Balita

COMMUNITY ACHIEVERS: FROM THE DANCE FLOOR TO A FOOD EMPIRE

GMA7’S ‘Mel and Joey “show may be no more but Toronto’s

MEL and FLOR are a continuing success story of grit and

determination, an inspirational odyssey of a couple who swayed

from the dance floor to the baking oven and to a budding food

empire that is now known as FV Foods.

A decade ago, Melchor Galeon brought with him goodies from

his hometown of Sariaya, Quezon, a seaside first class

municipality

some 124 kilometers south of Manila.

The town is famous for its delicacies such as broas, pinagong,

tamales, pianono and jacobina among others.

The sweets that Mel brought to the Canadian National Exhibition

(CNE) in Toronto, unknown to him would later serve as the key to

his new found success.

A graduate of Nursing from the Philippines, Mel is also a good

dancer and it was his stint as a DI (dance instructor) that he would

be introduced to Flor Vendiola, a community leader and medical

technologist by Linda Javier, now the president of the Filipino

Center of Toronto (FCT) .

Coincidentally, Flor also come from the same Quezon town

as Mel. What more, She served as the president of the Sariaya

association of Toronto in those years.

On the other hand, Mel came to Toronto fresh from his success

of a thriving “Galeon Pasalubong “business in Sariaya where he is

pitted against more established waysides “pasalubongs “ stores like

Mazapan, or Villamater’s. This meant that Mel came to Toronto

armed with a baking pedigree.

As Flor recalls during an interview at FV Foods Christmas party,

It was Mel who started a small business at the garage of Flor’s

residence in Scarborough initially producing “Yema “a popular

Filipino delicacy made of milk. Later on, Flor’s two sisters would

lend their hand and eventually becoming their official employees.

“Naglalako kami sa mga organizations “ (we used to sell the

products to organizations and associations )said Flor.

While Mel handled the production side, Flor provided the

marketing and business side of things.

From that $500 capital, they officially named their business FV

Foods.

Their eventual rise as a bakery cum food establishment came at

a time in the early 2000 when a mercurial Swiss-trained Filipino

baker was lording it over the Filipino community but by strange

turn of events, his booming business came crashing down.

This baker had boasted before this writer that he can beat and put

out of business all of his Filipino competitors . At one time, he

even belittled a popular Scarborough-based “ pan de sal “ maker

saying he can make the best pan de sal around town.

He ate his words. He is now out of business.

Mel and Flor’s perseverance finally paid off and in a matter of

several years, they put up a number of branches in Mississauga,

Steeles Avenue/North York, and St.Clair.

From two employees, they now have at least 100 more.

What really is noticeable about FV Foods rise to prominence and

acceptance to the community was their style of management.

They have, as one would noticed, remained humble and feet firmly

stuck to the ground.

Flor described their company as a “ passion to help kababayans .

True enough, FV Foods and other Filipino establishments

with similar stories and experiences like them could serve as

inspirations to other kababayans to try their luck, start from small

and perhaps find their niche in the Canadian business milieu.

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