Gisela Tiongson, the president of fast-food chain Jollibee’s foundation, discusses why sustainable impact requires systems, not saviours
When Gisela Tiongson speaks about empowerment, she doesn’t invoke charity or rescue. She talks about systems. “We build the environment for people to thrive,” says the president and executive director of the Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF). “Because people’s desire to change comes from within them. It’s not something we can impose—if it’s imposed, it won’t be sustained.”
Under her stewardship, JGF—the social development arm of one of the Philippines’ most recognisable brands—has evolved from a corporate giving body into a catalyst for systemic, community-led change. Its work has touched tens of thousands of lives, particularly smallholder farmers who now supply the Jollibee Group’s food chain and young people whose pathways to education and employment have been widened through its initiatives.
For Tiongson, who spoke about corporate philanthropy in Asia-Pacific at the Milken Institute Asia Summit in Singapore earlier this month, the measure of success lies not in dependence but in self-determination. “We allow the person to bring out that spirit in her to realise her dreams and ambitions,” she says. “Once we do that, we set the person into motion.”
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Jollibee Group Foundation president and executive director Gisela Tiongson shares how empowerment and empathy can transform lives (Photo: Jollibee Group Foundation)
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From fast food to lasting impact
When Tiongson joined the JGF nearly two decades ago, she saw the opportunity to harness the brand’s vast ecosystem to create real, inclusive change. “Food connects us all,” she says. “It’s what makes Jollibee a household name—but beyond serving meals, we wanted to use that power to build communities.”
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That vision gave rise to JGF’s Farmer Entrepreneurship Program, which connects smallholder farmers to the Jollibee supply chain. More than 3,000 farmers have since been trained in business development, financial literacy and collective marketing—skills that have transformed not only their livelihoods but their sense of dignity.
“Before, many farmers saw themselves in a low-respect profession,” Tiongson reflects. “Now, they see themselves as entrepreneurs and partners in nation-building.”
She recounts how some of these farmers have become powerful advocates for others, paying forward the transformation they’ve experienced. “When farmers talk to other farmers, that’s when the message really resonates,” she says. “It’s more powerful that way.”
