Pans Up Home Cooks! You #GataLoveJolly’s Coconut Cream and Coconut Milk

Are you a big fan of gata-based dishes? If you’re someone who loves using the magic of coconut milk in your favorite recipes, then you’re probably familiar with how challenging it is to handle sometimes. Not because it is hard to cook with, but because of the preparation process when using it as an ingredient.

For example, if you are someone who prefers using freshly squeezed gata, then you might need to do the tedious task of squeezing your own coconut milk. If you’re lucky enough to get an already squeezed version from your suki at the market, however, then you usually need to use it as soon as possible to keep it from spoiling.

This can be a little challenging because it means that you always have to plan to cook your favorite gata dishes. But what if your loved ones want to have a taste of them stat and you don’t have time to run to the market anymore?

As a homemaker, cooking our family’s favorite dishes is one of the best ways that we show and express our love. There’s nothing more heartwarming than the thought of creating something that they can enjoy anytime when they want it. Jolly, the leading brand of packed fruits, vegetables and condiments, aims to answer common kitchen challenges by providing freshly packed ingredients straight to the pantries of homemakers without sacrificing quality. In the case of coconut-based dishes, the brand has two standouts that can finally give moms the chance to cook their family’s gata favorites anytime— Jolly Coconut Milk and Jolly Coconut Cream.

Both ingredients are made with 100 percent real coconuts and are packed with the creamy goodness of fresh gata that is as good and flavorful as the ones you get from the market. Coconut Cream or Kakang Gata has a thicker and richer consistency because it is made from pressing four parts shredded coconut in one part warm water while Coconut Milk (Gata) has a more liquid consistency (similar to cow’s milk) that is made from pressing one part shredded coconut in one part water.

Gata, regardless if it is in cream or milk form, is very versatile on its own. Whether you and your family are craving savory or sweet dishes, there is definitely a recipe where you can use this wonder ingredient. Coconut cream is perfect for savory dishes because its consistency provides a creamier and richer texture common in curries,. Use it for standout Pinoy favorites like Ginataang Isda, Chicken Curry, Ginataang Gulay, Bicol Express, and Laing. Check out our very own recipe for Bicol Express using Jolly Coconut Cream below.

Bicol Express

Ingredients:

3 to 4 tablespoons canola oil

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 small ginger, finely chopped

1 can Jolly Whole Mushrooms 400g, drained and quartered

1/2 kilo pork belly, cut into cubes

1 tablespoon shrimp paste

250mL Jolly Coconut Cream

1/2 cup water

3-5 pieces siling labuyo, sliced

Procedure:

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat then sauté garlic, onion, ginger, and Jolly Mushrooms.

Add cubed pork belly and cook until the pork turns brown. Add shrimp paste.

Add Jolly Coconut Cream and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add water if the sauce becomes too thick.

Add chopped siling labuyo. Remove from heat and serve with hot steaming rice.

Coconut milk, on the other hand, has a unique taste and texture that can give your desserts and beverages a distinct flavor. Crack open a can of it if you’re craving sweet goodies like Maja Blanca, Bibingka, Ginataang Bilo Bilo, Biko, and Ginataang Mais.

Here’s our very own recipe for Maja Blanca using Jolly Coconut Milk.

Maja Blanca

Ingredients:

2 cans Jolly Coconut Milk 400ml

1 1/2 cups fresh milk

1 cup cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup latik

1 can Jolly Whole Corn Kernels 425g, drained

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated (for topping)

Procedure:

Combine Jolly Coconut Milk, fresh milk, cornstarch, sugar, cheese and Jolly Whole Corn Kernels in a mixing bowl and stir thoroughly.

Place in a large saucepan and cook while stirring constantly over low heat until thick.

Pour into small mold containers. Cool, then refrigerate until firm.

Top with grated cheese or latik.

As a brand that has always been dedicated to providing high-quality ingredients to Filipino households, Jolly allows homemakers to show their care to their families through hearty, memorable dishes that they can cook anytime. Jolly Coconut Cream and Coconut Milk, in particular, are a true testament to this brand promise because they come in easy-open cans that can be easily stocked in our pantries for times when we want to cook our favorite gata dishes. Not only are they high-quality because they are made from one hundred percent real coconuts, they are also irresistibly creamy so you can expect to enjoy the same goodness from the ones you get from the market. You #GataLoveJolly for that, don’t you think?

Jolly products are available in leading supermarkets, groceries and public markets nationwide. You can also order Jolly Coconut Milk and Jolly Coconut Cream online on AceMarket.ph and Fly Ace Corporation’s stores on Lazada and Shopee. Need more recipe inspirations that can make you and your family scream #YanAngJollyLove? Follow Jolly’s official Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts now for more ideas.

BPI offers flexible payment options to Art in the Park 2023 fairgoers

Looking to build your art collection on a budget? Don’t miss this chance as the annual Art in the Park, famed for being the most anticipated affordable art fair in the country, returns outdoors on March 19, at Jaime Velazquez Park, Makati City to mark its 17th year of celebrating and championing Filipino artistry.

