Starbucks Philippines Invites Everyone to be a Community Champion This Global Month of Good

 

As part of its annual Global Month of Good celebration, Starbucks Philippines is reinforcing its commitment to the communities it serves – while inviting more Filipinos to take part in their own way.

This year, Starbucks highlights a simple but powerful idea: anyone can be a Community Champion through small, everyday actions that create meaningful change for the environment, the community, and other people.

“Our local initiatives are grounded in the belief that meaningful change starts with strong community connections,” said Jamie Silva, senior manager for Marketing, Digital Customer Experience and Social Impact, Starbucks Philippines. “From education to disaster response initiatives and partner volunteerism, 2025 reflects how collective action can create lasting impact.”

In 2026, Starbucks Philippines is expanding its community impact initiatives through strengthened partnerships, improved access to essentials, and more opportunities for both partners (employees) and customers to take part in meaningful action.

Supporting Communities Where They Need the Most

Through its partnership with Planet Water Foundation and The Starbucks Foundation, Starbucks Philippines provides clean water access and hygiene education to an estimated 42,400 people in various regions around the country. This April, a ninth AquaTower will be installed in Camarines Sur, extending access to safe drinking to around 7,000 more individuals.

Starbucks Philippines also continues its longstanding partnership with HOPE to support education. Each year, Starbucks partners (employees) come together to help build safe and inspiring learning spaces for underserved communities. This year marks the completion of a sixth public school classroom in Sarangani in April, helping provide safe and conducive learning spaces for students in the community.

Alongside its community initiatives, Starbucks Philippines is also strengthening its sustainability efforts within its store operations. Starbucks Philippines has partnered with MPower to supply electricity to around 60 Metro Manila stores under the Retail Aggregation Program. This partnership is expected to result in improved operational efficiency while supporting long-term sustainability goals.

Continuing Efforts Powered by Volunteerism

Starbucks’ commitment to being a Community Champion is also reflected through volunteerism and everyday participation.

Starbucks Community Stores in Abad Santos, Tondo, and Maysilo Circle continue to support education programs in partnership with AHA! Learning Center, Young Focus Foundation, and Mano Amiga Philippines. To date, more than 1,500 learners have benefited from after-school sessions, literacy development activities, and leadership-building programs that help them gain confidence and stay engaged in school.

Addressing food insecurity remains a key focus. Through its FoodShare program, Starbucks has redirected nearly 3 million rescuable food items from close to 300 stores nationwide. In partnership with The Philippine Food Bank Foundation and Grab Philippines, surplus food is distributed to various communities.

Beyond these organized programs, Starbucks encourages customers to take part in simple, everyday actions throughout Global Month of Good. In their own small way, store visits can become part of the impact. Customers can use for-here ware or bring their own tumblers for their coffee orders and enjoy a PHP 10 discount.

Simple actions, when done together, can create a meaningful impact over time. This Global Month of Good, everyone is invited to be a Community Champion. To learn more about the Global Month of Good, visit starbucks.ph/social-impact.

Coca-Cola Supports the International Coastal Cleanup 2014

I've always had a thing for the environment. I believe that we, as humans had to do our part in preserving Mother Earth. We have to do our share and give all the help that we can. After all, Earth is the only planet that we have and it's our only home. I used to be actively involved in environmental projects and programs when I was still in school. So whenever I get the chance to lend a helping hand to any 'green or environmental-related activities there is, I'd grab the opportunity to volunteer even without thinking twice. Such was what recently transpired when I'd received an invitation to volunteer for Coca-Cola Coastal Cleanup Drive 2014 as part of the celebration of International Coastal Cleanup Day. 

                        Bloggers ready for coastal cleanup

The 28th annual International Coastal Cleanup® was held globally last September 27, 2014. The International Coastal Cleanup is the world’s largest volunteer effort, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants to collect millions of pounds of trash and debris from beaches, lakes and waterways.

           Moi, Kyle and fellow blogger and friend, Dems Angeles 

I'd welcome invitations for tree-planting, environmental talks, seminars, conferences or lectures--but I had never tried cleaning up the coast. But as they say, "there will always be the first time." I had tagged along with me, Kyle and blogger friend Dems Angeles of www.demsangeles.com. When we arrived at the venue, I was happy to see other groups working hand-in-hand and by batches in that long coastal stretch of Coastal Road in Parañaque. There were different non-governmental organizations, school organizations such as St. Paul University in Parañaque, private institutions and offices like Philippine Airlines etc. 

       The author with a huge stick to stack up trash and sack, literally drenched in sweat.

