Ready to Share 'Sari-Saring Happiness

I've been attending numerous Coca-Cola events since I started blogging for brands, and during those times, they never fail to give me the very essence of happiness - the one thing that they've been advocating for years now. And on this year's Christmas celebration, Coca-Cola Philippines is taking their advocacy on a different level, a "Sari-Saring" level.

Held last November 8 in Signal, Taguig City, and in different areas around the nation, such as in downtown Bacolod, all the way to Tacloban, Pampanga, Batangas, and Davao, Coca-Cola celebrated the coming of Christmas in Sari-Saring Happiness Day, with the participation of more than 400,000 stores owned by women entrepreneurs whose businesses have been touched by country’s leading beverage brand. 

Hosted by Robi Domingo and Joyce Pring, our night was joined by Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano; Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Secretary-General Joel Villanueva; Commercial Unit Associate Coca-Cola FEMSA, Mr. Carlos Gonzales; and Regional Manager Coca-Cola FEMSA, Mr. Roden Cardeno, who were so thankful for the successful partnership that they have to bring Christmas to everyone.

Coca-Cola Sari-Saring Happiness Day came as a follow-up to the STAR Program Christmas Convention - a series of events in the same 6 cities that assembled close to 5,000 women, most of whom have been helped by the Sari-Sari Store Training and Access to Resources (STAR) Program. 

STAR was launched nationwide in 2012 through a partnership between Coca-Cola Philippines, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and several microfinance institutions such as Alalay Sa Kaunlaran Inc., ASA Foundation, First Community Cooperative and Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation to provide women micro-entrepreneurs access to training and access to financial services to grow their business. STAR is part of the of the global 5by20 Program of The Coca-Cola Company that will empower 5 million women entrepreneurs by year 2020.  

And to officially start the Christmas season, Coca-Cola, together with their invited guests switch on the lights that featuring the creative Coke parols, which are made of recycled materials. 

In line with that, Coca-Cola Philippines also shared that night their latest TV commercial that speaks nothing but the heart-warming Filipino Christmas tradition that you couldn't find anywhere. Here's the video, enjoy!

Guests, as well as the residents of Signal, Taguig also get to enjoy the performance of the one and only Denise Laurel, who brought the house down making everyone jump up and down while singing along with her.

The most creative Coca-Cola parols posted online via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using the hashtag #sarisaringhappiness has a chance to win a Noche Buena feast - not just for their families -but for their respective barangays.

The Coca-Cola Make Your Own Parol contest is open until November 30, 2014. The top 25 best looking parols will receive a Christmas Salu-Salo package for their respective barangays from Coca-Cola.

To know more about this, you can visit www.coca-cola.com.ph or the Coca-Cola Philippines' official Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CocaColaPhilippines.