Thankfully, the three-day jeepney strike ended peacefully. Who won? I hate to admit it, but
PBBM won this fight.
* * *
Why? The strike was not doing any of the two sides good. The operators and drivers who joined showed their teeth, the government rattled their swords. In the end, we consumers were left gnashing our teeth, as confused as ever over the issue of the modernization of our mostly old, decrepit but still running jeepneys. They attract tourist raves, and are still able to help drivers earn their daily wage, so why put them in the trash bin?
Fostering inclusivity and diversity at work.
Age doesn’t really matter for the company, as it continues to bring joy not only to our kids, but also to senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWD).
Oh, the joy of inclusivity! This is after the company announced the resumption of its inclusive employment program to hire senior citizens and PWDs in Manila by renewing its partnership with the city government of Manila.
“We started this program in 2019 with the Manila LGU. Working on this program in the past few years has allowed us to see how our elderly and differently abled individuals have appreciated the opportunity to find gainful employment,” says Ruth Angeles, Jollibee Group vice president and head for human resources for both the Philippine and global organization, leadership, and culture. “The Jollibee Group continues to support this initiative of the Manila LGU, and we have been very fortunate to have a partner that shares the same desire and passion as the company in looking after the interest of our elderly and PWDs.”
The partnership is consistent with the group’s commitment to provide equal employment opportunities to different sectors while promoting and practicing inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.
It will hire 28 senior citizens and 17 PWDs as customer relations staff across the Manila branches of Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, and Burger King through the city’s Public Employment Service Office (PESO). Manila PESO will screen and determine qualified candidates before endorsing them to the company. Applicants must also secure a medical clearance from the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, the accredited hospital for this program.
Interested applicants can get more information on this employment program from the Manila Department of Social Welfare and the Office of Senior Citizen’s Affairs.
Back in 2019, the Jollibee Group was the first restaurant company in the Philippines to partner with the Manila LGU in providing jobs to over 100 qualified senior citizens and PWDs in the combined 39 branches of Jollibee, Chowking, Mang Inasal, and Greenwich in Manila. Besides Manila, the group also partnered with the LGUs of Antipolo and Pasay in 2019 to implement the same inclusive employment program. “We look forward to forging more partnerships with other LGUs so we can improve more lives and find reliable staff who can join us in our mission to share the joy of eating with everyone,” says Angeles.
CAPTION: In photo: Officials from Jollibee Group represented by Public Affairs AVP Raul Academia and Philippine Region Human Resources director Anna Prado meet with Manila City Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan, Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto, and Secretary to the Mayor Marlon Lacson regarding their initiative for seniors and PWDs
