By Monsi A. Serrano
At the recent TEDxForbesPark event, Prudencio “Pruds” Garcia, President of Mekeni Food Corporation, shared a deeply moving message on the true measure of success. For him, success is not about wealth or recognition — it’s about the number of lives one uplifts along the way.
In his talk, Pruds recounted the inspiring story of Mekeni, a humble backyard venture from Pampanga that has grown into a world-class food company, now serving markets in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and the Middle East.
His journey as a young boy selling ice candy to a respected industry leader is a testament to how faith, resilience, compassion can turn humble beginnings into global impact.
When Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, devastating Pampanga and displacing countless families, Garcia and his brothers left behind successful careers abroad to rebuild their community. They expanded their family’s small business not for profit, but to provide jobs, dignity, and hope to those who had lost everything. That selfless decision became the cornerstone of Mekeni’s identity, a company built on service, not self-interest.
Through crises like the foot-and-mouth outbreak, the Asian financial crash, African Swine Fever, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Mekeni’s compass never wavered. One defining moment came when employees proposed job-sharing so no one would be laid off during financial hardship, a powerful reminder that Mekeni’s greatest strength has always been its people.
Pruds attributes Mekeni’s enduring success to the principles behind his own name, PRUDS, which stand for Purpose, Resilience, Uplift, Discipline, and Staying Focused. These five values serve as his personal and professional guideposts, shaping how he leads and how Mekeni continues to thrive.
Driven by his unwavering faith in the “Galing ng Pilipino”, the innate talent, resilience, and excellence of the Filipino, Pruds made it his mission to bring proudly Filipino-made products to the global market. This belief in the Filipino’s world-class capability fueled Mekeni’s transformation from a local enterprise into the first food company in the Philippines and in Asia to earn ISO certification in hotdog processing, now exporting to more than 23 countries worldwide.
Yet for Pruds, these milestones are not simply business triumphs, they are stories of gratitude, perseverance, and love for God and the country.
Speaking to THEPHILBIZNEWS, Pruds said, “Looking back, I’ve learned that it was never about the profit.It was always about the people, the family, the community and glorifying God.”
“That is the very reason why when you enter the lobby of our plaint in Balubad, Porac, Pampanga, this is what you will see: “Christ is the head of this business, the unseen manager in every department, the silent partner in every transaction,” Pruds added.
“Everything we do, we leave it to God. We take conscious effort to make Him the owner of the business. Whenever there are crises, we leave everything to Him, and He has not abandoned us even in the most challenging times,” Pruds underscored.
Today, Mekeni stands as a beacon of Filipino excellence and compassion — proof that when business is rooted in purpose and people, it can uplift entire communities. Through his values and vision, Pruds reminds us all that true leadership is not measured by titles or trophies, but by the lives we touch and the hope we leave behind.
”I am a firm believer that success is not what you gain, but what you give back,” Pruds concluded.