Category Archives: What’s New at Starbucks?

Filling cups with extra shots of good Starbucks Philippines lends support for Renovate to Educate project

Starbucks partners (employees) are trained not only to pour an extra shot of good in each cup but also in everything they do. Now, Starbucks aims to inspire its partners to serve beyond stores and straight to communities where they are a part of. This is in line with the company’s goal to have 100% of its stores globally to participate in a community service starting 2020.

Starbucks is taking steps towards this commitment through celebrating the Global Month of Good annually every April. During this month, Starbucks partners from stores all over the world will lead projects that will help strengthen the communities they serve.

To commemorate the Global Month of Good in the Philippines, Starbucks began inspiring volunteerism among its partners by involving them in several community service projects since April. This time, the partners volunteered for the Renovate to Educate (RED) Project with long-time partner, Teach for the Philippines (TFP).

As a non-profit organization with a mission of providing quality education to Filipino children, TFP works together with Renovate to Educate to rehabilitate classrooms and facilities in public schools across the country.

Recently, a troop of close to 70 Starbucks partners from 26 stores visited the Agripino Manalo National High School in Pateros to refurbish chairs and tables and repaint facilities of the school which has been used as a voting center in the last elections.

By the end of the day, the partners were able to build ten bookshelves, repair and repaint seventy chairs, refurbish nine tables in the school canteen, and repaint an entire classroom and canteen.

Apart from their service through Renovate to Educate, Starbucks also offers more opportunities for their partners to volunteer through partnerships with other organizations, including Haribon Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.

Starbucks has continued to expand its business globally with thousands of stores in different countries. With this huge network, the brand aims to use its scale in doing good and to work towards its mission of nurturing the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. By empowering each of its partners and stores to uplift their communities, Starbucks truly creates ripples of change.

Filling the communities’ needs with an extra shot of good. Starbucks partners volunteer for Renovate to Educate Program at the Agripino Manalo National High School in Pateros. Starbucks partners prepare to refurbish and repaint chairs, tables, a classroom and canteen at the Agripino Manalo National High School.Starbucks partners help build ten bookshelves for the Agripino Manalo National High School.These Starbucks volunteers help repair and repaint two of the seventy school chairs that needed refurbishing.A Starbucks volunteer puts the finishing touches to this repainted classroom.Starbucks partners renovate and repaint the canteen’s wall-mounted tables.A Starbucks volunteer hands out refreshing Starbucks beverages to other partners.Starbucks volunteers enjoy a light moment as they bond with fellow partners.

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About Starbucks Philippines

December 4, 1997, the Philippines had its first taste of the Starbucks Experience with its very first branch at the 6750 Ayala Building in Makati City. Starbucks has since won the hearts of the Filipinos. The opening of the 6750 Ayala store marked an important milestone in our history – the Philippines became the third market to open outside North America. The tradition of warm hospitality, constant need for connection, and love for coffee – these are the qualities that make Starbucks Coffee and the Filipino people a great culture fit.

To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.ph

About Teach for the Philippines

Teach for the Philippines is a for-purpose, non-stock, non-profit organization that works to provide all Filipino children with access to relevant and excellent education.

About Renovate to Educate

Renovate to Educate (rED) is a response to the ongoing challenge brought about by inadequate infrastructure in our schools.  In partnership with the private sector, rED facilitates renovation projects as a joint effort between students of public schools and volunteers from the private sector. We aim to uplift school communities throughout the country.

Starbucks and HOUSE Foundation Partnership Fosters Bigger Dreamers

Beyond each cup, Starbucks serves a purpose far bigger than coffee. For years, the global coffee brand has grown and set itself apart because of its simple but powerful mission: To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.

Inside its stores, Starbucks has cultivated a culture of warmth and belonging where everyone is welcome, while outside of its stores; it has always strived to create a positive impact in the lives of its partners (employees) and the communities it serves.

When it comes to its partners, Starbucks nurtures their talents and passion and empowers them to fearlessly pursue their dreams.

Roemil Formalejo, a beneficiary from the HOUSE Foundation, is one of these dreamers. As a program scholar, Roemil was able to continue his college education and because of the foundation’s

Roemil Formalejo, a beneficiary from the HOUSE Foundation, is one of these dreamers. As a program scholar, Roemil was able to continue his college education and because of the foundation’s partnership with the brand, was given an opportunity to work as a Starbucks barista.

