The young people I know (which include my grandkids, children nephews and nieces and the youth in my neighbourhood), remain chicken- sad today as I compose this column. It’s all because Jollibee still has not included Chickenjoy in its list of yummies available to hungry and very eager customers for about 2 weeks now. Sadder still is the fact that many Jollibee stores in MetroManila are temporarily closed- and that’s including our Jollibee at Arayat street just across from Farmer’s Market and Mall, a very convenient location for us as it is a mere 3 minutes tricycle- ride away from our home.
The country has run out of chicken!!!Sa Kababagyo, binaha ang mga poultry at nangalunod ang mga manok! Sinipon ang milyun milyong mga manok natin at sabayang natigok! Nalulugi na at magsasara na ang Jollibee dahil sa tambak na pinagbibigyang Senior Citizens’ 20% discount sa mga fuds nila!- hahaha WALANG KATOTOHANAN LAHAT YAN kasi according to that store’s spokesperson, ang tanging dahilan lamang daw ay the 72 stores temporarily closed and the limited availability of Chickenjoy and yamburgers were due to some problems met as it installed a new information system in its network. The migration to this new system was made in August 1.
Nagkaka panic panic ang taumbayan sa mga pangyayaring ito. Unhappy customers vented their frustration in social media- ganun kagrabe ang reaction ng marami nating mga kababayan.Panu nga naman, we have come to love Jollibee food through the years. For kids, it is always a grand treat if their elders brought them to any of its stores even if it were just to take simple snacks of yumburger and fries, spaghetti with the manamis- namis sauce, or if funds permit at bagong sweldo si Tatay, maybe there would be a bucketful of Chickenjoy brought by the smiling young service crew to the table for the whole family to share. Sniff to the nth degree ang mga kids, taking in the wonderful aroma of the deep- fried big chunks of chicken now presented before their very eyes(para bang mga mata at ngiti ni Sarah Geronimo, brand endorser of Chickenjoy)
Yes, Jollibee has come along way from the tiny soda fountain (serving ice cream, soda and hotdogs) beside the old Coronet movie theatre along Aurora Boulevard in Cubao where it was launched in January of 1978. The Cubao area at the time was bustling with energy what with the construction of buildings and the establishment of big businesses. I had the opportunity of passing by that area as I walked to make some deposits at the Land Bank of the Philippines branch there some months ago. Medyo hindi na masyadong sosyal as the LRT route passes above the stores there- madilim, mausok, hindi gaanong kaaya aya ang amoy ng paligid and maalikabok ba because of the jeepneys which are the chief mode of transpo for commuters there (no buses ply that route). But I saw Coronet theatre which looked like nilalangaw na sa kawalan ng manonood. And beside it was a Jollibee food outlet which I entered as I wanted to cool myself from having walked a long way (from Cubao rotunda going to the LBP branch and back), Of course I had to order something in order to be given the privilege of taking a seat and resting my feet. As I did this and looked around the store, I saw on the some old photos lined up on the wall and when I asked the service crew what they were, he told me that these photos were of the original Jollibee store that was in this same place where this new Jollibee store is now. I was very fascinated as I stood up and proceeded to this little photo gallery of the original store.
Could Tony CakTiong and family, the owners, have imagined that the store would go a long way?
Home- grown Jollibee Foods Corporation is now a Philippine multi national chain of fastfoods restaurants. It is the parent of Jollibee, the country’s panlaban sa McDonald’s of U.S.A. CakTiong’s business venture has become so successful that he has also purchased local fastfood businesses Chowking, Mang Inasal, Greenwich Pizza, Red Ribbon and Burger King Philippines. To reach out to the public, even to those Pinoys who are overseas, Jollibee Corporation has over 2,500 stores worldwide. There are over 100 Jollibee stores overseas.In fiscal year 2011, its system- wide retail sales was pegged at 82.1 billion pesos.
Jollibee promises ‘ few more days na lang’ and then we can again have our fill our store favourites- take in its aroma and eat the chicken we missed for days! And ‘not to worry’ Jollibee reportedly shelled out half a billion pesos for the launch of its new enterprise platform, that company’s largest investment in information technology precisely to prepare for an accelerated business worldwide and here at home. Soon, more Jollibee stores will be able to serve kababayans abroad- aba, Toronto is reportedly included in the expansion scheme for 2015, true?
For those of you who left the country before Jollibee was born, please take in the experience once Jollibee becomes part of your community in 2015 and see what is so unforgettable in its food’s taste na talagang di malimut limutan ng Pinoy. For those who had tasted it before settling in Canada, I hope you will have a happy reunion with the country’s fastfood favourites soon.
Meanwhile back here at home, kami ay maghihintay na mapasaya sa pagbabalik ng Chickenjoy in our midst. Lalabas na din ang ngiting mala Sarah Geronimo namin.
THANK YOU, TORONTO!
