Reaping the Bounty of Courage: BAVI’s Mascarinas recognized as Outstanding Leader in Asia at recent ACES Awards

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Leading with vision and courage. Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI)  President and General Manager Ronald Mascariñas accepts award as one of the Outstanding Leaders in Asia at the Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability  (ACES) Awards. 

Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. (BAVI) President and General Manager Ronald Mascarinas was recently lauded as one of the Outstanding Leaders in Asia at the Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability Awards (ACES) held at the Fairmont Singapore last October 11, proving that he is anything but chicken in his leadership.

Cited as an individual who exhibits the ideal blend of business acumen, professionalism, entrepreneurial caliber and astuteness, Mascariñas was instrumental to the continued success of one of the largest poultry integrator companies in the country.

Under Mascariñas’ leadership, BAVI rose to be one of the top poultry integrators, and has set itself apart from the industry by being the first and only poultry integrator to offer No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) chicken. BAVI is presently the country’s largest rotisserie chicken chain, with more than 1,200 rotisserie stores nationwide.  

BAVI was initially established as a poultry integrator company operating in Cebu and Davao, Philippines, carrying the Bounty Fresh brand.  Incorporated in 1997, BAVI is presently ranked 207th among the top 1,000 corporations in the Philippines. 

In 2002 the company embarked on a program to modernize operational capability and market expansion, led by Mascariñas. The President helped link together hundreds of broiler contract farms, dozens of hatcheries, feed mills, poultry processing plants and processed meats plants, with the end goal of establishing a highly efficient supply chain in poultry integration. The venture was an unmitigated success, and consistently earned Triple A ratings from the National Meat Inspection Service for cleanliness. 

The implementation of the Asian Free Trade Agreement, however, led to an open market, which led to cheaper imports. Faced with thin margins and fierce competition, BAVI faced a dire threat to its existence. In the light of this challenge, Mascariñas made a bold move to diversify operations. BAVI launched its own retail operation, and developed a complementing range of cooked chicken and dressed chicken products.  In 2009, the company launched its oven roasted chicken business under the trade name “Chooks-to-Go”, completing the integration cycle of poultry operations, from the farm to the dinner table. 

Mascariñas, attributed his bold business strategy to the trinity of Vision, People and Training.  “I have always believed in the importance of a good reputation founded on ethical and fair business relationships; and the paramount importance of competent and trustworthy people in the organization working as a team. What connects the two is good management. A good leader teaches, guides, and even handholds, if needed. A good leader does everything to ensure that people who work with them are encouraged, and taught the value of discipline.” 

Mascariñas’ win is one of 11 awards won by the Philippines at the fifth Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability Awards. 

Tapas, pizza and free drinks at Restaurant Verbena Tagaytay

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Make your visit to Tagaytay extra festive this October at Restaurant Verbena in Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay. Enjoy tapas by the terrace and get 2 free glasses of their house-made Sangria when you order any of their tapas for only PHP 495 nett. Choose from Potatoes & Chorizo, Octopus in Vinegar, and Jalapeno & Corn Croquettas as a scrumptious partner to your drink as you bask in Taal’s beauty. 


You can never go wrong with the classic combination of pizza and local beer. Have your choice of Four-cheese, Taco Tostada, or Margherita Country Pizza that comes with 2 bottles of local beer for only PHP 700 nett. Fun fact: the tomatoes used in Restaurant Verbena’s pizza sauce are sourced from Tagaytay farms, so your pizza’s freshness is a guarantee.

Restaurant Verbena’s Tapas by the Terrace and Pizza & Beer promo is available until October 31, 2018.

