Just like any other business enterprise, Mekeni Food Corp. (Mekeni) is also feeling the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, as the saying goes “you can’t put an outstanding enterprise down.”

Prudencio “Pruds” Garcia, president of Mekeni, told the BusinessMirror in an e-mail interview that their current thrust is to keep the business afloat, while remaining committed to take care of its employees.

“To do this, we have become more prudent in managing the company resources but without sacrificing the welfare of our employees and the quality of our products and services. We are also grateful to our international partners who continue to trust us,” Garcia said. Garcia said that he agrees that the current pandemic is the “biggest challenge” Mekeni has encountered so far. Nevertheless, he believes that the past challenges that his family and Mekeni faced, like the Mount Pinatubo eruption in mid-1991, have made them sturdy and prepared them emotionally and mentally strong for this situation. 

“We may have been caught off guard in the beginning of this pandemic, but we did not lose heart. We went on and now we are striving very hard to keep the business afloat. But what makes this pandemic more challenging, I think, is that we do not know when it will end and how soon the economy can recover once this is over,” Garcia explained.

Garcia said Mekeni strictly adheres to the health and safety protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and the local government unit of Pampanga. As a food company certified to be compliant with ISO 22000 (Food Safety Management System) and FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification), Garcia said Mekeni is implementing strict health and safety protocols even before the pandemic.  Before entering the Mekeni facility, every employee is subjected to mandatory checking of body temperature and proper sanitation of hands, footwear and vehicles. Moreover, employees are also required to keep track of the sanitation schedule of their workspaces and equipment. Those who can also work remotely, are allowed to work from home. 

Despite being in a critical period, Garcia believes that empowering and involving their managers in every business decision is quite important to ensure smooth operation. Meanwhile, Garcia said the top management values listening to suggestions and opinions. In terms of internal processes, Mekeni installed protocols to ensure that processes are well documented. The Garcia family also impart the values of compassion, responsibility and gratefulness to their employees, the very same values passed on by their parents to their children. 

“These values are very instrumental in creating a familial culture within the organization. Our employees treat the company as if it is their own—from as simple as taking good care of company properties, to promoting our products to their circle, and to going above and beyond their duties, especially in time of crises. These are just some of the things they do that assure us that the company is in good hands,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Mekeni adopts a bullish attitude and continues to diversify its product lines. For instance, this year, Mekeni expanded its Bayani line of products, which consists of street food like fish ball, squid ball, siomai, siopao, and lumpiang shanghai. 

When Mekeni conceptualized this product line last year, Garcia recalled the company identified ordinary street vendors as target market to provide them with quality products that are affordable and, at the same time, can give them big profit. “But now, with the changing demands and needs of the consumers in general and growing numbers of micropreneurs, this product line can be anyone’s dependable partner along with our other products—whether for business, or personal consumption, he said.

Furthermore, Mekeni entered the e-commerce space last April with its Mekeni Home2Home delivery. It has also partnered with several e-commerce sites in Manila and Pampanga to expand their reach. “We’re looking to intensify this further as we go along,” he said.

Established in 1986, Mekeni Food Corp. started as a home-based chicharon and tocino enterprise of husband and wife, Felix M. Garcia and Medicia L. Santos, both public school teachers from Barrio Balubad, Porac, Pampanga. With the help of their five sons—Adrian, Pruds, Lito, Doods and Nards, the Garcia couple engaged in backyard poultry and piggery to augment the meager family income. Combining loan and some savings on hand, the Garcia couple started out with 100 chicken heads, a pen, and two piglets.

Mekeni’s food and meat processing plant has received global recognition.  Mekeni is the first ISO 22000 Certified Hotdog and Marinated Meat Processing Plant in the Philippines, first in Asia and second in the world.

Bro. and Pareng Pruds, lalo kang pumopogi kasi you serve people in need & God fearing since we are still in Saudi Arabia use to drink coffee with your beautiful wife Sis. Susan at your apartment and doing praying meeting 🙏 God bless you and the entire family 👪 circle. Bro. Raolito & Sis. Estels

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