People – that has always been the foundation and one of the best kept secrets of the beverage company which recently celebrated its 135th year of refreshing the world and 109 years of making a difference in the Philippines.
From the very first serving of Coca-Cola beverage in 1912, Coca-Cola Philippines has been a staple in the lives of every Filipino. Throughout its journey, Coca-Cola has stood strong together with Filipinos—from making moments even more special to celebrating togetherness, from sharing happiness to going beyond good for people and communities.
“We believe that Coca-Cola is only as strong as the people and communities we serve, which is why we continue moving towards creating a thriving future for every Filipino. If there’s anything we learned from being in the Philippines, it’s that our spirit is indomitable and we believe Coca-Cola, like the country, will only emerge stronger, and better from challenges,” said Anthony “Tony” del Rosario, President of Coca-Cola Philippines and VP for Coca-Cola Franchise Operations in the East Region (Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia).
And with its steadfast commitment to continue growing with Filipino communities and creating a future of growth and sustainability, Coca-Cola continuously supports communities with safe water access programs, empowers women entrepreneurs through training and peer monitoring, and protects the environment through accelerating collection and recycling under its global World Without Waste initiative.
On ensuring safe water access, Coca-Cola empowers Filipinos by helping provide one of the basic needs: access to clean water for health and sanitation. With an estimated 132% replenished water used in production, the Company has helped reach an estimated 290,000 Filipinos across 270 communities with water access and education.
Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, the social investment arm of Coca-Cola, likewise provided 141 handwashing stations in high-traffic sites across the country.
“The health of people is one of the main focuses of the Foundation as we continue to extend support to communities. Through handwashing facilities and other water initiatives, we want to ensure every Filipino will have improved water services and quality of life,” said Cecile Alcantara, President of Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines.
Understanding its role in providing a sustainable environment for communities, Coca-Cola--guided by its World Without Waste initiative--addresses the ever-growing problem of plastic pollution by innovating sustainable packaging. Here, every package created is never single use and with other packaging alternatives.
By partnering with like-minded organizations, it continues to drive awareness on how to recycle and close the plastic cycle by involving and empowering the informal waste sector. The goal is to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in the environment.
Moreover, part of the Company’s commitment towards a World Without Waste is accelerating the launch of the pioneering state-of-the-art PETValue facility in General Trias, Cavite—a joint partnership between its local bottler, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines and Thailand-based Indorama Ventures, a recognized global leader in packaging solutions and green technology. It is capable of processing around 30,000 metric tons of used PET bottles. The plant is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2022.
Acknowledging the significant role of women in economic and community development, especially at a time when we need to recover and rebuild, the Company has surpassed its goal of economically empowering 250,000 Filipinas and 5 million women globally. This is through livelihood and financial assistance programs centered on micro-retailers and overseas Filipino workers.
Coca-Cola has also provided personal protective equipment, water, and food packs to thousands of frontliners and communities in response to pandemic-related challenges and ensure that people are protected and no one is left behind on the road to recovery.
The past year may have changed the way people lived their lives but one thing remains the same: Coca-Cola Philippines, together with its 10,000 employees across the country, stays true to its commitment in putting people at the heart of the business. Beyond delivering refreshing beverages, it will continue serving the country by doing good for the people and environment, ensuring that it will help build stronger communities, as it has been doing for the past 109 years and beyond.