CDO Foodsphere Inc. is marking its 50th year by continuing to develop products and enter new food categories shaped by the changing tastes, needs, and lifestyles of Filipino families.
The homegrown food manufacturer has grown from a family kitchen operation with two products into a diversified company with brands serving households nationwide.
“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,” said Patricia Marcelo-Magbanua, CDO head of corporate affairs and communications.
That has meant developing new products, improving familiar favorites, and moving into categories the company’s founders had not envisioned when the business began.
CDO traces its roots to 1975, when nutritionist-dietitian Corazon Dayro Ong began preparing her own recipes for skinless longganisa and tocino for family and neighbors. Together with her husband, Jose Ong, she transformed the home-based venture into a food manufacturing business.
The company later expanded its offerings to include CDO Funtastyk Young Pork Tocino and Idol Hotdog, alongside brands such as San Marino and Highlands.
As Filipino eating habits and consumer preferences have evolved, CDO said its product development has remained anchored on food’s central role in family life.
That focus also extends beyond its products. Through the CDO Odyssey Foundation Inc., the company supports programs covering nutrition, livelihood, education, environmental protection, and disaster assistance.
For CDO, the next chapter rests on the same principle that shaped its growth from the start: listening to Filipino families and adapting to what they want on the table next.
