Expressing its deep concern about the growing impact of COVID-19 in the Philippines, especially in the most vulnerable parts of our communities, Coca-Cola Philippines has decided that all commercial advertising of Coca-Cola and all our brands in the country will be put on hold, effective immediately.
In a letter to its stakeholders dated March 19, Coca-Cola Philippines president and general manager Winn Everhart declared that all of the company’s “committed advertising space and budgets will be redirected towards supporting COVID-19 relief and response efforts for the most affected communities.”
Everhart further revealed that the decision to re-channel P150 million of said budget follows the company’s efforts that have begun this week such as:
- Providing hydration needs for health workers & front liners every day. The company has started delivering beverages to public & private hospitals and will continue as needed.
- Providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to health workers in partnership with TOWNS Foundation and UP Medical Foundation.
- Delivering food packs to the most vulnerable families & communities. Coca-Cola Philippines is working with NGO partners such as Caritas Manila & Rise Against Hunger to make this happen.
- Supporting distribution partners who serve small sari-sari-stores and carinderias, through expanded credit terms
“These are challenging times for all of us, and we are fully committed to doing everything we can to help. This is just the beginning and we will continue to go beyond good as we mobilize our resources to help in every way we can. These are challenging times for all of us, and we are fully committed to doing everything we can to help,” Everhart further noted.