The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), and the Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) Inc. recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the reforestation of mangrove areas and promoting sustainability in communites where the popular fast food chain is located.
The MoU, a key initiative under the DENR’s Project TRANSFORM or Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilience and Environmental Sustainability and the JFC’s Joy for Tomorrow, outlines a shared commitment to environmental improvement, community well-being, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the Philippines.
“The partnership will strengthen collaborations for a decarbonized and regenerative future, promote science-based risk assessment, sustain climate-smart leadership and governance, and scale up community initiatives on mangrove protection and management,” said DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga.
“Our shared goal in implementing this agreement is to produce empowered community members whose lives will be made better by lessons learned under this MoU and later enable them to sustain all these activities themselves,” Secretary Loyzaga added.
JFC and JGF will mobilize volunteer employees to work with DENR’s Regional Offices in implementing community-based mangrove protection and reforestation initiatives and collaborate with DENR on additional sustainable efforts.
JFC President and Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Tanmantiong said that the project aligns with the global company’s sustainability agenda, Joy for Tomorrow. “This is meaningful to us at JFC because we understand our bigger role beyond doing business. We’ve always believed in the power of making a positive impact not just for our company and people, but also for the world we live in,” he said.
The MoU was signed by DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, JFC President and CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong, and JGF Inc. President Ma. Gisela H. Tiongson on April 19 in Makati City. Also present during the ceremonial signing were DENR Undersecretaries Augusto Dela Pena, Marilou Erni, and Carlos Primo David, Head Executive Assistant Joaquin Loyzaga, Rochelle Gamboa, and Glenn Diwa; JFC Vice President and Head for Public Affairs and Global Sustainability Atty. Raul Academia and Assistant Vice President for Government Affairs, Global Sustainability Steve Piczon; and JGF Director for Engagement and Advocacy Emmylou Belen and Senior Program Manager Marie Angeline Liquigan.
Aside from the MoU on mangrove reforestation, JFC through Mr. Tanmantiong also expressed their support to Secretary Loyzaga and the DENR which leads the organizing committee for the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR). The event will be held in Manila in October 2024 with more than 3,000 foreign delegates expected to attend. The APMCDRR 2024 will be held under the working theme “Eyes on 2030: Enhancing ambition in Asia-Pacific to accelerate disaster risk reduction”.
Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) is one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the world. From starting as ice cream shops in Manila, the company has grown into a multi-branded global company with 18 brands and store network of over 6,900 stores across 33 countries. Among its brands are Jollibee, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Smashburger, and Tim Ho Wan.#
