Ana Loretta Gascon

THE MEAT OF THE STORY Foodsphere’s remarkable growth from an aspiring small-scale industry to a competitive mega-enterprise was powered by the vision of dietitian and enterprising housewife Corazon Dayro-Ong: “To be able to provide the most number of people with the highest quality products at the most affordable prices.” She set out to fulfill this dream when she started selling homemade meat products by knocking on doors of neighbors and friends. Soon, the succulence of her tocino and longaniza gained popularity through word of mouth and orders started to pour in faster than she could prepare them. To augment the increasing demand, Mrs. Ong put up CDO Food Products, a small meat processing plant, on the family residential lot in Marulas, Valenzuela. The factory began operating with a meager capital of P100,000 and churned no more than 150 kilos in production daily. A year later, CDO saw the inclusion of hams, bacons, and sausages among its new product lines. And in 1981, Foodsphere, Inc. was established as the company that produces the CDO brand of processed meat. It operated with an authorized capital stock of one million pesos and had the Ong family members at the helm as its major stockholders and key officers. In 1989, Foodsphere acquired a massive 5,000 square meter land along expressway in Canumay, Valenzuela. The new plant is capable of producing up to 30,000kgs of assorted meat products daily. In 1997, the establishment of an impressive technoplant that sits on a sprawling 2.5 hectare property in Paso de Blas, Valenzuela became a solid testimony to the continuing growth of Foodsphere. At this time, the company is capable of producing up to 100 metric tons of assorted meat products and 7,000 canned products per day. And in 2008, Foodsphere has made a major leap with the establishment of its mega plant in Malvar, Batangas.