Jollibee opens 900th store milestone at Palo; renews commitment for Leyte's recovery program

“We dedicate our 900^th store to the people of Leyte who exemplified resilience, optimism, and hope despite the challenges they face. They have shown us and the world that the strength of the Filipino family can overcome any obstacle, and there is always a reason to smile and look forward to better days,” Joseph Tanbuntiong, president of Jollibee Philippines, said during the blessing of Jollibee store in Palo, Leyte on September 30.

True enough two years removed from the onslaught of Yolanda  (international name: Haiyan), the people and the town is slowly but surely on the road to recovery, and Jollibee hopes that the opening of a new store will bring them a new reason to smile as they provide not just employment, but a place for families to bond and make new happy memories.

Some attendees can’t help but be teary eyed as they remember the deadly experience they had during the devastating typhoon. According to them, Jollibee was the first to set up of a mobile kitchen in November 2013 and did on-site preparation and distribution of hot congee offered for free to the local population. Later, the mobile store was also one of the first food companies to provide and sell them good food during those most trying times of their lives.

No wonder that as early as 4am the following day, the people of Palo has already lined up for the store opening at 6 am!

The blessing of the 900^th milestone store was led by Tanbuntiong and members of Jollibee Philippines’ leadership team together with Leyte  first district board member Bob Abellanosa and other municipal councilors. The blessing ceremony featured a cherished Jollibee tradition – the slicing of the giant Yumburger and the burger toast.

Sama-sama sa Pagbangon, Leyte!

Making the 900^th store opening more special is the significance of the milestone for the company, as it also marks the renewed commitment of Jollibee in helping the people recover fully from the tragedy that struck. With “Sama-sama sa Pagbangon Leyte” as the campaign catch phrase, Jollibee also launched new initiatives to complement the continuing efforts of the Jollibee Group Foundation.

Currently the Jollibee Group Foundation has Pawing Elementary school as a beneficiary in its Busog Lusog Talino (BLT) program. Jollibee will also bring the Maaga ang Pasko caravan in Palo to provide kids with gifts of toys and books to help spread the early Christmas cheer. After the store opening, members of the Jollibee team will visit the Pawing Elementary school for a BLT feeding activity.

Jollibee also launched the Jolli-Istante project, which aims to provide book shelves and books to public schools in Palo during the ceremonial turnover at the Pawing Elementary school. The Jolli-Istante project is in partnership with Blink.com.ph, which will donate school and story books for the public schools in Palo.

Celebrating 900 reasons to smile

A special commemorative marker, featuring the winning art piece of Niño Cris Odosis in the 900 Reasons to Smile Art Competition, was also unveiled during the program. Entitled ‘Ipinintang mga Ngiti’, the artwork captured how the people of Palo have remained positive until this day as they push for the development of their town. The winning artwork will be on display at Jollibee Palo, the company’s 10th store in Leyte and 112^th in the Visayas region.

“True to our brand promise of spreading the Joy of eating to more families, we are excited to bring the people of Palo a new reason to smile with the opening of our 900^th store. We’re hoping to provide them with a venue for family bonding while enjoying their favorite langhap-sarap treats,” said Jollibee Regional Business Unit Head for Visayas Ms. Shing Llanos.

Jollibee Palo features a new modern design with a total floor area of 517 sqm. and can seat 175 people. It offers dine-in, drive-thru, delivery and Jollibee Kids Party.

Taking a look at the beneficiary: Pawing Elementary School

It was December 2013 when Mrs.  Loreta Gulariza, Principal II of Tacloban City was promoted principal of Pawing Elementary School in Palo, Leyte.

Her promotion came with a great challenge and a gargantuan task which needed immediate action. Anyone who is faint at heart and lacking in passion for teaching and love for  children, would surely back out. But not Ma’am Loreta who mobilized her school teachers, parents, volunteers and personnel of the local Department of Works and Highway to remove the school debris caused by super typhoon Yolanda (international codename Haiyan).

“The whole school is a total destruction, there is nothing to recover. And I was given only 3 days to clean up the debris in order for the Korean volunteers to rebuild our classrooms,” recalled Gulariza.

Today, Pawing Elementary School houses nearly 700 students from kinder to Grade 6 and it continues to accept students all year round to give chance for education to children of the province which was devastated by the world’s super typhoon which hit Leyte and Eastern Visayas. More school buildings are currently being constructed by donors such as the USAID and PLDT. Moreover, help from various organizations keep pouring in for the school such as books donation and library.

After the store opening on October 1, members of the Jollibee team together with Manila media representative including this writer visited the Pawing Elementary school for a BLT feeding activity.

According to Galuriza, there are 40 malnourished students who are currently the beneficiaries of the BLT project who receive free complete meals everyday prepared by volunteer parents. The parents undergo training including food safety seminars being conducted by Rowena Llose, BLT’s point person in Leyte and Jollibee Tacloban Area Manager Hernan Perez.

This writer with Pawing Elem School Principal Loreta Galuriza
(center) and BLT Leyte's  Rowena Llose

Jollibee, Palo and Yolanda

Palo is a third class municipality in the province of Leyte which serves as the seat of most government departments, bureaus and regional offices of Region VIII. The town is also home to The MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park (also known as the Leyte Landing Memorial Park and MacArthur Park)  that commemorates the historic landing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Leyte Gulf at the start of the campaign to recapture and liberate the Philippines from Japanese occupation in October 1944.

Meanwhile, the world’s most powerful cyclone Haiyan, made a landfall, on Nov. 8, 2013, at Tacloban City and Leyte affecting neighboring provinces like Capiz, Aklan, Northern Antique, Northern Iloilo, Northern Negros Occidental, Leyte, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran and Northern Cebu.

With the onslaught brought by Typhoon Yolanda, the Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) together with other JFC brands came up with the Jollibee Group FoodAid. This served to coordinate and systematize JFC’s disaster response efforts and better address the needs of the community – Palo being one of the communities assisted. Also part of the FoodAID initiatives was a Special School Feeding Program in January 2014 in four  public schools in Leyte namely: Salvacion Elementary School, San Isidro Elementary School, Anahaway Elementary School, and Canhindoc Elementary School which fed almost 1000 pupils. The Special School Feeding Program ran from 10 weeks from January to March 2014, and is a direct response to DepEd’s call for support on its ‘Back to School’ phrase in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda. Another disaster response initiative was the setting up of a mobile kitchen in partnership with JFC stores, franchisees and corporate office in November 2013. The mobile kitchen involved the on-site preparation and distribution of hot congee offered for free to the local population, with thousands of people served.