Coca-Cola PH promotes supportive environments for all despite barriers

In celebration of National Women's Month and as part of its diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda, Coca-Cola Philippines on Thursday, March 16, hosted a panel discussion on “Embracing Equity: Stories of Championing Every One.”

The event highlighted engaging stories from trailblazers across various areas and fields about the importance of having supportive environments that open opportunities to anyone, regardless of background or gender, and what we can all do to be allies in creating such an environment.

The panel discussion's theme is also aligned with International Women's Day's 2023 global theme of #Embracing Equity, which encourages honest conversations about why “equal opportunities are no longer enough” and that what we need is to strive for is equity, recognizing that each person has different circumstances and that resources and opportunities are needed to reach an equal outcome despite their differences.

The program featured panel discussions with personalities who have succeeded in their fields despite facing barriers related to gender, and are now promoting an environment of support to pave the way for more persons to similarly succeed. The program also celebrated a significant milestone in Philippine sports-the FIFA Women's World Cup qualification of the Philippine Women's National Team, the first Filipino team to compete at the WWC 2023 ™ - hoping to inspire young Filipino athletes who share the dream of becoming world-class athletes.

The discussions featured stories and insights from Gretchen Ho, news anchor, TV host, and athlete; Antoinette Jadaone, filmmaker, producer, and podcaster; Mela Habijan, writer, host, actress, and LGBTQIA+ advocate; Tina Boado, sociologist and co-founder of Queer Safe Spaces Philippines; Inna Palacios, Philippine Women's National Football Team goalkeeper; Dave Javellana, the Philippine Football Federation's Grassroots Development Head and Jonah de Lumen-Pernia, Philippine Franchise Director, Coca-Cola ASEAN & South Pacific.

"Diversity, equity, and inclusion are important to our values as a Company as they are necessary to our growth and it is how we achieve our purpose to refresh the world and make a difference," said Tony del Rosario, President, Coca-Cola Philippines and Vice President for East Franchise Operations of Coca-Cola ASEAN and South Pacific. "This long-standing commitment is also what drives us at Coca-Cola Philippines to support women breaking new grounds and to join the efforts of other like-minded organizations in the country in embracing equity, diversity and inclusion.

Coca-Cola Philippines aims to continue its commitment to advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the company and across communities. The Company has a unique strategy that includes three long-term ambitions:

-Coca-Cola PH aspires for diverse workforce to mirror the markets

-Coca-Cola PH strives for equity for all people

-Coca-Cola PH celebrates uniqueness and create an inclusive environment

As of this year, Coca-Cola Philippines has already achieved its goal of 50-50 gender parity across all levels of management. An increasing number of women have also been taking on previously male-dominated positions and departments in its manufacturing plants - to date, 44% out of its bottling plants are led by women. The company also has a robust sponsorship program for women executives to move up the career ladder.