15 October 2008 - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated yesterday the new Fiesta Pasta plant of food and beverage company RFM Corporation. The inauguration was one of the highlights of its 50th Anniversary celebration of RFM held yesterday at the RFM Industrial Compound in Pasig City. It was reported that the P450 million pasta plant is the biggest and most modern production facility of its kind today, with major equipment supplied by Buhler of Switzerland.
RFM President and CEO Jose Concepcion III said that “this production capacity expansion is RFM’s response to the upward swing in the demand for Fiesta pasta. Fiesta is a homegrown brand of RFM for its spaghetti and macaroni products, as well as complementary products like spaghetti sauce. Fiesta has become the second largest pasta brand in the country today, mainly due to its very strong quality and value proposition to consumers”.
Concepcion added that “it is natural for RFM to invest heavily on its Fiesta Pasta business as this is its value added product for flour, which RFM is also known for. This investment brings RFM to world class standards as this line is the most technologically advanced long goods pasta processing line, which is fully computerized and can produce pasta from flour in as short as 3.5 to 4 hours. The line is the single largest of its kind in Southeast Asia.”
Among the main events of RFM’s Anniversary celebration was also the symbolic re-dedication of its Flour Mills. “We are happy to share with the Filipino people the milestone that we have reached so far as we reached our 50th year of operations. The re-dedication of the historic flour mills is RFM’s way of commiting to a continuing service in the next 50 years”, Concepcion said.
RFM was established in 1958 as the Republic Flour Mills, the first flour mill in the country and Southeast Asia, and its operation diversified into various related products like feedmilling, hog- and poultry-raising in the late sixties and into meat processing under the Swift brand in the seventies. In the late eighties, RFM expanded to branded businesses by acquiring heritage brands like Cosmos and Selecta, which have grown from insignificant market players into major leading brands in their respective industry categories. Other RFM brands White King mixes, Fiesta pasta, Swift chicken and meat products and Sunkist juice and tea drinks.
Concepcion also further reported that RFM has reached the point that it has poured greater attention to its various advocacies that have far reaching impact among Filipinos. He mentioned that “in a way, we have gone beyond our basic mission and intensified our cause to help the people and communities around us through our various advocacies. Noticeable in our advocacies is the underlying objective of promoting important Filipino values and principles that are in way connected to our family’s main belief that YES THE FILIPINO CAN !”
Concepcion also shared the story on RFM’s beginnings, when it was established 50 years ago at a time when all flour products were imported. He said that there was no flour milling yet prior to RFM since it’s main ingredient, wheat, is not grown in the Philippines. Many were not convinced then that Filipinos can produce its own flour requirements, but RFM challenged that belief and started a whole new flour industry in the country.
Having a ‘Yes the Filipino Can’ mindset led the RFM and the Concepcion family to pursue meaningful advocacies that promote the positive Filipino values of love of country, fighting spirit, positive attitude, an entrepreneurial mindset and a concern for helping the community and improving the lives of others. These are found in their advocacies like the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP), NAMFREL, or the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections, and Go Negosyo.
TOSP recognizes outstanding students who have not only excelled academically, but have shown strong leadership qualities and concern for their respective communities. NAMFREL is the officially accredited election watchdog in the country, with over 100,000 volunteers committed to preserving integrity in our election process. Go Negosyo is the advocacy that aims to spread the spirit of entrepreneurship around the country.
The RFM and Concepcion family has also been supporting the GK Concepcion village, in the Baranggay Buayang Bato, adjacent to RFM’s plant in Pasig. Houses were upgraded, livelihood and character formation programs were conducted with the help of the GK and the Couples for Christ volunteers. RFM also started developing kabuhayan projects like an internet café, in cooperation with PLDT, where the undertaking shall also benefit the GK community. Next project will be a community-run Reyes Haircutters salon, where Go Negosyo advocate Les Reyes committed to provide training to the people and also a franchise wherein the 350,000 franchise fee will be waived.
RFM continues to share the blessings with the communities around them, in the hope of seeing a country of more inspired and empowered Filipinos!