MANILA - Jollibee has launched #KwentongJollibee for this year, a series of stories revolving around love in the time of corona(virus).

With the theme "Find Strength in Love", Jollibee Assistant Vice President Arline Adeva said Thursday they wanted to reach out to Filipinos and connect with them through the different relatable stories of love during the lockdown.

Jollibee revealed 2 of the 3 ads to the media on Thursday namely, "LDR" by award-winning director Antoinette Jadaone, and "First Date" by long-time Jollibee ads director Pepe Diokno.

Another long-time Jollibee ads director Ianco dela Cruz directed "Hero", which was not shown during the press reveal.

This is the first Jollibee ad for Jadaone, who was awarded Best Director at the 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival.

• Jadaone's 'Fan Girl' wins big in 2020 MMFF

"Super, akala ko maggiging mahirap na process, kasi hindi ako sanay sa ads. Pero dahil narrative din yung atake ng kwentong Jollibee, so medyo malapit talaga siya sa kung paano kami gumagawa ng pelikula...my shift was easier," Jadaone said.

(I thought it would be a hard process as I am not used to making ads. But because Jollibee ads have the same narrative approach, it was quite close to how we do it in films.)

She said that when she saw the script for the ad, she found it "heartwarming."

Jadaone used Parokya ni Edgar's "Your Song" for "LDR" as the chorus's message fits well with the quarantine, citing the lyrics: "I take one step away, but I found myself coming back."

"We are all apart, but because we found strength in love, we are still together even though we're physically distant because of the lockdown," the award-winning director said.

She said the challenge in filming during the quarantine is how to show the "kilig" even when the actors are not physically together -- not being able to hold hands or hug.

Diokno said the shooting for "First Date" was "fun" and "smooth" as they have planned ahead and observed safety protocols while filming.

Without showing the sneak peek, Dela Cruz described that in "Hero", it was "a challenge for the actors to emote only through the eyes while wearing masks" and how it will be shown on screen.

Episode 1: "LDR" will be released today, Feb. 4, while Episode 2: "First Date" will debut on Feb. 8 and Episode 3: "Hero" on Feb. 12.

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• Jollibee opens new store in Abu Dhabi, 48th in Middle East
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Despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Jollibee has continued its expansion program, opening stores both here and abroad.

Recently, the company said it was also aiming to open 100 stores of its Vietnamese restaurant brand.