives that contribute and align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

The 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 and World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies by Forbes. The company is also a two-time recipient of Gallup’s Exceptional Workplace Award, making it the only Philippine-based company to receive the distinction. 

To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com