Jollibee MaAga ang Pasko conducts clean-up activities

From November to December, a happy buzz fills a big Makati warehouse as hundreds of volunteers of the 15th Jollibee MaAga ang Pasko campaign prepare toys and books for distribution to Filipino children this Christmas. They are all Jolly Toy Scouts, Jollibee MaAga ang Pasko volunteers from partner schools, companies and other organizations, who are sharing their time to help clean the collected toys and books for the chosen beneficiaries.

“By giving their time to making old toys and books look new again and by helping package them into gifts, these volunteers are helping make Christmas happen,” says Albert Cuadrante, VP for Jollibee Marketing. “Through their participation in the MaAga ang Pasko clean-up activities, the volunteers are bringing happiness back into the lives of kids, including those who have been affected by the recent typhoons,” he adds.

This year’s clean-up volunteers include students from more than 50 partner schools, as well as volunteers from the media, Hands On Manila, the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and employees from, Land Bank of the Philippines, Publicis Jimenez Basic, McCann Erickson, Universal McCann, Stratworks, Inc. and Worklink, Inc. as well as Jollibee Foods Corporation and Jollibee Foundation. For their part, Teves Dry Cleaning and Steam Laundry, Ahyi the Professional Housekeepers Inc. and Quick Minds Corporation (Let’s Talk Dirty Laundry and Dry Cleaning) have lent their resources and expertise to make sure that thetoys and books are clean and as good as new before they are given to beneficiaries. This is the second time that Jollibee is mounting a clean-up activity. Last year, a total of 187,000 toys and books were cleaned with the help of 113 volunteers.

Clean toys bring great joys. Complete with their cleaning kits, this year’s clean-up volunteers are extra enthusiastic as Jollibee promised to match every donation with a Jollibee toy, thus doubling the amount of gifts given to even more children. Children in the typhoon-affected areas will also be part of the beneficiaries, apart from those in institutions affiliated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

For six weeks, the Jolly Toy Scouts will take turns and spend many hours washing, sorting and packing the donated toys and books, with filled boxes occupying the warehouse, floor to ceiling.
As soon as the donations arrive, they are segregated into new and old. Old toys that are incomplete or damaged are discarded. Those in good condition are then sorted according to type—stuffed toys, books, school supplies and plastics. They are dusted, washed and dried before they are classified once again into three categories: male, female and unisex. They are then turned in for final inspection before they find their way into the MaAga containers. In the end, boxes and boxes oftoys and books are ready to bring happiness and cheer to girls and boys, including those in calamity-stricken areas such as Marikina, Pasig, Taguig, Laguna, Antipolo and Muntinlupa.

Aga Muhlach himself will join the MaAga ang Pasko Caravan to help distribute the toys and books on December 2, 7, and 14 in the select areas around Metro Manila.
“The biggest reward is really seeing the happiness that lights up the faces of these kids once they get their toys and books. For many people, these are just toys and books, but to them—especially in light of the recent calamities—these are reminders that there are people who care about them, and that is something that every child needs to grow positive,” shares the actor.
Jollibee MaAga ang Pasko, the country’s biggest and longest-running toy and book donation drive is still accepting toys and books until December 20. Help make a difference and be a Jolly Toy Scout simply by bringing your donations to your nearest Jollibee store.