Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc., the local bottling arm of Coca-Cola and one of the major employers in the country, announced a free comprehensive COVID-19 vaccination program for 10,000 associates which can be extended to their families, as the company vows to source vaccines for their employees’ immediate family members.
CCBCPI underscores that its people-first policy, which prioritizes employee welfare, is still the best support and recovery strategy for the business.
Coca-Cola said it is working with partners to ensure that the program will be rolled out immediately and efficiently. This also seeks to support collective efforts to revive the national economy.
“Our people-first commitment means that we are responsible for our employees and their families especially during these most challenging times,” said Gareth McGeown, president and chief executive of CCBPI.
“2020 really tested us as a company—tested our policies, our culture, the way we do business, and I am extremely proud to say that we came out of it stronger as one Coke family. We intend to do the same this year and the years to come,” he said
Supporting the government's plan for an economic reboot, Coca-Cola’s vaccination of its employees will help increase their activity and mobility, which will positively impact the conduct of business and uphold continued job preservation within the entire Coke value chain.
The move is also seen to contribute to a virtuous cycle of job generation, as for every direct job at the company, seven more indirect jobs across its value chain are produced—thus supporting thousands of small businesses through livelihood programs and financial support.
With the well-being of its people at the center of Coca-Cola's commitment, the company allocated P2 billion for employee assistance fund to ensure that all its employees receive their salaries, their jobs secured during the pandemic.
“Our biggest achievement is that we did not have to let anyone go because of the pandemic” said McGeown. “Creating and championing a People-centric culture is not the job of one person alone. Every single person in the organization made this possible, a shared responsibility among the company’s 10,000 employees.”
Coca-Cola has in place a comprehensive HMO coverage for employees and dependents, and employs strict safety and sanitation standards across all its 20 manufacturing sites, 70 distribution centers and sales offices.