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Alfredo Yao - Zest-O Corporation

“When Zest-O was established, it had a single yet valuable mission, to provide products of
immense consumer value and quality that exceeds even the scrutiny of global measure." Alfredo
Yao
Alfredo Yao's story is yet another rags-to-riches tale of a self-made businessman who rose from
poverty through hard work and determination. He had to face life’s hard realities at the age of 12
when his father died; his mother tried to support Alfredo and five other siblings with her earnings
as a sidewalk vendor.Through the help of a relative, he was able to finish his elementary and
high school education. However, he was unable to complete his college education at the Mapua
Institute of Technology, which he attended while doing odd jobs at a warehouse of a packaging
company.
Through a cousin who was working with a printing press, Alfredo Yao learned the ropes on
printing cellophane wrappers for candies and biscuits and went on to venture into operating a
printing press business. The business thrived for about 20 years until Alfredo Yao saw the
potentials of the "doy packs", then the latest European packaging technology. Initially, Alfredo's
first intention was to offer the “doy-pack" packaging to some local juice manufacturers, but since
there were no takers, he ventured into the juice manufacturing business himself.
In 1980, Alfredo Yao started concocting fruit juices in his own kitchen and launched the Zest-O
orange drinks in the same year. It became an instant hit as every mother saw the practicality of
putting the light but tightly-packed orange drinks in their kids’ lunch boxes. Kids loved it that
their chilled fruit drinks stayed cold and fresh till snack time.f
Today, Zest-O drinks come in 12 variants and command 80% of the market for fruit juices. It has
expanded its business to China, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Singapore, the U.S. and Europe
and has helped revitalize the fruit growing industry in the provinces, particularly the Philippine’s
native orange variety called "dalandan". The doy packs are being recycled by local cottage
industries into handbags and are now being exported to other countries.
Aside from expanding the business by producing other ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook food
products, Zest-O Corporation now owns the former Asian Spirit Airlines, which CEO Alfredo
Yao aptly renamed as Zest Air.
REACTION
Corazon D. Ong, CDO Foodsphere

Corazon represented the value of having passion in what you do as a

motivating factor in finding success as an entrepreneur.

Corazon was a dietitian by profession. She used her knowledge to create processed
meats that were affordable enough to compete with the popular foreign brands. She
developed corned beef, hamburger patties, meat loaf, and hotdogs, which were sold
purely as a home business.

By 1975, Corazon decided to scale her newfound business and established CDO
Foodsphere. The company’s reputation to develop high-quality but low-priced
processed meats quickly spread and made CDO a regular staple in every shopping
cart.

As a mother herself Corazon understood the value of having meals that can be
prepared easily, taste good, and fit the family budget.

In time, CDO expanded to industrial markets. Today, CDO supplies processed

meats to 90% of quick service restaurants or QSRs in the country.
REACTION