The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) once again teamed up with Art in the Park 2023 to offer flexible payment options for fairgoers with BPI Cards when they shop for art at the exhibit-sale, which runs for one whole day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“BPI has been supporting Art in the Park for continuously uplifting the vibrant Filipino art scene and for providing a platform for our valuable contributors of art whose works truly merit more support and respect. It also makes art accessible to Filipinos, helping them learn more about art and Filipino artists,” said Jenny Lacerna, BPI Product and Sales Head for Unsecured Lending and Cards.

For this year’s edition, 60 exhibit booths representing galleries, art collectives, independent art spaces, and student groups will be showcasing and selling an assortment of exceptional pieces by seasoned and rising artists.

One of the galleries that will be participating is Art Cube Gallery featuring Isko Andrade for special exhibits.

“Art Cube Gallery has been a backbone of the Philippine contemporary art scene since it was established in 2012 for helping Filipino artists get their well-deserved spotlight,” said Lacerna.

The said Gallery provides a platform for talented young artists to showcase their works before an extensive roster of art collectors, as well as help promote the careers of seasoned artists by giving art aficionados a broad access to their work in international art exhibitions. The gallery has so far mounted over 100 art exhibitions here and abroad involving award-winning and seasoned artists, as well as promising young painters and sculptors.

Francis Eugene E. Andrade, also known as Isko Andrade, is a young artist based in Bulacan who has been known for sharing his stories through his artworks that evoke a sense of nostalgia. He received several awards and citations such as Shell National Student Art Competition and Metrobank Art Design Excellence Competition. He is a graduate of fine arts with a major in visual communication at Bulacan State University.

For his show titled Intersections II, Andrade uses knots as his art subject to depict his own impression of ‘persevering’ by utilizing oil paint on canvas.

One of the galleries that will be participating in Art in the Park 2023 is Art Cube Gallery featuring Isko Andrade for special exhibits. For this year’s art fair, 60 exhibit booths representing galleries, art collectives, independent art spaces, and student groups will be showcasing and selling an assortment of exceptional pieces by seasoned and rising artists

Lacerna said art as an asset remains an auspicious investment as it tends to hold its value over time in contrast with other asset classes whose value has the propensity to decline sharply when the market crashes.

“What’s really enticing about collecting and investing in art is that aside from having a potential lucrative return in the long-term, they can also make stunning display pieces at home,” she said.

BPI Cardholders can enjoy an exclusive Real 0% Special Installment Plan for up to 6 months and buy now pay 3 months later using their BPI credit cards.

Organized by Philippine Art Events, Inc. and supported by BPI, Art in the Park will continue to benefit the Museum Foundation of the Philippines in support of its projects and programs for the National Museum of the Philippines and its network.

For more information about Art in the Park and BPI’s special offers, follow www.facebook.com/bpi and www.facebook/artinthepark on Facebook, or visit www.bpi.com.ph/ and www.artinthepark.ph.

Jollibee Group, Manila LGU partner anew to offer jobs for senior citizens, PWDs

The Jollibee Group recently announced the resumption of its inclusive employment program to hire senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWD) in Manila after renewing its partnership with the city government of Manila.

The partnership is consistent with Jollibee Group’s commitment to provide equal employment opportunities to different sectors, while promoting and practicing inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.

Jollibee Group will hire 28 senior citizens and 17 PWDs as customer relations staff across the Manila branches of Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, and Burger King through the city’s Public Employment Service Office (PESO). Manila PESO will screen and determine qualified candidates before endorsing them to the company. Applicants must also secure a medical clearance from the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, the accredited hospital for this program.

“We started this program in 2019 with the Manila LGU. Working on this program in the past few years have allowed us to see how our elderly and differently abled individuals have appreciated the opportunity find gainful employment. The Jollibee Group continues to support this initiative of the Manila LGU, and we have been very fortunate to have a partner that shares the same desire and passion as the company in looking after the interest of our elderly and PWDs,” said Ruth Angeles, Jollibee Group Vice President and Head for Human Resources-Philippines and Global Organization, Leadership & Culture.

“We look forward to forging more partnerships with other LGUs so we can improve more lives and find reliable staff who can join us in our mission to share the joy of eating with everyone,” Angeles added.

Fostering Inclusivity and Diversity at Work. Jollibee Group and Manila LGU officials convened anew for the signing of a new memorandum of agreement that will create employment opportunities for senior citizens and persons with disabilities in Jollibee-owned stores across Manila City.

The signing of the new memorandum of agreement held last January 31 was attended by Manila City Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan, Vice Mayor Yul Servo Nieto, and Secretary to the Mayor Atty. Marlon Lacson, as well as officials from Jollibee Group represented by Public Affairs AVP Atty. Raul Academia and Philippine Region Human Resources Director Anna Prado.

Interested applicants can get more information on this employment program from the Manila Department of Social Welfare and the Office of Senior Citizen’s Affairs.

Back in 2019, Jollibee Group was the first restaurant company in the Philippines to partner with the Manila LGU in providing jobs to over a hundred qualified senior citizens and PWDs in the combined 39 branches of Jollibee, Chowking, Mang Inasal, and Greenwich in Manila. Besides Manila, Jollibee Group also partnered with the LGUs of Antipolo and Pasay in 2019 to implement the same inclusive employment program.