Golden Arches Development Corporation (GADC) or McDonald’s Philippines purchased close to 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from AstraZeneca in its continued commitment to the health and safety of its people, and in support of the government’s national vaccination program.

Half of the total doses will be donated to the government and administered by the Department of Health (DOH) in accordance to the government’s allocation framework and priority guidelines.

As one of several private companies who have committed to secure the vaccine, McDonald’s Philippines President and CEO, Kenneth S. Yang believes that the vaccine is the country’s best bet in winning the battle against COVID-19 that’ll protect the lives and livelihood of Filipinos.

“With the health and safety of people being our top priority, we will be providing the COVID-19 vaccine for free for our frontliners–crew and managers, in all company-owned restaurants nationwide. It is our responsibility to keep our people safe so that our customers will be too” Yang added.

The company’s vaccination program for its employees will be in compliance with all government protocols.

Since the announcement of the enhanced community quarantine last year, McDonald’s has consistently supported the government’s T3 (Test. Trace. Treat.) programs.

Under its M Safe program, the QSR giant complied with safety protocols such as wearing of face masks and face shields, more frequent handwashing, practicing social distancing, and introduced new protocols like dedicating a Safety Manager and implementing a no-touch policy for Drive-Thru and McDelivery services including cashless payment.

To further its commitment to the safety of people, the company also initiated mass testing to ensure a safe workplace for its employees and a safe dining experience for all customers. McDonald’s also adopted the usage of the IATF-endorsed Stay Safe PH national tracing system for contact tracing.

McDonald’s has also participated in a consumer confidence campaign called “Ingat Angat”, with other members from the private sector, which aims to slowly revitalize the economy safely. Beyond these, McDonald’s has also launched the Kindness Kitchen program which has served over 400,000 meals and continuously provides food to front liners and communities most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.