We were literally exposed and baked under the debilitating heat of the sun that Saturday morning.  But everyone seemed to be in a high spirit as we shoved, picked, raked and gathered the mounds after mounds of trash from that coastal area. I've began to wonder what the place used to looked like some decades ago. Kyle said it probably looked similar to Boracay. It could've been a perfect place to watch the magnificent sunset that Manila Bay was known for. Sadly, the volunteers weren't enough to completely clean them up. The place actually resembles the old "Smokey Mountain". From used baby diapers to old bags filled with sands to shoes and styrofoam + plastics--name any trash that you can think about, the coastal seemed to have it. Of course, there were the occasional bad and stinking smell that wafted in the air when you're in mounds of garbage. But as volunteers, we didn't really mind. We were there to get muddy, dirty and to help in cleaning the mounds of garbage. We were sweltering under the sun, drenched in sweats but we were having fun. It was another eye-opening experience for us all, especially for my beloved 12-year-old Kyle. While we were picking up some garbage and putting them on our sacks, I told Kyle that what we were doing was basically a typical day for scavengers. Some people does literally hunt or scavenge in search for items like used plastic bottles in order to have something to eat for the day. This was my main reason why I tagged along Kyle for the Coca-Cola Coastal Cleanup event. I wanted to expose him in environmental events such as these so that he could see for himself what nature had become and later on decide what he can do something in his own little way to help preserve them. Also, it's a realization on his part to thank God that he's lucky to eat three times a day without the need to scavenge on a huge pile of garbages. 

During the Coca-Cola Coastal Cleanup, Coca-Cola had given away Eight O' Clock Orange Juice Packs as well as Wilkins Drinking Water bottles and of course, Coke bottles to the delight of the volunteers. There were also water refilling stations and standby First Aid/ambulance for the security and safety of every volunteers. As a token for blogger volunteers, we were given personalized Coca-Cola shirts. 

             The cute shirt from Coke with my name on it! 

       Moi and Dems Angeles take shelter under the trees.

In a nutshell, although we were a bit exhausted, starving and perspiring, it felt good to be able to give something back or do something for the environment. It may not be much, we may not have created much impact, but the most important thing was that we were able to do our share and has shown that we care. "Do what you can, where you are and with what you have".  We were only given one planet. If only everyone participates in environmental activities such as these, then maybe, we'd have a cleaner and better place to live in. 

Thank you so much Coca-Cola and Green Bulb PR for inviting me to this event. I really appreciate that you've given us the opportunity to volunteer for this activity. 

Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this post. Opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

A Day of Smiles for the Kids of Gawad Kalinga

If you once loved carnivals as a kid (or still do until now), share this delight to other children as Gawad Kalinga Quezon City (GKQC), in cooperation with The Expressions Company, brings Carenival, a day for the children of GKQC villages. This will be on December 15, 2013 (Sunday) at the Ateneo de Manila University MVP – Roof Deck from 10 am to 5pm.

Fun booths and a variety show will be setup to entertain more than 200 kids. Here are ways on how you can take part in this celebration of caring and sharing:

 Be a volunteer ate and kuya for a day! Everyone is welcome to meet and mingle with the kids. Bring your family and friends too!

 Donate in kind or in cash. Feeling like you need to outgrow your fascination over you preciousCare Bear set, Voltes V action figures, or Barbie doll collection already? Donate them and bring joy to the beneficiaries’ faces. Excess toy donations will also be sent to the kids in areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda. Bring your toy donations on the event itself or leave them at UP Circle of Administrator’s designated drop-off points at UP Diliman NCPAG Lobby or UP Circa Tambayan, until December 13.

Cash donations are also welcome and will be used to provide more materials for the children.

 Be a volunteer performer. Are you a puppeteer, magician, balloon twister or any kind of kiddie party performer? Share your talent to the kids and be their heroes!

For more information, contact Pao Inting at 0917-3679789. Like GKQC on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/teamGKQC) or follow them on Twitter (@TeamGKQC) to know more about the event and future bayanihan opportunities.

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Gawad Kalinga (GK) is an organization geared towards building a nation empowered by people with faith and patriotism; a nation made up of caring and sharing communities, dedicated to eradicating poverty and restoring human dignity. Gawad Kalinga espouses volunteerism and relies on able and willing nation- builders in carrying out its mandate.

In line with the mission of ending poverty for 5 million families by 2024, GK Youth Quezon City (the youth development arm of GK QC) takes care of 87 communities in the city. The team contributes to community development and youth empowerment through organizing monthly builds, holding of workshops for developing the youth, and undertaking various community-building events.