Pilmico extends bread donations to more areas until end of ECQ
Aboitiz food business unit Pilmico Foods Corporation’s initial 30-day bread distribution is extended until the end of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) on May 15, 2020.
The food donation aims to bring comfort through food, to the country’s critical sectors such as hospitals and military checkpoints while empowering local bakers with a continued source of income during the current COVID-19 crisis
Launched last March 21, Pilmico’s bread distribution initially covered Tarlac and Iligan. The initiative was expanded to include food pack distribution in other areas including Metro Manila, Bacolod, and Cebu.
Pilmico also partnered with Gardenia, leading bread brand in the Philippines, for the distribution of 10,000 loaves of bread in Taguig, Tarlac, and Cagayan de Oro.
“In times of crisis, when there are many things to worry about, it is important that the basic needs of people are provided for. Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, Pilmico has sought to address this need by bringing comfort through food. With the 30-day bread donation initiative, we continue to provide some measure of relief to the communities around us that are affected by the current situation,” said Tristan Aboitiz, Pilmico President and Chief Executive Officer.
To date, Pilmico and its partners have distributed almost 500,000 pieces of bread in various parts of the country. Majority of these were distributed through Duterte’s Kitchen and through different Philippine National Police units and officers in Metro Manila.
Livelihood amid the economic slowdown
The bread donations, sourced from Pilmico’s partner bakeries, help generate income for local bakers despite the ECQ.
Pilmico pays partner bakeries with either cash or with flour, equivalent to the total cost of bread acquired. For the smaller bakeries that were paid with cash, they earn additional daily sales of PhP4,500 to PhP6,000. Meanwhile, bakeries paid with flour equivalent earn an average of PhP11,500, and sometimes up to more than PhP20,000.00 additional daily sales.
“Despite the challenges and limitations brought by this crisis, Pilmico commits to deliver on its promise to advance business and communities by being a partner for growth for all of our stakeholders,” concluded Aboitiz.
According to Marlon Catmon, owner of C&G Bakery in Iligan, they are thankful to have continuous income and at the same time, help frontliners in the fight against COVID-19.
“Malaking tulong sa amin ang Pilmico. Bukod po sa nakatulong na ako sa frontliners, malaki rin ang naitulong nito sa pang-araw-araw na gastusin ng aking pamilya. [The partnership with Pilmico is a big help for us. Aside from being able to help the frontliners, it’s also a big help in covering our daily living expenses],” said the bakery owner.
Meanwhile, Normelinda Chavez, owner of Norlyn’s Bakery in Tarlac expressed how the initiative helped her bakery’s employees.
“Dahil po patuloy na kailangan ang aming serbisyo sa paggawa ng tinapay, nagkaroon ng tuloy-tuloy na hanapbuhay ang aking mga empleyado, lalo na sa sitwasyon sa ating bansa na marami ang natigil ang hanapbuhay. [Because our bread production is continuously needed, my employees remain to have steady income. This is essential especially under the current situation where a lot of people have stopped working.] Thank you very much to Pilmico for continuously supporting our products,” Chavez said.
Both Catmon and Chavez are partner bakeries for Pilmico’s Kutitap Feeding Program, an initiative that has been addressing malnutrition since 2013.
