The Success Story of Lolita Hizon
Mrs. Lolita O. Hizon or Apong Lolet to her fellow Kapampangans is the woman behind the famed tocino of a multi-million meat processing company, ampanga!s "est #nc., operated and owned by her together with her husband, Mr. Angelo $. Hizon %r., and their twel&e children. #t manufactures ele&en core products 'ocino, Hotdogs, Longaniza, Ham, "acon, 'apa, "urger atties, (orned "eef, )mbotido, "arbecue, and (hic*en +uggets, which are distributed and sold nationwide. Lolita learned to coo* at an early age using the ingredients that her family could gather in their farm. Apong Lolet grew up to become a teacher but felt that, that was not her calling. he recalled herself that her heart and mind was ust not into teaching since she was always absent-mindedly thin*ing on the whereabouts of her husband who was always tra&elling, managing his gasoline and truc*ing business.
#n the website of ampanga!s "est #nc., the first thing you will notice is the title, #t all started with a helping hand. 'he &enture of Lolita Hizon to the meat processing industry started in a humble way through her neighbor, a meat &endor who had some unsold por* at the end of the day in the mar*et and not wanting the unsold por* to be spoiled, the neighbor as*ed for Lolita!s help in coo*ing them. Lolita came up with a formula how to cure the meat she re&ised the traditional (apampangan pindang /fermented por*0, causing the por* to ac1uire that uni1ue salty-sweet taste that we ha&e all come to lo&e. he called it tocino, deri&ed from a panish delicacy that is sweet. he e&entually refined the formula and the processing procedures that caused the birth of ampanga!s "est 'ocino the original &ersion of what has now become a national fa&orite that started out as ust a neighborly gesture to help a friend and has turned out to be the foundation of a business and the birth of a 2ilipino staple food on the brea*fast table.
2rom an initial capital of 3,444 she grew the business. Lolita pawned her ring for the amount. he started ma*ing tocino e&eryday and was praying to 5od that the orders will double the ne6t day. Li*e one answered prayer after another, the numbers continued to double. oon
enough, she and her husband were inseparable in what became a 74-hour-a-day ob. Her twel&e children, eight of whom are boys, naturally slipped into their respecti&e roles in running the business.
Lolita Hizon, belie&es that the reason behind her success is more of a di&ine plan. he sees a &isible hand guiding her always for a purpose which she thin*s is $i&ine ro&idence. 8Always the best from ampanga!s ")'8, the sincere motto of the company which puts prominence on the importance of high 1uality throughout its more than 94 years in the business, creating customer &alue, satisfaction, and loyalty. 'he company ac1uired the AAA (ategory, the highest le&el for a manufacturing plant, from the +ational Meat #nspection er&ice.
#n :;;: when ampanga was badly hit by the inatubo eruption, with ash flows co&ering and de&astating se&eral towns, Lolita was among the first people to rebuild and start anew. 'hey owned a four-hectare lot in (abalantian that got buried in lahar and decided to build :44 houses for families who couldn!t afford it. Li&es were changed and since then, they continued to reach out to those in need. 'hey named the place #ng "ayung (abalantian, which means the new &illage<.
(onsumers! taste for something new is endless, which leads to the de&elopment of new products based on the consumers! preference and his en&ironment. =ith the e6pertise and creati&ity of its >esearch and $e&elopment 'eam, the company is able to cater to the different needs and demands of the consumers. 'oday the company processes not *ilos but tons of meat a day. ampanga!s "est pro&ides li&elihood to about a thousand employees, all of which are treated li*e family. ampanga!s "est helps their employees! families with medical needs, e&en assistance in times of death.
