These Jollibee Crew hear with their heart

RAYMOND ILAGAN and BERNIE VILLAVELEZ

The same time acts as national trainer of (Special Training Employment Advocacy and Management)

A. social worker and Behavioral Therapist by profession, Vergara has long had a soft sport the disabled, her shop in fact gives hiring preference to the Deaf. Her husband works closely with her in the tedious task of preparing Deaf Persons to enter the world of work. This task she explains includes the understandably anxious restaurant staff.

Vergara is, of course extremely appreciative of Jollibee and Muhlach, who has become a supportive friend. According

Walk into the huge modern Jollibee outlet at the corner of Green Meadows and Libis in Quezon City and chance are, the brightest smiles to greet you will belong to two totally Deaf young men wearing the familiar Jollibee Uniform.

It is all part of a program quietly launched in 1997 to provide work opportunities to Deaf Persons with a target number of two such persons in all Jollibee stores nationwide. The program is actually a brainchild of actor (and Jollibee endorser) Aga Muhlach, who broached the idea to Jollibee senior some years ago that moved the young actor.

Late 1995
It was late 1995 Jollibee’s flagship corporate social responsibility initiative then was called “MaAGA ang Pasko” a nationwide voluntary toy-giving program for poor children. As soon as the Program was publicized, a deaf young man working as a sales clerk in a clothes boutique mentioned to one the shop’s regular customer – who happens to be the actor longtime manager- that he wanted to make a toy donation.

The talent managers, Ethel Ramos, arranged for the clerk Cromwell Umali, to meet the actor by chance, this and personally give his donation. And that was that-or so they thought.

Two years after making his donation, Cromwell met the actor by chance, this time at a coffee shop in Quezon City. Muhlach graciously received the Deaf man. The actor, it turned out, had done some reflecting in the interim. He was deeply moved by the gesture two years earlier, and wanted to do something bigger.

Muhlach then broached to Jollibee Management the idea of hiring Deaf Person in the company’s outlet.

“They are extremely motivated and their work output is outstanding” says Jollibee Green Meadows store manager Ma’am Nanette Leuterio of 21 years olds Raymond A. Ilagan and 35 years old Bernie Villavelez, the two Deaf members on her store team. “They are also well-loved by the rest of the crew and regarded by all as just any other regular guys”

Very Sensitive
She also adds that Bernie and Raymond have an advantage in one critical aspect-indeed what makes the competitive advantage in an intensely service oriented industry: “They are very sensitive to customer’s feelings”

Launching the program required networking with an Non- Government Organization called Special Training Employment Advocacy and Management Foundation In. what means STEAM? “Special Training Employment Advocacy and Management”, and it is exactly what they do. Its executive director is Mrs. Rose Vergara, who owns the boutique where Cromwell worked. (Cromwell now works in the Office of the President in Malacanang and These Jollibee crew hears with their hearts.

Silent Communication with Bernie Villavelez, Raymond A. Ilagan and Cromwell Umali, whose toy donation to MaAga and Pasko in 1995 started it all.


JOLLIBEE’S quietest workers-Bernie Villavelez and Raymond A. Ilagan (Left – Right) received the Deaf man Aga was deeply moved by the gesture two years earlier, and wanted to do something bigger.

Muhlach then broached to Jollibee Management the idea of hiring Deaf Persons in the company’s outlets. Management was receptive, and the experience since has been extremely positive.

“They are extremely motivated and their work output is outstanding” says Jollibee Green Meadows store manager Ma’am Nanette Leuterio of Raymond Ilagan and Bernie Villavelez, the two totally Deaf members on her store team. Launching the program required networking with an NGO called the STEAM Foundation INC what they do.

It is executive director is Rose Vergara, who owns the boutique where Cromwell worked. (Cromwell now works in the office President in Malacanang and at the same time acts as national trainer of (Special Training Employment Advocacy and Management Foundation Inc).

A social worker and behavioral therapist by profession, Vergara has long had a soft spot for the disabled: her shop, in fact, gives hiring preference to the Deaf. Her husband work closely with her in the tedious task of preparing Deaf Persons to enter the world of work.


“There are 4.5 million Deaf Persons in the Philippines” says Jollibee Food Corporation Vice President for human resources Robert T. Poblete.

“Most of them are form less privileged families who are also our main customer base. While it is, of course, not possible for us to help all of them, this program enables us to give back something in a meaningful way”


The program is actually an idea of Aga Muhlach (Jollibee endorser). It was late 1995. Jollibee flagship corporate social responsibility initiative then was called “MaAga ang Pasko” a nationwide voluntary toy-giving program was publicized, a Deaf young man working as a sales clerk in a clothes boutique mentioned to one of the shop’s regular customer –who happened to the actor’s longtime manager-that he wanted to make a toy donation.

The talent manager Ethel Ramos, arranged for the clerk, Cromwell Umali, to meet the Actor and personally give his donation, Cromwell met the actor by chance, this time at a coffee shop in Quezon City Muhlach graciously.

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