Cebu Pacific Catering Services (CPCS) won praise from international NGO Lever Foundation for committing to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs across its operations by 2030. This commitment aligns CPCS with a growing movement among international airline caterers to advance animal welfare standards in their supply chains.

“Our commitment to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs by 2030 reflects CPCS’s dedication to aligning with global sustainability standards while maintaining the highest quality in airline catering,” said Sherwin B. Olivar, General Manager at Cebu Pacific Catering Services Inc. “This initiative represents an important step in our ongoing efforts to implement responsible sourcing practices that meet international standards.”

A joint venture between MacroAsia Corporation, Cathay Pacific Catering Services of Hong Kong, and MGO Pacific Resources Corporation, CPCS prepares over 2000 meals daily for International flights at Mactan-Cebu International Airport. The company’s commitment follows similar pledges by major airline caterers worldwide, including its partner Cathay Pacific Catering Services in Hong Kong, demonstrating a coordinated industry shift toward more responsible sourcing practices.

“CPCS’s full transition to cage-free eggs demonstrates its strong leadership in sustainability within the airline catering sector,” said Robyn del Rosario, Sustainability Program Manager at Lever Foundation, which worked with the company on developing its new commitment. “Their decision will influence regional supply chains and show how international partnerships can drive positive change in the aviation services industry.”

Cage-free egg production, in which hens are given the freedom to move in open indoor environments, improves animal welfare and significantly lowers food safety risks compared to caged egg production. Exhaustive research by the European Food Safety Authority found that cage-free egg farms are up to 25 times less likely to be contaminated with key strains of salmonella than caged egg farms. The production of caged eggs has been banned across Europe, as well as in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Bhutan and parts of India, Australia and the United States. An increasing number of consumers have also been leaving eggs off their plate as the best way to help laying hens.

Your immune system is your body’s natural defense force—working tirelessly to shield you from viruses, bacteria, and disease. But like any powerful system, it can only function at its best when it’s properly fueled.

According to Dr. Luigi Gratton, Vice President, Office of Health and Wellness Chair, Herbalife Nutrition Advisory Board, nutrition plays a vital role in how well your immune system performs. A poor diet—high in processed sugars and saturated fats, and low in essential nutrients—not only weakens your body’s response to illness, it also makes recovery slower and more difficult. Over time, unhealthy eating habits can lead to chronic conditions like obesity and metabolic disease, which directly compromise immune strength.

This isn’t just theory—it’s an urgent reality. According to the World Obesity Atlas 2025, 38% of Filipino adults now have a high Body Mass Index or BMI. By 2030, the number of adults living with obesity is expected to rise to over 34 million^[1]. These figures highlight a growing health crisis—one that underscores the urgent need to strengthen immune health through better nutrition.

The Hidden Power of Your Immune System

“Your immune system is a complex, intelligent network that doesn’t just react to illness – it works proactively to prevent it. It’s made up of billions of specialized cells, each playing a unique role including identifying threats, fighting infections, and repairing damage,” said Dr. Gratton.

He further added that this army of cells can’t operate without the right fuel. That’s where nutrition comes in. To stay strong and responsive, your immune system relies on a consistent supply of nutrients — including protein, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and plant-based antioxidants. Protein helps build and repair immune cells. Omega-3 fats help manage inflammation. Fiber supports gut health, which is closely linked to immune function. And essential micronutrients like vitamins A, C, D, and minerals like zinc and magnesium all play vital roles in keeping your body in balance.

Nutrition That Makes a Difference

We’ve seen how long-term nutrient deficiencies can have widespread health effects. For example, vitamin A deficiency became such a significant issue in many developing countries that the World Health Organization recommended universal supplementation—an intervention the World Bank called one of the most cost-effective in global health.

“Whether it’s vitamins, minerals, protein, or plant-based antioxidants, your body needs a consistent, balanced intake of these nutrients to support your immune system and keep it doing what it does best which is to defend your health, every single day,” concluded Dr. Gratton.

To support Filipinos on their daily wellness and help maintain their body’s natural defense, Herbalife will be launching ImmuLift in the Philippines.

[1] https://data.worldobesity.org/publications/?cat=23#PH

PepsiCo continues to proactively find solutions to address plastic waste and invest in solutions that benefit communities and the environment. In 2024, as part of its broader pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) ambition to drive sustainable change across its value chain, PepsiCo joined hands with Evergreen Labs Philippines to support solid waste collection and diversion efforts through its Loop Lokal program—strengthening local systems and advancing progress toward a circular economy.

pep+ aims to drive action and progress across three key pillars—Positive Agriculture, Positive Value Chain, and Positive Choices—bringing together PepsiCo’s efforts under a comprehensive sustainability framework.

“Plastic waste is a complex challenge, and addressing it requires steady, collaborative effort. Through our partnership with Evergreen Labs, we’re taking a practical step to strengthen local waste systems while avoiding harmful practices like open burning or co-processing. Instead, we’re supporting a model that upcycles plastic waste into something of value—driving better environmental outcomes and meaningful impact for local communities,” said Aditya Ahuja, General Manager, PepsiCo, Malaysia and Philippines (Foods).

In 2024, the Loop Lokal Program was launched across Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Cebu, Iloilo, and Guimaras Island, activating 11 communities and diverting over 180 metric tons of plastic waste. The program validated the effectiveness of a bottom-up, community-driven recycling model that empowers local government units (LGUs) and residents to expand existing environmental programs with targeted support from the private sector. By alleviating the financial burden of incentivizing community participation, the model promotes shared responsibility and demonstrates a scalable, replicable solution for a broader environmental impact.

A critical component of the Loop Lokal Program is PepsiCo’s investment in strengthening sorting and segregation infrastructure, particularly at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Biñan City, Laguna. Previously operating at limited capacity, the Biñan Ecopark is now being transformed into a hub suited for growth—with our investment enabling the addition of advanced equipment, including the installation of a mechanized sorting line, baling machine, and plastic crushing equipment. These enhancements aim to improve the site’s operational efficiency, streamlined material flow, and increased its capacity for pre-processing and recovery.

This infrastructure investment drives market efficiency by reducing leakages in the waste value chain and laying the groundwork for a replicable, scalable model of municipal waste recovery. Most importantly, it strengthens the collection and diversion infrastructure needed for the Philippines to meet its increasing targets under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law.

Across the 11 communities, Evergreen Labs Philippines implemented a range of community-centric engagement activities—from offering food incentives for plastic donations to partnering with LGUs and local organizations to strengthen existing waste diversion systems. The collected plastic waste was processed by local partners and upcycled into boards, lumber, and bricks—products that are now being used and sold locally, creating livelihoods and keeping value within the community.

“Funding from companies like PepsiCo makes it possible for us to design models that directly engage communities in sustainable waste management and environmental conservation. These efforts generate livelihoods, strengthen government systems, and ultimately keep tons of plastic waste out of our oceans and landfills,” shared Erica Cardoso, Managing Director of Evergreen Labs Philippines.

The Loop Lokal Program between Evergreen Labs Philippines and PepsiCo is slated to continue in 2025.