CDO story: Influencing tastes, shaping values


ENDEAVOR

Sonny Coloma 

Corazon Dayro Ong began cooking and selling longanisa-filled siopao to her neighbors some 50 years ago, to help her husband Jose ‘Pepe’ Ong augment the family income. As she gained confidence from increasing patronage, they set up a modest meat processing unit in their family residence in Marulas, Bulacan, now Valenzuela City. Using a ₱100,000 bank loan as seed capital, they set up CDO Food Products that later on became CDO Foodsphere, Inc.  Today, CDO is a well-known brand and a staple item among Filipinos.

My esteemed long-time colleague and friend, Edgardo ‘Ed’ Soriano, who was president of the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP), has written an account on this laudable enterprise. He is one of the co-founders of Diwa-Kapwa Advocates, who espouse the Filipino management ethos of Spirit-led (diwa) organization that is the foundation of people-centered (kapwa) management.

Consider how uniquely CDO defines itself. “Our mission: We champion mealtimes and unite families through food that calls them home. We live to bring them the freshness and delight of mom-made cooking that fills their hearts.”

One could imagine this scenario: A family of four sits together at breakfast, or dinner, engaging in light banter, sharing stories from work or from leisure with friends. While mom may be working, too, she manages to cook a comfort meal from an array of CDO’s meat products. Through five decades of offering quality products, CDO has built a strong brand and franchise. According to Ed Soriano:

“Today, the company has blossomed into a mega-enterprise with assets of ₱20 billion and gross revenues of ₱32 billion in 2023. It now has two mega plant facilities, one in Valenzuela City, and the other in Malvar, Batangas with a total manpower complement of 7,000 employees and the figures continue to grow.”

Mr. and Ms. Ong have embraced the responsibility of being parents as the touchstone of their people management philosophy that is anchored on the Filipino values of pakikipagkapwa-tao and pagka-makatao.

Pakikipagkapwa-tao pertains to “the value of treating others as equals and relating to them with empathy, respect, and compassion” (that) “encompasses the idea of interconnectedness, and recognizing the dignity and humanity of every person.” Pagka-makatao “encompasses the notions of humanity, personhood, and the inherent dignity and worth of every individual.” It is derived from the root word tao “which means person, and is often associated with human nature and the characteristics that make us uniquely human,” also according to Quora.

Co-founder Pepe Ong held off on full-scale plant mechanization on functions like packaging, labelling and packing, in order to continually provide employment. Pepe and Cora patiently cultivated a culture of unity and solidarity. Today, the people of CDO proudly call each other ka-Republika, that, as Ed Soriano narrates, alludes to their many “years of togetherness and working as united groups fueled by malasakit, pagdadamayan and the bayanihan spirit.”

CDO’s Our Values statement also speaks volumes about the depth of spiritual bonding that the founding couple has fostered. To quote:

“We have love for God. We have integrity. We are open and collaborative. We are passionate about our customers and consumers. We are innovative and entrepreneurial.”

Notice the primacy of Spirit as CDO intentionally and avowedly affirms being God-centered. As Scripture narrates, the two greatest commandments are interrelated: “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40).

Ed Soriano points out: “CDO has chapels at both plant sites where they celebrate masses and perform religious rites, but beyond the religious fervor, the employees’ deep sense of spirituality is evident in their day-to-day interactions. The founders have always emphasized the value of spirituality in the workplace, imploring the employees to practice respect, humility, gratitude, and a willingness to share in each other’s joys and pains.”

Integrity is also primordial. The International Organization on Migration offers a comprehensive definition: “The word integrity evolved from the Latin adjective integer, meaning whole or complete. It is defined as ‘an undivided or unbroken completeness,’ or ‘a state of being complete or whole.’ When used to describe a person, it refers to the concept of living by one’s values and principles.”

From its inception, CDO has eschewed management concepts that are authoritarian, control- and rules-oriented. It has opted to tread the path of enlightenment marked by openness and collaboration. Customers are regarded as vital stakeholders and partners of the owner-investors; their patronage generate revenue streams that translate into profits. Profits are then reinvested to fuel further growth and expansion. Innovation is key; an organization that does not innovate or adapt to changes stagnates.

Proof positive that CDO walks its talk was demonstrated at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. CDO distributed a million food packs to needy families. Kagitingan Fund projects were mobilized to support livelihood activities. These exemplify the owner-founders’ Walang Iwanan (No one is left behind) philosophy.

Finally, CDO’s human resource function has embarked upon a partnering initiative with its employees.

On Nov. 21, John Jay Romero, CDO chief human resource officer, will be a panelist on Cultivating Management-Employee Relationships for Business Success covering innovation, customer centricity, and operational excellence at our “Diwa-Kapwa forum on Filipino Management Ethos: Pathways to Shared Growth and Prosperity.” Venue is the JV Del Rosario Center at the AIM Conference Center.

Comments may be sent to [email protected]