JGF, Temasek Foundation team up to feed communities, frontliners affected by COVID-19

Jollibee Group Foundation and Singapore-based Temasek Foundation partner donated 105, 650 meals across five Philippine regions.

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 c ommunities 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.

A health cadet trained through Project Karinderya helps ensure that karinderya operators observe standards on food preparation, food safety, and customer service in Quezon City. Project Karinderya is a two-in-one program that helps both karinderya owners whose operations were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and families in urban poor communities through meal subsidies.

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.

The Jollibee Group FoodAID Program distributed meals to healthcare workers on the frontlines of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“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.