According to Roemil (or Roy), his experiences at Messy Bessy, the business sector of HOUSE Foundation, and at Starbucks molded him into a better person, “Noon, ang liit ng tingin ko sa sarili ko at sa pangarap ko. Before, gusto ko ganito lang, pero na-realize ko na dapat hindi ko nili-limit ‘yung sarili ko o ‘yung pangarap ko. Kasi alam ko na naman na nahubog na ‘yung sarili ko, doon na ’ko nagkaroon ng mas mataas na pangarap [Before, I thought lowly of myself and my dreams. For me, they were okay, but soon I realized that I should not limit myself and my dreams. When I had already molded myself that was when I had higher hopes].”

Roemil is just one of a few chosen HOUSE Foundation beneficiaries who were welcomed into Starbucks. Under both HOUSE Foundation and Starbucks, the learners are equipped with important work skills and positive values.

Since 2017, Starbucks and HOUSE Foundation have partnered to support two batches of learners. With the two organizations’ strong advocacy for education, the beneficiaries have also come to realize the value of receiving proper education.

For Ariel Mabini, another HOUSE Foundation learner working at Starbucks 6750 Ayala, education was the least of his priorities before he became a scholar of the foundation. As the eldest son, Ariel had always focused on working to provide for his family without much interest in continuing his college education. However, this all changed when his brother, also a HOUSE Foundation beneficiary, suggested that he apply as a scholar. Since then, Ariel has managed to find the perfect balance between school and work. He has even excelled as a partner, winning several employee awards including the ‘Be Welcoming Partner’, ‘Best in Customer Support’, and ‘Partner of the Year’, and is set to graduate in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Management from Manila Business College.

Though from separate branches, both Ariel and his batch-mate Romeo Tapay, have been recognized by Starbucks for their can-do attitude and dedication. After graduating with a degree in Accounting, Romeo has continued to serve as a full-time Starbucks partner and has been awarded ‘Partner of the Quarter’ for two quarters in a row. Being part of Starbucks, Romeo was inspired to go after bigger dreams and is now saving up and working hard to study law. While Romeo dreams of becoming a lawyer in the future, he also loves working as a partner because each day gives him the opportunity to meet new people.

“Masaya ako sa Starbucks kasi bawat araw, ‘yung makakaharap niyo sa register or ‘yung gagawin niyong drink ay para sa ibang tao. Habang nagiging barista ako, gusto kong gumawa ng kape para sa iba kasi gusto ko ‘yung kape nila maging special. Sabi nga ng store manager ko, dapat ‘yung customer hindi lang sa kape natin bumabalik, kundi sa kung paano natin sila kinakausap or ‘yung connection natin sa kanila. So, lalo akong naging passionate sa pagiging barista. Ang sarap kasi sa feeling na masarap ‘yung ginagawa mong kape para sa iba [I’m happy at Starbucks because every day, I face new people at the register and each drink I make is for a different person. As a barista, I like making coffee for other people because I enjoy making each cup special for them. As our store manager said, customers should not just return because of our coffee but also because of how we interact with them and our connection with them.  So, I became more passionate in my craft as a barista. It’s such a fulfilling feeling when you know that you’ve made delicious coffee for others],” he shared.

Just like Romeo, Clariza Capili also enjoys meeting and connecting with customers and shares that one of the most memorable lessons she has learned from was to always smile. “So, ‘yung memorable sa ’kin sa Starbucks is ‘yung laging naka-smile kasi. Sa Starbucks kasi kailangan mo mag-connect, doon din namin nade-develop ‘yung mga ibang customer na nagiging friends na namin. Kapag pumapasok ka, ang saya lang [So, what’s memorable for me about Starbucks is how we always smile. At Starbucks, we have to connect, and that’s how we develop relationships with our customers who eventually become our friends. Whenever you step into the store, it’s always so happy],” she said.

Despite going through tough times after her father’s death, Clariza always found a way to smile through it and stay strong. Now, Clariza will be the first to graduate in her family with the help of the HOUSE Foundation and continues to make them proud as she works hard as a Starbucks partner.

Though coming from different walks of life, the paths of these inspiring partners have crossed at the HOUSE Foundation and now at Starbucks. Starbucks has strived to be an enabler of moments of connection every day and now it has brought together these partners where they eventually found a family, not only at the HOUSE Foundation but also in their new Starbucks homes.

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About House Foundation

The Helping Ourselves through Sustainable Enterprises (HOUSE) Foundation, the official non-profit arm of Messy Bessy, was formed in 2016 with the vision of replicating the social model successfully tried and tested by Messy Bessy. HOUSE Foundation also aims to help more at-risk young adults who were previously trafficked, abused, incarcerated, and impoverished get a second start in life by providing them with high school or college education and employment opportunities while studying.

