Undersecretary Lazaro Visits Liwayway Food Mchj in Tashkent And Meets with Filipino Community Leaders

TASHKENT 27 September 2024 - Undersecretary Maria Theresa Lazaro visited the Liwayway Food MCHJ factory in the suburbs of Tashkent, Uzbekistan and was welcomed by its Filipino country manager, Mr. Kenneth Tan. 

Liwayway Food is behind the iconic “Oishi” brand, and has introduced to the Uzbek market the popular Filipino snack “Pillows”. Liwayway’s construction of a $10 million factory in Tashkent represents the biggest substantive FDI poured in by a Filipino company into the rapidly developing Uzbek economy.

During the Undersecretary’s visit, Liwayway Food hosted a town hall meeting with Filipino community leaders in Tashkent. The community leaders recounted how they have adapted to the living and working conditions there, and expressed their concerns about the challenges they face as overseas workers in Uzbekistan.  The dialogue continued over dinner at the popular Ramiz Turkish Restaurant in the Tashkent City Park.

Undersecretary Lazaro assured the Filipino community leaders of the Department’s unwavering commitment to protect their rights and promote their welfare as overseas workers.

Filipinos work in various regions of Uzbekistan as teachers, engineers, and other skilled workers. 

The Undersecretary’s visit to the Liwayway Food factory was held on the sidelines of the 3rd Philippines-Uzbekistan Bilateral Consultations held on 17 September in Tashkent. END