Aboitiz unit Pilmico Food Corporation has extended support to small bakeries whose operations were affected by the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine.
Aside from donating bread for frontline workers, Pilmico also partnered with community bakeries to maintain supply and help distribute the bread efficiently. These partner bakeries were paid either in flour or in cash, equivalent to the cost of bread produced and acquired. Big bakeries were mostly paid in flour, while small bakeries were paid in cash.
According to Pilmico, bakeries that were paid in cash earned an additional P4,500 to P6,000 in daily sales, while those paid in flour earned an additional P11,500 to P20,000.
In more than two months of operation, the initiative has produced and distributed over 645,000 pieces of bread to hospitals, police stations and military checkpoints in various parts of the country.
Pilmico also partnered with leading bread brand Gardenia for the distribution of 10,000 loaves of bread in Taguig, Tarlac and Cagayan de Oro.
“In times of crisis, when there are many things to worry about, it is important that the basic needs of people are provided for. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, Pilmico has sought to address this need by bringing comfort through food. With the bread donation initiative, we continue to provide some measure of relief to the communities around us that are affected by the current situation,” said Tristan Aboitiz, Pilmico Philippines President and CEO.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Pilmico Philippines President Tristan Aboitiz say about the purpose of the bread donation initiative?
Tristan Aboitiz described the initiative as addressing the most fundamental human need during a period of overwhelming uncertainty. He framed bread as a source of comfort — not just nutrition — and characterized the initiative as Pilmico providing some measure of relief to the communities around it that are affected by the current situation. His framing reflects a view of the company’s role as a community anchor during crisis: not simply a food producer, but a participant in the human experience of those it serves.
What was the dual purpose of Pilmico’s bread initiative during the ECQ?
Pilmico’s ECQ bread initiative simultaneously addressed two separate needs. On the social impact side, it donated bread to COVID-19 frontline workers — hospitals, police stations, and military checkpoints nationwide. On the economic support side, it partnered with small community bakeries to produce that bread, paying them either in flour or in cash equivalent to the cost of bread produced. This dual structure made the initiative both a relief donation and a bakery livelihood program at the same time.
How were partner bakeries compensated and what were the income benefits?
Pilmico structured compensation differently for large and small bakeries. Larger bakeries were paid in flour — giving them valuable raw material inventory that they could use for their own business. Smaller bakeries were paid in cash. The income benefits were substantial: bakeries paid in cash earned an additional PHP 4,500 to PHP 6,000 in daily sales, while those paid in flour earned an additional PHP 11,500 to as much as PHP 20,000 in equivalent daily value — meaningful supplemental income for operations that had been largely idle during the lockdown.
What was the total scale of bread production and distribution across the initiative?
In more than two months of operation, the Pilmico-led initiative produced and distributed over 645,000 pieces of bread to hospitals, police stations, and military checkpoints across various parts of the country. This scale — nearly two-thirds of a million individual bread pieces — reflects both the geographic reach of Pilmico’s partner bakery network and the sustained daily production commitment across the ECQ period rather than a single-event donation.
What additional partnership did Pilmico form with Gardenia to extend distribution?
Beyond its own partner bakery network, Pilmico also partnered with leading bread brand Gardenia for the distribution of 10,000 loaves of bread in Taguig, Tarlac, and Cagayan de Oro. This cross-brand partnership extended the geographic and volume reach of the initiative — using Gardenia’s established distribution and production capacity in specific locations to supplement Pilmico’s own partner bakery network.