About Starbucks Philippines

December 4, 1997, the Philippines had its first taste of the Starbucks Experience with its very first branch at the 6750 Ayala Building in Makati City. Starbucks has since won the hearts of the Filipinos. The opening of the 6750 Ayala store marked an important milestone in our history – the Philippines became the third market to open outside North America. The tradition of warm hospitality, constant need for connection, and love for coffee – these are the qualities that make Starbucks Coffee and the Filipino people a great culture fit. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.ph

Overflowing HOPE: Starbucks builds another classroom with Hope in a Bottle

Ever since it was established in the country in 1997, Starbucks has always been known to brew handcrafted beverages for coffee lovers. Since 2012, however, the company has also been brewing opportunities for young Filipinos to better their lives through simply serving Hope in a Bottle.

In partnership with Hope in a Bottle, Starbucks Philippines (Rustan Coffee Corporation) has been retailing the purified drinking water in their stores nationwide, to generate funds needed to build public school classrooms in areas where they are most needed. Upon construction, the facilities are donated to schools identified by the Department of Education Adopt-A-School program, to help address the problem of classroom shortage. The department is set to deliver 81,000 classrooms to address the shortage which affects more than 2.5million students.

100% of the profits from selling Hope in a Bottle go into building the classrooms. The social enterprise has built four classrooms for Starbucks, including one in H.N. Cahilsot Elementary School in General Santos City, and two classrooms at the Lt. C. Villafuerte Sr. Elementary School in Davao City.

Starbucks classroom

Recently, officials of both partners have unveiled another classroom donated by Starbucks at the Archbishop Emilio Cinense Memorial Integrated School (AECMIS) in San Felipe, City of San Fernando, Pampanga.

“We would like to thank Starbucks for being a donor of our new classroom. This will benefit not only our students for this current schoolyear but also all the future generations of students here in San Felipe,” said Felisa Cabaobas, AECMIS principal.

The principal noted that before HOPE and Starbucks donated the new classrooms, students from different grade levels shared old, poorly ventilated classrooms through a morning and afternoon “shifting” schedule. This meant that every day, teachers had less- time to teach their subjects while students had to learn as much as they can in the same amount of time, in such a poor learning environment.

Addressing educational and environmental impacts

To be occupied by Grade 11 students, the Starbucks classroom is made of eco-bricks from a compact mixture of cement and post-consumer plastic, making it stronger than regular concrete hollow blocks. This is the program’s first classroom to be built with eco-bricks.

HOPE considers the latest classroom construction a breakthrough in their advocacy since it addresses two main concerns: education and the environment. “Eco-bricks provided us with the unique opportunity to upcycle thousands of plastic bottles per classroom, so we have committed to using them in all of our builds starting 2018,” said Joie Ann BalaongHOPE program officer for education.

Partnership brings hope to students

More than building and donating classrooms in far-flung and devastated areas, Friends of Hope and Starbucks share in the vision and passion of making education more accessible to students, giving them hope for a brighter future.

“We are happy to be partnered with HOPE. At Starbucks, we believe in making a difference in the communities we engage in. In this case, we believe that every Filipino has the right to quality education by providing them with a conducive learning environment, and this is what our partnership delivers,” said Jo-Ann Ramos, Starbucks Philippines marketing manager.

In mid-2019, Starbucks is set to turn over its 5^th classroom, which will also be constructed using eco-bricks, as part of its commitment to education and the environment, and is already looking forward to building more classrooms and being a vehicle for positive change among the youth.

Apart from helping build new classrooms, Starbucks is also committed to refurbish and rehabilitate school facilities to solve classroom shortage through its partnership with non-profit organizations, Teach for the Philippines and Renovate to Educate.

The program gives Starbucks partners (employees) the opportunity to help rebuild classroom chairs and tables, repair classroom doors, and repaint comfort rooms, even fabricate blackboards and shelves through various initiatives, including the Starbucks Planner promotion.

To date, the Renovate to Educate program has rehabilitated fourteen (14) schools in Metro Manila, Laguna, Baguio, Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro City with the help of more than 800 Starbucks partners.

The well-ventilated and lighted Starbucks classroom is made of sturdy eco-bricks using recycled plastic to provide students with a safe and conducive learning environment.

Students of Archbishop Emilio Cinense Memorial Integrated School in San Fernando, Pampanga thank Starbucks and Friends of Hope for the gift of a new classroom.

Friends of Hope, Starbucks and school officials lead the unveiling of the new classrooms. Photo shows (from the left) GenerationHope Inc Commerical Director Bambi Defensor, Starbucks Philippines marketing manager Jo-Ann Ramos, Starbucks Philippines category manager Jamie Silva, Starbucks Philippines assistant category manager for food Celine Lichauco, and AECMIS principal Felisa Cabaobas.

AECMIS students are excited to sample the Starbucks beverages prepared in the Starbucks Venti Van which visited their school in San Fernando, Pampanga.