CARAVAN Food Group Inc. (CFGI) was recognized with a Manuel V. Agcaoili Award or Employer of the Year Award for the Small Company Category at the 30th Apolinario Mabini Awards held at the Malacañang Palace Heroes Hall on July 18, 2023.
The ceremony was organized by the Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, with its awards committee chairman Audrey Tan-Zubiri.
Recipients of the 30th Apolinario Mabini Awards together with the awarding committee members of the Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
This prestigious award-giving body was named after the country’s renowned hero, Apolinario Mabini or the Sublime Paralytic, who gave inspiration during the Philippine revolution despite being diagnosed with polio. The awards aim to recognize individuals, groups and agencies that create outstanding contributions to persons with disabilities and to further acknowledge the disabled community as productive members of the society.
CFGI bagged the award for continuing to provide opportunities to persons with disabilities, particularly from the Filipino deaf community.
CFGI persons with disabilities employees currently make up 57.38 percent of the company’s workforce, which are proudly called Friendly and Capable Deaf Partners. They are assigned to operate the chain of pastry and dessert shops with 10 branches of Overdoughs and Elait around Metro Manila, while others are assigned at the CFGI commissary to prepare orders for its online stores Raw Juice Bar and Mary & Martha.
CFGI CEO Francis Reyes said they aim to showcase the epitome of genuine service through their Deaf Partners, hence, putting them on the forefront of their branches.
Moreso, CFGI further builds opportunities and career advancement for its Deaf Partners through a series of training that equip them to be competent and efficient employees. Two have been promoted as area supervisors and five as branch team leaders who continue to excel in their assigned tasks, while serving as inspiration to their fellow deaf and to persons with disabilities.
Alongside CFGI are Accenture Inc. Philippines and Tahanan Walang Hagdanan Inc., who also received the Manuel V. Agcaoili Award or Employer of the Year for the Large and Medium Company Categories, respectively.
Other awardees include Jose Go Rañola for the Filipino with Disability Award and Antonio Llanes Jr. for the Apolinario Mabini Life Achievement Award.
The awarding ceremony was attended by personalities from private and public
companies and institutions who share a common goal of creating a more inclusive community to persons with disabilities.
