In Pinas it's 'Love ko 'to'

“‘Lo, Karen po,” “Pa-cheeseburger ka naman,” and “Kita-kits sa McDo.” These lines from the TV ads of one of the world’s leading fast food chains have long been a part of Philippine pop culture. And as McDonald’s celebrates its 30th anniversary in the country, there is no denying that the American brand has captured the Filipino taste. 

It was in 1981 when McDonald’s Philippines opened its first store in Morayta, Manila. Back then, it only served a limited menu—the world famous BigMac, French Fries, Cheeseburger and Apple Pie. In no time, Manileños found themselves craving for the western treats.

Still, what truly made McDonald’s a success in the Philippines was its addition of Filipinized food in its menu: the bright red McSpaghetti in 1986, followed by the crispy Chicken McDo in 1987 and the sweet Burger McDo in 1993.

McDonald’s Philippines Vice President for Marketing and Communications Margot Torres told The Manila Times that company founder George Yang faced tough challenges in fighting for the inclusion of Filipinized items in the menu.

Torres said that Yang had to convince the McDonald’s Corp. head office in the United States that the hamburger needs to be sweeter, and that they also needed to make spaghetti and fried chicken meals because they were the dishes that children eat in birthday parties in the Philippines.

After winning the delicious battle, McDonald’s Philippines finally captured that “panlasang Pinoy.”

The first McDonald's store in the Philippines located in Morayta

A trip back the ‘Golden Arch’

It is not only quality food that has made many a Filpino a McDo-lover; as in any food and beverage business, quality service is also key. 

Two years after its first store opened in Metro Manila, the first McDonald’s branch outside the city opened in 1983 in Dau, Pampanga. McDonald’s reached the Visayas in the year 1992 in Cebu City; and it was only in 2000 that McDonald’s opened in Mindanao in Cagayan de Oro.

Today, there are more than 300 McDonald’s stores all over the archipelago, which has strengthened the fast food chain’s commitment to continuously create innovations to make their dining experience as convenient and fun as can be. One Such moves include the single-number delivery hotline 8-MCDO, the online delivery website www.mcdelivery.ph, and way back when, the drive-thru service and 24/7 store hours.

As Kenneth Yang, son of George Yang and now president and chief executive officer of McDonald’s Philippines said, “We have kept to our commitment to serve nothing but the best-tasting and affordable food with excellent service.”

Ronald McDonald and the Gang with new Kid Ambassador Jillian Ward

Summer at McDo

Come April, the fast food chain will open the Kiddie Crew Workshop, its annual five-day summer program for children aged 6 to 12. Activities include on-floor trainings, values formation lessons, creative art workshop, and singing and dancing.

All through the summer as well, there will be children working behind the McDonald’s counters in selected stores. Torres said that the training more importantly aims to teach children the “value of hard work, discipline and camaraderie.”

The Kiddie Crew Workshop’s culminating event will gather some 15,000 children for a grand graduation. They will be joined by child star Jillian Ward who was just named McDonald’s Kid Ambassador.


*First published for The Manila Times.