Corazon Dayro Ong Dares to Dream and Achieves It

By: Dindo A. Danao

When she was young, Corazon Dayro Ong dreamt of becoming a flight attendant. She wanted to serve food to airline passengers and make them feel comfortable while flying across islands. Decades had passed, and her dream transformed into a greater vision for the nation. While she did not become a flight stewardess, Corazon Ong piloted a great food company now serving quality food products that reach most islands across the Philippines and satisfy the need for nutrition of millions of people within the comforts of their homes.

In the early 1970s, Corazon Ong found herself employed as a dietitian in a hospital, preparing diets for patients. This she did with passion and utmost care, knowing the importance of proper diet to the well being of patients and non-patients alike. She only gave up this job to offer herself to motherhood, after marrying her husband Jose, a professor at the Ateneo de Manila University.

As a full-time mother, Mrs. Ong had to take care of the household, which now included two kids. Her experience as a dietitian proved useful in preparing native snacks for the kids and baon for husband Jose. At one point, she decided to experiment with a new filling for siopao, in addition to the usual bola bola and asado.

She developed a skinless longaniza as palaman for homemade siopao. Little did she know that her skinless longaniza would be such a hit, that everyone who tasted it would ask for more. News of her little concoction spread across the neighborhood, and this was when she decided to convert their dining table into a working area, because of piling orders from her neighbors and friends. It was inevitable that Mrs. Ong’s hobby turned into a business.

“We had to convert the back of our Valenzuela residence into a small processing area then,” she said. The demand for her products was so strong that she decided to establish on June 26, 1975 a small meat processing company which she registered as CDO Food Products, carrying her initials. With a seed capital of P60,000 borrowed from a local bank, CDO Food Products began operation with longaniza and tocino as start-up products. The rest, as they say, is history.

In 1981, Foodsphere Inc. was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, while the CDO was retained as the flagship brand of the company’s food products. The next decade marked the steady progression of the company, which invested in product innovation and professionalization of its staff.

By 1990, her eldest son, Jerome, went aboard the now thriving family business, fresh from college and armed with an Economics degree from the University of the Philippines. Jerome and father Jose helped modernize the operation - from manufacturing processes, systems and technology, human resources, sales and distribution and marketing. Foodsphere Inc. was preparing for massive production to serve the whole nation.

It was in 1995 that the company’s first television commercial went on air. This quickly gained public attention, generated more sales, and put on the map the CDO brand of processed foods. It was strengthened by the high quality of CDO products, at affordable price that has been well loved by the masses.

In 2001, the company introduced reasonably priced 100-gram carne norte, which is another innovation in the industry. CDO-Foodsphere has emerged as the top producer of carne norte in the land.

CDO Foodsphere has built its success on five cornerstones, the first of which is strong management team with open eyes and ears to every opportunity that is customer oriented. It also has a passion for unending product innovation through research and product development. The company thrives on very cost-competitive pricing that makes its products affordable to mass market.

Moreover, the company has built marketing and distribution channels to bring its products to all Filipino households. Finally, CDO Foodsphere knows how to communicate its message well, such as the quality and benefits of its products, to the public at large by tapping efficient communication tools.

Truly, CDO Foodsphere puts emphasis on continuous product innovation and diversification to achieve Mrs. Ong’s core vision – that is to provide affordable food products to the most number of Filipino households.

Today, the company has more than 300 product lines in about 14 categories. Its latest product is San Marino Corned Tuna, the latest innovation in the canned tuna industry. The company hopes to offer the people with more variants and product lines of marine-based food items. As a proof of its commitment to ensure food safety and food security in the Philippines, CDO Foodsphere has invested in a modern food processing complex in Malvar, Batangas.

With all the success it has met over the years, CDO Foodsphere gave back to the community by establishing CDO-Odyssey Foundation in 2004 as the corporate social responsibility arm of the family company. Already, some 6,000 previously undernourished children have been restored back to health, through the foundation’s supplemental feeding program in several underprivileged communities in Metro Manila and parts of Luzon.

CDO-Foodsphere is now considered an important industry and government partner in ensuring the availability of affordable food products in the market. For three consecutive years (1999-2001), the National Meat Inspection Commission, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, has acknowledged CDO-Foodsphere as having the cleanest and best plant in the Philippines.

For five consecutive years (1999-2003), the Consumers Union of the Philippines also voted CDO-Foodsphere as the most outstanding meat processing company in the country. All these awards would not have been possible, if not for the vision of Mrs. Ong. who herself has been acknowledged by various organizations.

In 1996, Corazon has been acknowledged as the Most Outstanding Nutritionist of the Year and Outstanding Medium-Scale Entrepreneur (Philippine Marketing Association Agora Awards). In 2006, she was cited as among the most outstanding women of Valenzuela City. The following year, Corazon was voted the 2007 Entrepreneur Mom-Working Mom (Balance Award).

Most recently, Corazon was named the Woman Entrepreneur of 2009 for excelling in entrepreneurship, leadership and community development — making her a trailblazer in the industry. She received the award during an awards banquet for the Entrepreneur of the Year organized by Ernst & Young at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel on the night of October 15, 2009. The award is acknowledged as the most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs.

Under her leadership, CDO-Foodsphere Inc. has become a modern and leading food company known for its product innovation that provides the best quality and affordable food products, earning the trust of the Filipino people. Mrs. Ong is indeed a great inspiration to all Filipino women and to all Filipino entrepreneurs.

Corazon Dayro Ong lives up to her dream – to serve the Filipino consumers with affordable and quality food products that can be enjoyed within the comforts of their homes. She promises to continue to pursue this dream, the CDO way.