ABOUT RESTAURANT VERBENA

Restaurant Verbena is the multi-awarded gourmet gem of Discovery Country Suites, serving the culinary creations of Head Chef Jay Jay Sycip. Set in the cozy elegance of this lakeside retreat, Verbena pairs the rich, stimulating flavors of contemporary fusion cuisine with the comforting ingredients of farm-fresh country food. The menu is complemented by a prestigious wine list of renowned international labels. Verbena's hearty country breakfasts are a highlight of every stay at Discovery Country Suites, as are the sophisticated selections of wine and cheese served at sundown. Stay up to date & follow us:

For more information:
Facebook: /DiscoveryCountrySuites/
Twitter: @DCSTagaytay 
Instagram: @discoverycountrysuites

Mita's Kitchen Now Open

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One of the simplest pleasures in life is enjoying good food together with family and friends. While entertaining at home is much desired, not everyone has the time and energy to prepare food that is both captivating to sight and taste while making sure that the house is guest-ready. The next best option of course is to find a restaurant that provides a cozy feel both in its physical set-up and food that tastes distinctively home-cooked. It is therefore such a joy to know that Mita's Kitchen is now open. 


Located at The Junction At Carmeltown, Wisdom Avenue, Carmelray Industrial Park I, Calamba City, Mita's Kitchen is the owners' dream restaurant and is practically an extension of their home in terms of the love and care they put into food preparation and presentation. Aside from recipes passed on for generations, it also offers recipes specially developed for them by the Professional Academy for Culinary Education.


Mita's Kitchen serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 




With plated meals featuring all-time favorites including fried chicken, daing na bangus, hubad na longganisa...


...and savory beef tapa.


You can also choose to order as a group and sample the Pork Estofado...



...Pancit Habhab


and Pinaupong Manok


If you prefer something that is lighter but equally satisfying, your best bets would be the Authentic Molo Soup...



...Fresh Lumpiang Ubod



...Taisanmada with Hot Choco



and Choco Banana Cupcake with Coffee.


These baked goodies can be ordered by box just in case you would like to bring home pasalubongs for your loved ones at home. 

You can even enjoy premium beers.



Reservations for parties and seminars are accepted.


Meet the people behind Mita's Kitchen headed by owners Ian and Thet Martinez. For inquiries, call 0917-825-5460.



Meet us at Mita's Kitchen!

#MeetUsAtMitas

Jollibee Fun Store Toys Lets Kids Get a Feel of Working at Jollibee

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Kids get a feel of working at Jollibee with collectible toy set

Kids can have more playtime fun with their friends as they imagine preparing, serving and delivering their favorite langhap-sarap meals with the Jollibee Fun Store toys, now available with every Jolly Kiddie Meal.

The Jollibee Fun Store toys feature Jollibee and his Friends, Hetty, Popo, Twirlie, and Yum as they cook Jolly Crispy Fries, flip Yumburgers, serve Jolly Spaghetti, use the cash register, and deliver meals to give kids and their playmates a feel of working at a Jollibee store.

After designing Jollibee’s bike with stickers, simply press the button on the launcher to send him on his next delivery. At the noodles counter, a little push on Hetty will make her twist left and right as she serves the sweet-sarap spaghetti meal on a tray.

At the fries and burger counters, kids can help Popo cook by moving his hand and fryer with the pull of a lever on his back while Yum can lift patties with a press of a button on his back. At the ice cream counter, kids can imagine Twirlie getting orders and payments from customers as she presses the cash register with a push of the lever on her back. 

Assemble your kid’s Jollibee store crew with every purchase of a Jolly Kiddie Meal: Yum Burger Meal at P94, Jolly Spaghetti Meal at P99 or Chickenjoy Meal at P125, each with its own Jolly Joy Box.  

Hurry, complete the Jollibee Fun Store toy set, available until April 30. Head over to your nearest Jollibee branch and be sure to collect them all!

Canada’s Largest Filipino Community Excited with Jollibee Scarborough Opening

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Filipinos and locals alike in Canada’s east coast had an exciting Easter treat as Jollibee opened its first store in the Greater Toronto Area in early April.


Filipinos spent the eve of the Jollibee Scarborough grand opening exchanging stories of how they miss their families and the taste of home.

