McDonald’s Philippines said Tuesday it signed an agreement with Manila City Mayor Honey Lacuna to resume hiring eligible senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the city this year.
The company’s program initially began in 2019 but was temporarily halted amid the pandemic.
“In addition to offering consistent employment opportunities to our regular full-time workers and working students, we remain steadfast in our commitment to have a diverse and inclusive workplace. We proudly extend these opportunities to out-of-school youth, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) through our community hiring programs, including Workforce Immersion, Alternative Workforce and SPES,” said McDonald’s Philippines managing director Margot Torres.
“Through these initiatives such as the recent partnership we did along with the city of Manila, we are not only opening our doors but also empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds to access world-class training and skill development, affirming our belief in their potential and their right to a chance for a better life,” said Torres.
Qualified applicants will undergo a training program approved by the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) of Manila, and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Hired senior citizens and PWDs will be assigned to perform tasks complementing those of existing crew members which includes being an order presenter, drink drawer, table manager and overall guest relations.
Under the agreement, senior citizens will be assigned work for not more than four hours per day for five days a week, with shifts set at 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Meanwhile, PWDs will perform work in shifts also applied to regular crew members, but not to exceed eight hours a day.
McDonald’s Philippines said that since it began employing senior citizens and PWDs in 2019, it has hired a total of 62 senior citizens and PWDs who have been employed in different stores nationwide.
Resuming the program after the pandemic, the company said it committed to growing the program and employing 500 PWD and senior citizen hires across key pilot cities in 2023 including Pasig, Pasay, Antipolo, Caloocan, Makati, Quezon City, Marikina and Mandaluyong.
These 500 hires will be deployed to 250 stores nationwide, giving each store a maximum of two hires per store (either a senior citizen or PWD).
McDonald’s is operating 39 stores in Manila, with each establishment employing an average of 80 to 100 residents from the local community.