CEB-UNICEF program expanded to Iloilo, Cebu

Cebu Pacific (CEB) has expanded its Change for Good partnership with the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to Iloilo and Cebu to reach millions of vulnerable Filipino children.

The program collects spare change from passengers on board flights of partner airlines worldwide to benefit millions of children in over 150 countries and has raised over US$70 Million since it was established 30 years ago.

About four million Filipino children become stunted, with body and brain development impaired, due to malnutrition in the first 1,000 days of their lives, UNICEF estimated.

However, Change for Good only began operating in the Philippines last year, with CEB as its first and only partner in Southeast Asia.

Other airlines running Change for Good collections on their international and domestic flights include Aer Lingus, Alitalia, All Nippon Airways (ANA), American Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, JAL, and QANTAS.

So far, donations of CEB passengers to and from Manila have already provided nutritional supplements to over 31,000 poor households with pregnant mothers and over 27,500 children, 6-23 months of age at risk of developing micronutrient deficiencies in the Philippines this year.

A portion of the funds also supports barangay-level information drives on nutrition in UNICEF’s focus areas in Northern Samar, Zamboanga and Maguindanao.

At the beginning of this month, CEB cabin crew for all Cebu Pacific flights began encouraging passengers to donate loose change and spare foreign currency to help children receive proper nutrition in the first 1,000 days of their lives.

“This allows more passengers the chance to help our efforts to promote good nutrition for all Filipino children,” says UNICEF Deputy Representative Julia Rees.

“In barely a year, Change for Good reached thousands of children,” confirmed CEB vice president for Corporate Affairs Atty. JR Mantaring.

“The program is a practical way to put spare foreign currency or loose change to good use, rather than letting them become clutter. As we roll out to more flights, we hope that our passengers can continue to share what they can to help children in need,” he added.

CEB currently offers flights to a total of 37 domestic and 29 international destinations, operating an extensive network across Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and USA.

Its 59-strong fleet is comprised of four Airbus A319, 36 Airbus A320, seven Airbus A330, eight ATR 72-500, and four ATR 72-600 aircraft. Between 2017 and 2021, CEB expects delivery of one more brand-new Airbus A330, 32 Airbus A321neo, and 12 ATR 72-600 aircraft.