Philippine Business Magazine: Volume 11 No. 9 - Corporate Citizenship

A Decade of Gift-Giving

The longest running toy and book drive turns 10 years old

By Gail J. Pelayo

There is no shortage of generous people filling up gift boxes in Jollibee stores nationwide

The 10th year anniversary of Maaga ang Pasko sa Jollibee toys and books drive proves the fact that no matter how many crisis Filipinos face every year, nothing can dry out their inherent generosity come Christmas time. Despite the string of typhoons that ravaged the country, the head-wrenching fiscal deficit, and skyrocketing commodity prices, more and more Filipinos have been giving to the longest running toy and book drive in the country.

Heart for the Children

The drive is a brainchild of actor Aga Muhlach who wanted to give something special to children from the wards of the House of Christ Foundation in Tayuman, Manila after having celebrated his birthday with the kids in 1995. He was surprised to have received thousands of old toys when he announced his intention to give gifts to the children in his tv sitcom, Oki Doki Dok. Inspired by the idea, he has been spending his birthdays with underprivileged children since then.

By coincidence, Aga Muhlach became the endorser of Jollibee that same year and luckily, the endorser also found a home for his gift-giving project. Aga believed that with the funds, the network, and reach of Jollibee, it would be easier to collect toys and more children would benefit. The title "Maaga ang Pasko sa Jollibee" was soon created to emphasize the partnership between Aga and Jollibee and its successful first year campaign called for a second run, which eventually became a yearly endeavor.

Milestone After Milestone

The Maaga ang Pasko sa Jollibee has come a long way since it first started and has benefited over 500,000 kids from 160 institutions. Year after year, toy donations have increased and since 1999, the drive also included books as items for donation. Of course not all toys and books donated are second-hand or used. There are also donors who voluntarily buy brand new items and give them to the drive. These toys are deposited in red bright boxes found at all Jollibee stores nationwide. Before distribution, these toys are checked for usability since most of these might need some repairs or repackaging.

The project garnered so much support that on its third year it gathered 14,000 toys, which were distributed to 50 institutions. In 2000, it was able to collect 64,226 toys plus 3,956 books, which were given away to 100 children's institution nationwide. In 2001, almost 70,000 toys and books were given to 164 institution and in 2002, a 13% increase in collection was achieved.

Logistics-wise, the task of distributing the toys and determining which institution gets the gifts is a feat. But Jollibee is not alone in this venture. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) screens children's institutions and provides the list of those worthy to receive the gifts. Different institutions are given each year so that many children can benefit from the drive.

On its tenth year in 2004, the Maaga ang Pasko sa Jollibee covered another mile in furthering its goal of making children happy at Christmas time. Jollibee launched the "Maagang Sunduan" to encourage more participation from other people. Aside from the ubiquitous red donation boxes in Jollibee stores nationwide, Jollibee also distributed these boxes to selected villages, churches, and schools. An orange "sleigh truck" would then collect these gifts in time for distribution.

Lessons in Gift-giving

Indeed, time flies and it has been ten years since the first TV ad was aired which was then known as a simple toy drive, with old toys stacked in cabinets, yawning and wishing that somebody would play with them. According to Aga Muhlach, this is a good way of teaching kids the needs and problems of society. Maaga ang Pasko sa Jollibee is now a household byword and even children get to donate and share toys with their less-fortunate brothers and sisters