Jollibee,
the Philippines’ leading fast-food chain, is known for its unparalleled support
for Filipino family
values. Following the viral advertisement #KwentongJollibee
“Kahera”, the brand released yet another heartwarming online video, “Handog Kay Lola Maria”, that featured the
exemplary proof of the selflessness, support, and love of grandparents.
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| Lola Maria and her husband and grandchildren celebrate Grandparent’s Day with a toast. |
The video
featured a 74-year-old Badjao grandmother named Lola Maria Tequillo who,
despite her old age, dove for coins thrown by tourists at a nearby pier in
Lucena, Quezon Province to support her family, most especially her four
grandchildren. Lola Maria was discovered through a viral feature of
broadcasting network GMA’s documentary program, Front Row.
“Ang hanap-buhay ko ay maninisid araw-araw,
mga bente-anyos na ako maninisid dito, (I
dive for spare coins for a living and I’ve been doing it every day for 20 years
now),” said Lola Maria in the video. “Pupunta
ako sa pier, mag-aabang talaga ako ng
barko at manghihingi talaga ako ng barya. Minsan parang ako’y aabutan ng
mahinang katawan, kaya lang, konting tiis para naman meron kaming makain. (I head to the pier, wait for a ship to pass
by, and ask its passengers to throw in some coins for me. Sometimes, my body
would be too weak but I have to continue doing this so my family will have
something to eat).”
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| Jollibee, in partnership with Coca-Cola Philippines, made Lola Maria’s dream come true by granting her a sari-sari store. |
Jollibee
celebrated this year’s Grandparent’s Day by heading to Quezon Province to treat
Lola Maria and her loved ones to a hearty Jollibee feast. Soon after, Jollibee,
in partnership with Coca-Cola Philippines, granted Lola Maria her dream sari-sari store so that she never has to
dive for coins again. Through the Coca-Cola partnership, Lola Maria and her
daughter was also provided important sari-sari management tips and basic
information on how to effectively run and maintain their new source of income.
The special
Grandparents’ Day activity for Lola Maria also became the launchpad for Jollibee’s
Grand Thank You project which aims
to help ease the plight of elderly people. The Grand Thank You project
encourages everyone to take part in providing support and possibly more
sustainable livelihood to elderly Filipinos in need.
“Jollibee recognizes the hard work and tireless effort
that lolos and lolas go through to support and show their love for their
families,” said Francis Flores, Jollibee Global Brand CMO. “Apart from
Jollibee’s well-loved, langhap-sarap
products, an endeavor such as the Grand Thank You project furthers our thrust
of providing joy to countless Filipino families.”
Watch “Handog para kay Lola Maria” on the
Jollibee YouTube channel or here below or on the Jollibee Facebook page.
For more
information and details on Jollibee’s Grand Thank You Project, email grandtyproject@jollibee.com.ph You may
also follow Jollibee on Twitter and Instagram at @jollibee.
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