For many, a field trip to a Coca-Cola Plant during their elementary or high school days was a memorable experience, the highlight of which was getting to taste an ice cold Coke fresh off the bottling line. To this day, how a Coca-Cola is made (and what it is made of) remains a fascination for most aficionados. When we received an invitation by Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, the franchise owner for the manufacture, distribution and sale of all Coca-Cola products in the country, to take a guided tour of its facilities and learn about its processes, we happily agreed.
The journey began at the Coca-Cola FEMSA Canlubang Plant, popularly known as the Coca-Cola plant with the fastest bottling line in the world, capable of producing 81,000 bottles per hour.
Inaugurated in 1999, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines occupies a total land area of 13.6 hectares with 383 employees. The plant was expanded in 2014 following an investment of $125million.
Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines CEO Fabricio Ponce shared the company’s journey towards becoming the largest franchise bottler of Coca-Cola products in the world, and its commitment to building a strong business in the country. Perhaps one of the greatest impacts the company has is its impact on the Philippine economy, particularly through livelihood and employment opportunities. The company supports roughly one million sari-sari stores.
Seeing the towering pallets of the variety of beverages produced by Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines begs the question…where do they all go?
The Company’s Silangan Distribution Center sits right across the plant, where the products are received. They are tagged and subsequently loaded onto another truck in accordance with the orders of the customers for that day, and then dispatched for delivery to retail establishments in nearby provinces within the Distribution Center’s geographic coverage.
The Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines Silangan Distribution Center serves the beverage requirements of close to 35,000 establishments, not just in the nearby areas of Laguna but even as far as Mindoro and Palawan.
We were given the opportunity to meet some of the establishments that are served by Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, like Nanay Rebecca, who opened her store in 2008 selling various chips, snacks and Coca-Cola products. Selling about 12 cases of Coca-Cola products a week, she says that it has become one of her main sources of income. “I used to sell another brand of drinks, but I find that Coca-Cola FEMSA employees are easier to work with. They really take the time to come here and ask how we are doing. It’s also what most people really look for, especially during the summer and Christmas seasons.” With two children still attending elementary school, Rebecca is grateful that she is able to provide for the daily needs of her family.
Nanay Teresita also put up a small eatery along Washington Street in Makati. For 26 years, her eatery has become a favorite of office workers around the area. Open only during lunch and dinner, she says that her food, along with the soft drinks in her Coca-Cola cooler always get wiped out by her hungry customers. She is very grateful for the role that Coca-Cola FEMSA has played in her business, as because of it, she was able to send all three of her children to school, two of whom are now working in the corporate world. Her youngest child is currently enrolled in a private school. She says that choosing to sell Coca-Cola products has been a good decision, because she finds joy in being able to give people what they are looking for.
Another Washington Street mainstay, standing for nine years now, is O’s store and eatery, which has been a go-to place for a number of her sukis who look forward to her specialty adobo with rice and vegetables. Coming home to the Philippines after having been an OFW for 11 years, O says that although she learned a lot from her career abroad, there’s nothing better than being in her homeland and running her own business. With two of her kids already working, she loves being independent and earns enough money for herself and occasionally treats her three grandchildren. “Coca-Cola is always a winner when it comes to drinks. I don’t know what I would sell to my sukis if I didn’t have Coca-Cola FEMSA,” she says.
We started this day with the expectation that we would be given insider’s access into the makings of a Coca-Cola, and while we did get that, we were also left with something a little bit unexpected.
“It is seeing success stories such as these that push us to keep improving every day,” said Ponce. “Our business is not just about manufacturing beverages. Our business is intertwined with the lives of millions of Filipinos, from those that are employed by us, supply raw materials to us, and those whose livelihoods include delivering or selling our products. Their success is our success, and we want to support them every step of the way.”
Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines operates 19 plants and 54 sales offices across the country, employing around 10,000 people.