As Mekeni Food Corporation continues its expansion into international markets, the company remains firmly committed to uplifting the local food industry and supporting community-based enterprises in Pampanga. During the recent KapiHann media forum hosted by the Pampanga Press Club at Swissotel Clark, Mekeni Food Corporation President Prudencio Garcia emphasized the company’s dedication to community development, even as it grows its global footprint.
“We are now moving in the global arena, we want to show that Mekeni is not just about hotdogs or tocino or longganisa.,” Garcia said. “There must be something (else). Mekeni is not just about what we have achieved as a company but more on what we can contribute to the community. This is more important to us.”
Garcia was joined by One Pampanga Food and Beverage Expo (OPFBEX) Lead Convenor Chef Felix Asuncion and event organizer Chie Basco. Mekeni is a proud supporter of OPFBEX, which aims to spotlight local food producers and service providers.
Founded nearly 40 years ago in Porac, Pampanga, Mekeni began as a modest backyard business by teacher-couple Felix and Meding Garcia. Over the decades, the company has weathered major challenges, including the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, the Asian financial crisis, and the bird flu scare.
“We want to showcase for small businesses, the start ups, we want to inspire them,” Garcia added. “Mahirap pero hindi imposible,”
Today, Mekeni products are exported to 23 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and several nations in the Middle East and Europe. According to Marilou Olalia Uy, Assistant Vice President for Exports and Human Resources, Mekeni remains the only Philippine meat company authorized to export heat-treated products to Japan. Their product line includes meat items such as the flagship Picnic Hotdog, tocino, longganisa, and marine-based products like fish balls, squid balls, and kikiam. In the Middle East, Mekeni also manufactures and distributes Halal-certified products.
“Our major markets are US and Canada and other places where there are concentrations of Filipinos abroad,” Uy said, noting recent expansion into South Korea and plans to further grow in Asia. Meanwhile, OPFBEX convenor Chef Asuncion highlighted the expo’s inclusive approach, which would bring together various players in the food ecosystem from farmers and chefs, to manufacturers and service providers.
“It is not just about food and beverage but the whole service in the ecosystem,” Asuncion said. “Some exhibitors are working directly with local farmers to source microgreens.”
The inaugural OPFBEX was successfully held last September 13–14, 2025 at the SMX Convention Center Clark. As the first food and beverage expo in Pampanga—widely regarded as the culinary capital of the Philippines—it promises to be the largest of its kind in Central Luzon, featuring renowned chefs, food manufacturers, and service providers.