by Alyssa Virrey and Christian Ledesma
How do you innovate in a way that truly matters? For Aboitiz Foods, the answer lies in flipping
the script from product-out thinking to customer-in innovation. It’s a transformation rooted in
empathy, driven by structured creativity, foresight, and cross-functional collaboration.
That shift came alive in the Customer-Centric Innovation Ideation Workshop, a new initiative led
by the AF Business Process and Innovation Team in collaboration with the AEV Transformation
Team, designed to equip team members with the mindset and tools to turn customer pains into
innovation gains.
A Regional Rollout, A Shared Vision
The workshop kicked off in July this year, traveling first to Aboitiz Food’s Ho Chi Minh site then
Hanoi in Vietnam. In September, the team also conducted workshops for Team Members in
Tarlac and Iligan, Philippines. Each session brought together diverse teams across AF’s key
business units—Flour, Feeds, Meats, Farms, and Pet Food—united by one goal: to understand
their customers better, and to build solutions that address real, often unmet, needs.
This is fully supported by Aboitiz Foods’ Senior Leadership. FVP & Country Director for
Philippine Feeds Sales Norie Bermudez said during one of her Inspirational Messages, “The
customer is our business, and our business is delighting the customer.”
Expanding on the how, SVP and Business CEO of Pilmico International Eric Nojac noted, “You
are not here to seek and generate just innovative ideas because that is what you’re already
been doing, but more than that you are here [in the Customer-Centric Innovation Workshop] to
reimagine true value from the eyes of the customer.”
And reimagine, they did – through the customized workshop, participants were immersed in an
interactive journey. They explored emerging trends in food and agriculture, learned interview
techniques, and worked in teams using the ideation frameworks to bridge customer insights with
potential innovations.
“Understanding our customers—and keeping them at the heart of everything we
do—is deeply aligned with the Group’s philosophy,” shared Nguyen Huy Trung of
AFC – Ha Noi.
For Egg Grading Packing Plant Supervisor Jeverlyn Longey of Tarlac Farms, the biggest
learning was about meaningful application:
“My main takeaway is that it’s not enough to just collect data. We need to make it
meaningful by using it to solve real customer problems. That means actively
adjusting our processes, products, or services to better meet their needs, not just
reporting on what we observe. By doing this, we not only help our customers, but
also improve our own outcomes creating a win-win for both sides.”
Innovation With Impact
The deep-seated culture of innovation at Aboitiz Foods is now yielding tangible and significant
results across the business units.
Within the Flour Business Unit for instance, 98% of TMs have participated in innovation activities so far this year. They had already implemented over 291 ideas for November 2025
year-to-date, reporting an impressive $2.55 million in cost savings including cost avoidance in
2024 alone.
The Feeds group is following closely. In Iligan, 216 ideas have been brought to life so far,
backed by 100% engagement—and a remarkable cost savings including cost avoidance of
$328,700 in value generated the previous year. In Tarlac, the momentum continues with over
231 implemented ideas for this year and more than $50,000 in cost savings including cost
avoidance from 2024.
Meanwhile, Meats has delivered over 319 innovations this year, and even amid leadership
transitions, the Farms team implemented over 150 innovations year-to-date, while having
achieved $58,000 in reported cost savings including cost avoidance in 2024.
These results underscore one thing: innovation thrives when TMs are empowered not only with
the right tools and venues but also with the cultivation of a customer-centric mindset, providing
them the opportunity, capability, and trust to fundamentally build solutions from the customer’s
point of view.
From Tools to Transformation
At the heart of the workshop was a powerful question: Who is your customer, really?
Using empathy maps and customer profiles, teams uncovered not only functional needs but
emotional drivers. They were encouraged to “fall in love with the problem,” not rush to the
solution. From there, the framework allowed teams to design targeted solutions: new services,
clearer communication, operational tweaks, and bold new ideas rooted in real customer
challenges.
The ideas weren’t just concepts; they were actionable. Teams walked away with tangible
insights they could bring into their day-to-day work and strategic planning sessions.
In one of the closing messages, SVP and CFO of Pilmico Ebbie Mabatid reinforced the
workshop’s purpose.
“Our purpose is simple, to deliver lasting value for our customers by listening, learning, and how
we evolve together. Every small idea can become something big if we test it with our customers
and give it a path to value.”
Taking Customer-Centricity Farther
In the weeks that followed, the Customer-Centric Innovation Ideation Workshop rolled out
across Aboitiz Foods’ international sites—from Dongguan, where Chinese and Thai team
members joined forces, to Kuching and Port Klang in Malaysia, and finally to Surabaya and
Bekasi in Indonesia. Each session was instrumental in harnessing a wealth of untapped,
localized new ideas, which brought unique cultural insights and customer truths to light, while
strengthening the shared language of innovation across markets. As these local experiences
take root, they fuel a bigger vision – one that goes beyond ideation.
Enabling the Aboitiz Techglomerate Future
The workshop is more than a training session. It’s a signal of where Aboitiz Foods is headed:
toward a future where business growth is rooted in customer understanding, and innovation is
not the job of a few—but the responsibility of all.
The AEV Transformation Team is proud to partner with Aboitiz Foods in this journey—helping
build the future of food, one insight at a time.