On Saturday evening—hours before the grand opening—hundreds of Filipinos already camped-out in front of Jollibee Scarborough, located at 15 William Kitchen Road, eager to step inside the store to savor a taste of home.

The Jollibee Scarborough is the Filipino fast-food chain’s third store in Canada and the 40th store in North America.

Jollibee Scarborough is the Filipino fast-food chain’s third store in Canada and the 40th store in North America. Here, residents can savor the crispylicious and juicylicious Jolly Crispy Chicken (more popularly known as Chickenjoy here in the Philippines), the tastiest and meatiest Jollibee Spaghetti, Palabok Fiesta, and the golden-brown Peach Mango Pie, among other langhap-sarap treats.

Filipinos who waited through the night were surprised to see Jollibee welcoming them as Jollibee Scarborough finally opened its doors.

No less than Jollibee welcomed Filipinos to the store, including its very first customer, Paul, who looked forward to enjoying the Jolly Crispy Chicken for the first time in six years.

“For us, nothing brings greater joy than to bring people together over great-tasting food and happy moments. We are excited to bring to Scarborough the popular dishes that many now enjoy in different parts of the world,” said Jose Miñana, Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) group president for North America. 

A Filipino gets a collectible Jollibee plush doll for being one of the first 100 customers.

Scarborough is home to an estimated 50,000 plus Filipinos and is one of the most popular destinations for new immigrants to reside.  The Greater Toronto Area, where Scarborough is located, is the most populous metropolitan area in Canada with around 200,000 Filipinos residents.  

“We look forward to bringing a familiar ‘taste of home’ to our countrymen in the Greater Toronto Area.  Many may not know that this area is home to the largest Filipino community in Canada!  And we won’t stop here – another location in Mississauga is in the pipeline for the year,” said Beth Dela Cruz, Jollibee North America vice president and general manager.


Other customers also received limited edition Jollibee collectible toys that celebrate and promote Filipino culture.

Jollibee Foods Corporation is currently the largest Asian food service company, operating in 16 markets, with over 3,800 stores globally, of which 1,272 are Jollibee brand stores. The company’s aggressive expansion plan in North America is part of its overarching goal to be among the top five restaurant brands globally.

Follow Jollibee Canada’s official Facebook page to get updates on the much-awaited opening of Jollibee in Toronto https://www.facebook.com/jollibeecan/

Forging Friendships Through Food

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Funny how a mistranslation can lead to something unexpected like getting a Japanese biscuit. After my son jokingly asked visiting Japanese students about their love lives, they quickly whipped out this wafer biscuit with a wrapper showing images of Love Live! characters, a popular anime. My son may not have gotten the answer that he was expecting but that misunderstanding certainly paved the way for forging friendships.


Food is known to be a universal medium for socialization. As every person eats, striking a conversation about food is probably one of the safest way to go about it. More so, if the food is related to a certain culture.

Talking about food with new-found friends from another country allows you to get to know a little more about the other without being too intrusive. You also get the chance to share your take about your own culture. Eating together never fails to create that warm feeling of sharing the experience in an activity so simple yet universal.



My son usually participates in school activities pertaining to welcoming visiting Japanese students. After all the activities that include games and educational programs, such visit will always culminate with a satisfying meal. And so friendships are continually forged through food. 

Let Hershey's Chocolate Do the Talking

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These chocolate bars got my attention really fast when I was at the supermarket with my wife. I can't help thinking how it has become so easy to express one's emotion especially in this love month of February. Seems like there is no need to slave through doing one letter to give to a loved one.


I suppose it is the sign of the times when everything seem to happen fast. These Hershey's chocolate bars can say it all for a boy wanting to profess his love to a girl or even as a reminder to love one's self. For all intents and purposes, these chocolate bars can do the talking.



Chocolates have long been associated with love or profession of love. Eating chocolate is said to result to feeling good or even the feeling of being in love. The truth about this claim is at best doubtful but one thing I'm sure of is that eating chocolates give me a comforting feeling, something that can be very elusive to many adults living in today's stressful world.