JFC legal counsel named lawyer of the year by regional citation body

JOLLIBEE Food Corporation’s (JFC) global general counsel, ethics head and compliance officer Valerie Feria Amante was named In-House Lawyer of the Year by the 19th Annual Asian Legal Business (ALB) Southeast (SE) Asia Law Awards 2023. Amante is the sole Filipino individual awardee this year.

“I am honored to have been recognized as In-House Lawyer of the Year for Southeast Asia. I have always believed that Filipinos can stand proud alongside the best in the world, and I am happy to be one of many examples showing this to be true,” Amante said, who leads a team of 19 lawyers and 10 paralegals spanning six countries that include the Philippines, China, Vietnam, USA, Singapore, and Ireland.

“This award represents the work of the great team of lawyers and paralegals across our offices in six countries that comprise the Legal organization in the Jollibee Group, as well as the collaboration of colleagues from different functions and businesses,” she added.

The ALB SE Asia Law Awards 2023, judged by an independent panel of senior and expert legal industry leaders from various sectors across the region, rec- ognizes the exceptional performance of private practitioners and in-house counsel in SE Asia.

Amante has been with the Jollibee Group for over 16 years and has led the development of the legal, ethics, and compliance functions as integral components in Jollibee Group’s growth and expansion over the years.

She highlighted how the Jollibee Group is invested into providing and hiring people based on merit, highlighting that over 70 percent of the legal organization within the Group are women, and two lawyers, including herself are Persons with Disability (PWD).

Amante graduated salutatorian from Batch 2000 of the University of the Philippines College of Law, and placed 7th in the Philippine Bar Examinations of the same year. After starting her career in a large law firm and in another publicly listed company, she joined JFC in 2007.

Amante is two-time ALB In-House Lawyer of the Year awardee after clinching the citation in 2016 in the Philippines and the latest 2023 ALB award covering the SE Asia region.

Mineral resources developer upholds DEI in the workplace

MINING firm Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC) has unveiled its new policy on diversity, equality, and inclusivity (DEI), making a significant stride towards fostering a healthy environment for all its employees.

“We firmly believe in the power of diversity and the invaluable contributions that every individual brings to the table. The launch of this groundbreaking policy during Pride Month reinforces our unwavering support for the LGBTQIA+ community and our commitment to providing an environment that respects and celebrates the unique perspectives of all employees,” said NAC president and CEO Martin Antonio G. Zamora.

The policy, which aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on Gender Equality, encompasses a range of explicit commitments, such as ensuring diversity within its leadership and making a steadfast pledge to hire and promote employees based on merit and performance as aligned with the company’s values while simultaneously guaranteeing a safe and respectful work environment, free from any instances of harassment or discrimination.

In pushing these goals, NAC will provide comprehensive training to equip and ensure that employees have the necessary tools and understanding of diversity, inclusivity, and equality.

“Sustainability is about more than just taking care of our environment and practicing responsible mining. It’s about embracing the that make our organization we are

Gumamela ice cream, Ginger, Malunggay, Tomato and Citrus flavor. There is also the Blue Ternate juice, one of the unique concoctions under the edible flower series.

House coffee is sustainably soured from Talbek, a sparsely populated hilly barangay producing quality, organic green beans. The restaurant does its own roasting of Arabica and Robusta varieties and creates its own blends.

One of the popular fusion dishes is the signature Tempura Pinakbet, and another trademark delicacy is the rabbit’s meat menu—Rabbit Sisig and Rabbit Salpicao.

“Our mulberry cheesecake and roselle hibiscus cheesecake are crafted using sweet potato as base for the crust. We think this one-of-a-kind menu will be interesting enough to whet the appetite of food lovers, those adventurous enough for a six-hour drive or seven-hour bus ride from Manila,” Danao said.

For those staying a few days, there are nearby accommodation facilities always open to visitors. It may take a while for the restaurant to expand to a bed and breakfast (B&B) format, as it is still working on the completion of a garden gazebo and a function area that can hold as many as 300 people for big events.

Danao said the good camaraderie among his staff, who are all Dupax natives, is key in sustaining the flow of creativity and innovation within the establishment.

He also recalled how the pandemic has been instrumental into making his passion a reality. Just as the lockdown started to ease, he relocated his family from Metro Manila to reside for good in Dupax, which is a far cry from what the life his family was used to.

“Literally, there’s nothing to do in the middle of a farm. And truly, we’ve been missing going to Tagaytay for day trips. It’s the nearest place, out of town, to go when we’re craving for good food with a view. So we’re missing that during the pandemic. And here in the province, life is so relaxed compared to the city,” he said.

He said he was always amazed at how fine restaurants in Tagaytay are always full to the brim and, during weekends, have long queues despite the expensive menu. Othel V. Campos

Snacks company supports plastic recycling to reduce consumer waste

IN CELEBRATION of its 60 years in the Philippines, Mondelez Philippines recently inaugurated a plastic recycling facility in Parañaque City that will produce “ecobricks” from plastic wastes collected from the city.

The recycling facility will utilize technology from Green Antz Builders while socio-development organization Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) has pledged to support the management and operations of the facility.

“We are excited for the future of this recycling facility which we are launching in partnership with our home city of Parañaque. Mondelez Philippines is not only celebrating 60 years in the country but more specifically six decades in the City. The inauguration is just the start of possibilities for our community. We are looking forward to supporting the reuse of plastic so it doesn’t end up as litter, and providing livelihood for the community members who will operate the facility,” said Mondelez Philippines managing director Aleli Arcilla.

The plastic recycling facility broke ground in September 2022 to help reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills and waterways. By shredding and mixing the plastic into cement to make ecobricks, the facility will help contribute to creating a circular economy for plastics.

“We applaud the efforts of companies like Mondelez Philippines in supporting initiatives to reduce plastic waste and pollution. As their partner, we will provide the tools and support to ensure that the facility is able to sustain its goal of waste reduction and livelihood creation. We recognize that plastic pollution is a problem bigger than one company or one community, and it will take collective and sustained efforts to reduce, dispose, or divert our waste properly,” said PBSP executive director Elvin Ivan Uy. Green Antz, a circular economy and innovation group, develops and deploys disruptive solutions to reduce the amount of waste generated, discarded, and existing.