Popular fastfood restaurant’s mascot unscathed in mall fire


SURVIVOR – A Jollibee mascot survives the fire that gutted a mall in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique. (Photo from Jo Olivz’s Facebook account)
An unlikely survivor emerged from the charred building of the Gaisano Grand Mall of Antique in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique Friday, June 18.

It was Jollibee, the anthropomorphic bee mascot of popular fastfood chain Jollibee.

A photo of Jollibee posted in the Facebook account of Jo Olivz showed the mascot standing tall among the smoldering debris.

Olivz captioned the photo, “Jollibee lang sakalam” (Jollibee is strong), an apparent reference to why the mascot survived.

As of posting time, Olivz’s post has earned 2,000 shares, 1,300 emoticon reactions, and almost 100 comments, most of which expressed awe on Jollibee’s ability to survive the fire.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has yet to declare fire out after more than 12 hours of trying to douse the blaze that started 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 17.

Antique Provincial Marshall Randy Pudadera, during a virtual interview Friday afternoon, said that there are still embers and the heat continues to engulf the two-story mall.

“The fire is already under control but we are not yet declaring a fire out,” he said as of posting time. (With a report from PNA)