McDonald’s sets P3.5-B expansion

Here’s good news for Filipino kids who love good old Ronald McDonald’s and his hamburger.

George Yang, the local franchise holder of McDonald’s International, informed President Arroyo yesterday of his company’s plans to embark on a P3.5-billion expansion program for this year that will result in more McDonald’s outlets in the countryside.

Yang relayed this piece of good news to President Arroyo as he accompanied the top executives of the American fastfood giant who paid a courtesy call in Malacañang. The McDonald’s officials arrived in Manila "to get the feel" of the local economic environment.

Yang accompanied Jim Skinner, president of McDonald’s International, and Claire Babrowski, president of the McDonald’s Asia-Pacific-Middle East-Africa which oversees McDonald’s Philippines, on their courtesy call on the President.

Jojo Samson, communications manager of McDonald’s Philippines, disclosed that Yang made a "commitment" that McDonald’s Philippines will continue to expand as he announced the company’s P3.5-billion expansion plans.

Samson said the expansion program will extend to McDonald’s stores in the countryside, including the establishment of an integrated meat processing plant and a distribution center.

"We see the potential of the Philippine market and we see the need to add more stores, especially in the countryside and build up our infrastructure," Samson said.

"And of course, every store that we open immediately creates easily 100 job opportunities and indirectly benefit a lot of industries in the supply chain," he pointed out.

Since McDonald’s started operations in the Philippines in September 1981, Samson noted, the American food giant has captured a significant portion of the hamburger market.

"This year has been relatively good for us. We’ve been getting good returns and sales growth despite all the difficulties," he said.

The Philippines is considered one of the major markets in Asia of McDonald’s. Todate, the country has over 230 McDonald’s restaurants, providing long-term employment to more than 14,000 Filipinos nationwide.

Around the globe, McDonald’s is acknowledged as the leading food service retailer with about 29,000 restaurants in 120 countries worldwide, serving an estimated 45 million people each day.

More than 80 percent of the outlets is owned and operated by independent local businessmen under the McDonald’s franchise.