What began with homemade tocino and skinless longganisa has grown into a five-decade story of nourishing Filipino families and giving back to communities
Before CDO became a familiar name on Filipino dining tables, it started with a home kitchen in 1975.
Nutritionist-dietitian Corazon Dayro Ong began preparing her own recipes for skinless longganisa and tocino, initially sharing them with family and neighbors. With her husband, Jose Ong, she eventually transformed the modest home-based venture into what would become one of the Philippines’ leading homegrown food companies.
Five decades later, that story has grown far beyond food.
As CDO Foodsphere Inc. expanded its products and reach across the country, its connection to Filipino families also evolved into programs focused on health, livelihood, education, environmental protection, and humanitarian assistance.
From family recipes to Filipino favorites
What started with two homemade products eventually grew into a diverse portfolio of food products and brands that have found their way into Filipino homes.
Among the familiar names are CDO Funtastyk Young Pork Tocino and Idol Hotdog, alongside brands such as San Marino and Highlands.
For CDO, the evolution reflects how Filipino eating habits and lifestyles have changed over the years.
“From the products we started with in 1975, we have continued to listen to consumers and find new ways to respond to how Filipino families eat and live. That has meant developing new products, improving familiar favorites, and expanding into food categories that we would never have imagined when CDO first started,” said Patricia Marcelo-Magbanua, CDO’s Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications.
Yet amid changing tastes and an expanding product range, one thing remains familiar: food continues to be part of how Filipino families connect.
That same long-term perspective can also be seen in CDO’s approach to sustainability. Its manufacturing facilities are among the pioneers in green manufacturing and include one of the country’s largest solar rooftop installations, allowing the company to partially rely on renewable energy and reduce its carbon footprint.
When business growth becomes community growth
For CDO, the idea of family extends beyond the dining table.
Through the CDO Odyssey Foundation, Inc. (OFI), the company’s corporate social responsibility arm, CDO works with communities through four key advocacies: Kalusugan for health and wellness, Kabuhayan for livelihood, Karunungan for education, and Kalikasan for the environment.
These initiatives are complemented by Gabay Kaagapay, which provides humanitarian assistance to communities affected by disasters and emergencies.
One of the foundation’s health initiatives focuses on child nutrition. Through community-based feeding programs, children receive the DOST-developed Enhanced Nutribun, known as VitaBun under CDO’s program, together with health monitoring and learning sessions for parents.
The foundation also supports KuSciNanay community kitchens, implemented with the City Nutrition Council of Valenzuela and DOST. Here, mothers help prepare meals for beneficiaries while learning practical ways to create nutritious meals for their own families.
Helping families build their own opportunities
The company’s own beginnings as a family enterprise also provide inspiration for its livelihood programs.
Through CDO Kasosyo sa Negosyo, beneficiaries receive livelihood packages that may include food carts, equipment, kitchen tools, and CDO products. They also receive training in financial literacy, food safety, and hygiene to help them manage and sustain their small businesses.
It is a reflection of a simple idea: providing a family with an opportunity to earn can have an impact that extends well beyond one person.
Planting for the next generation
CDO’s community efforts also reach into environmental protection.
Through OFI, the company has committed to reforesting and caring for five hectares in the Sierra Madre, in partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources.
As part of this effort, OFI launched the Future Foresters’ Fund, combining forest restoration with forestry scholarships.
This year, 100 CDO Foodsphere volunteers, including CDO President and CEO Jerome Ong and CDO OFI President Jason Ong, planted 625 native tree seedlings at the Sierra Madre Land Grants.
“As CDO grows, we want the communities around us to benefit as well. Through OFI, we work with local communities, government agencies and partner organizations to understand what is needed and find ways where we can make a meaningful and lasting contribution,” said Magbanua, who also serves as Executive Director of CDO Odyssey Foundation, Inc.
A legacy that continues beyond the table
More than 50 years after Corazon Ong prepared her first batches of tocino and skinless longganisa in a Valenzuela kitchen, CDO’s story remains closely connected to the Filipino family.
The company has grown from a small home enterprise into a major food manufacturer, but its journey also reflects something more personal: how one family’s beginnings can eventually touch millions of other families.
As CDO looks toward its next chapter, its story is no longer simply about putting food on more Filipino tables. It is also about creating opportunities, supporting communities and finding ways for growth to leave a lasting impact beyond the dining table.
