Insider Spotlight
• McDonald’s expands its Green and Good footprint with Il Corso Cebu
• New store boosts local employment, inclusive hiring, and community aid
• Sustainability features advance the chain’s long-term environmental goals
Why it matters
The quick service giant continues to position each new store as both an economic engine and a community-support platform, especially in areas vulnerable to natural calamities.
“We give workers the opportunity to become their ‘Best Me’ through our practice of local and direct hiring, provision of flexible schedules for working students, and a world-class training and development program,” Kenneth S. Yang, president and CEO, said in a press release on Dec. 9, 2025.
Driving local economic activity
Each new McDonald’s store creates 80 to 100 jobs—a boost felt especially in high-growth areas like Cebu.
The company’s long-standing practice of direct, noncontractual employment has enabled job security for a workforce of about 70,000, many of whom are Gen Z students building careers while completing their studies.
McDonald’s was recently recognized as Employer of the Year by the People Management Association of the Philippines, underscoring its people-centered approach to business.
A model for inclusive hiring
The Il Corso launch also marked the expansion of M for All, McDonald’s inclusive hiring program for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
In Cebu alone, 17 stores will employ 102 seniors in partnership with the local government. Since 2019, the program has been rolled out nationwide, enabling more Filipinos in their sixties and beyond to reenter the workforce with dignity.
Supporting communities in crises
As natural disasters hit the country, McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen mobilized quickly, distributing at least 50,000 hot meals to affected families, volunteers, and frontline workers after earthquakes and Typhoons "Tino" and "Uwan."
Sustainability at the core
Il Corso’s Green and Good build incorporates solar panels, motion sensors, LED lighting, a rainwater harvesting tank, and a VRF (variable refrigerant flow) air-conditioning system—all aimed at reducing energy use, conserving water, and minimizing waste through sustainable packaging.
The big picture
As McDonald’s celebrates 44 years in the Philippines, the Il Corso store stands as a blueprint for how large QSRs can fuel local economies while advancing long-term sustainability—a convergence increasingly critical for resilient urban development. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
