Oishi
Oishi is a Philippine snack and food brand operated by Liwayway Marketing Corporation.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Oishi is a Philippine snack and food brand operated by Liwayway Marketing Corporation, a company headquartered in Pasay. The business traces its origins to 1946, when it began under the name Liwayway as a family-owned enterprise involved in corn-starch, or gawgaw, and coffee repacking. The name Liwayway means “dawn” in English and was chosen to express optimism during the postwar rebuilding period in the Philippines. The company expanded beyond repacking during the 1960s. By 1966 it was distributing starch, coffee, basic commodities, and confectionery products, and it was incorporated as Liwayway Marketing Corporation. Brothers Carlos and Manuel Chan were associated with the company during this period. The Chan family had migrated to the Philippines from Jinjiang county in Quanzhou, Fujian, China; Ben Chan, another brother, later became associated with the Philippine clothing brand Bench. Oishi became more visibly associated with snack products in 1974, when the company began distributing Oishi Prawn Crackers and Kirei Yummy Flakes. The company has described its manufacturing approach as incorporating Japanese technology. These products helped establish Oishi as a recognizable packaged-snack name in the Philippines and provided the basis for later international expansion. International growth began with China. Carlos Chan started exploring the Chinese market in 1984, during the period of economic reform and opening that followed the late 1970s. In China, the brand operates under the name Oishi Shanghaojia, combining the Oishi name with Shanghaojia, a phrase associated with high quality and also used as a wordplay expressing good taste in Hokkien. Liwayway entered a joint venture with two Chinese state-owned companies and opened an overseas manufacturing facility in Pudong, Shanghai. It subsequently developed a factory and distribution network in China, with the Chinese division headquartered in Qingpu District, Shanghai. The company later established operations in Vietnam in 1997 and Myanmar in 1999. Manufacturing facilities were opened in Indonesia and Thailand in 2006. The brand’s international footprint subsequently broadened through operations in South Africa, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan, as well as distribution into the United Kingdom by an importer of products from China. These moves made Oishi more than a domestic Philippine snack label, although the available reference material does not provide a current breakdown of revenue, market share, or country-by-country product portfolios. Oishi’s corporate and civic profile has also been linked to China, particularly Shanghai. Carlos Chan received the Magnolia Gold Award in 1998 for contributions to Shanghai’s development, became an honorary citizen of Shanghai in 2005, and Oishi Shanghaojia was recognized as a Shanghai famous brand in 2006. As of the cited 2018 reference point, Carlos Chan headed the company. In 2024, Oishi and CEMEX Asia Holdings Ltd. announced a partnership concerning the disposal and co-processing of plastic packaging waste. Under the arrangement, Liwayway would channel packaging waste to CEMEX’s Solid Cement plant. The initiative was presented in connection with the Philippines’ Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022 and broader circular-economy and environmental objectives. The available sources do not establish whether the partnership covers all Oishi markets or quantify its environmental results.
History
Oishi’s history begins with Liwayway, a family-owned Philippine business established in 1946. Its initial activities centered on repacking corn starch and coffee. The name Liwayway, meaning dawn, reflected the postwar optimism associated with rebuilding the Philippines after World War II. During the 1960s, the business broadened its distribution activities. By 1966 it handled starch, coffee, basic commodities, and confectionery products and was formally incorporated as Liwayway Marketing Corporation. Carlos and Manuel Chan were associated with the company, which remained connected to the Chan family’s wider business background. The Oishi snack identity developed in 1974 through the distribution of Oishi Prawn Crackers and Kirei Yummy Flakes. The company has stated that it used Japanese technology in making its products. These snack lines became important expressions of the Oishi name and helped the business move beyond its earlier commodity-repacking origins. China became the company’s major early international expansion market. Carlos Chan began investigating China in 1984, after the country’s economic reforms had opened new commercial opportunities. The company entered a joint venture with two Chinese state-owned companies and established a manufacturing facility in Pudong, Shanghai. In China, the brand became known as Oishi Shanghaojia. The additional name is associated with the ideas of quality and good taste. Liwayway later built a wider Chinese factory network, while its China division established headquarters in Qingpu District, Shanghai. Oishi expanded elsewhere in Asia over the following decades. Operations were established in Vietnam in 1997 and Myanmar in 1999. Factories opened in Indonesia and Thailand in 2006. The company later established operations in South Africa in 2017, Bangladesh in 2018, and Uzbekistan in 2019. Oishi products from China were also imported into the United Kingdom by Interlink Direct Ltd. The available material does not specify the full legal structure or current operating status of every country operation. The brand’s development in Shanghai brought recognition to Carlos Chan. He received the Magnolia Gold Award in 1998, was named an honorary citizen of Shanghai in 2005, and saw Oishi Shanghaojia recognized as a Shanghai famous brand in 2006. The cited reference identifies Carlos Chan as heading the company in 2018. In 2024, Liwayway and CEMEX Asia Holdings Ltd. entered a partnership intended to support the handling of Oishi-related plastic packaging waste. The waste would be sent to CEMEX’s Solid Cement plant for co-processing. The parties connected the program with the Philippines’ Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022 and with broader circular-economy and environmental goals. No independently reported performance figures are available in the supplied material.
- 2024
Plastic-waste partnership with CEMEX
[1]Liwayway partners with CEMEX Asia Holdings to channel plastic packaging waste to CEMEX’s Solid Cement plant for co-processing.
- 2019
Operations begin in Uzbekistan
[1]Oishi establishes operations in Uzbekistan.
- 2018
Operations begin in Bangladesh
[1]Oishi establishes operations in Bangladesh; the cited reference identifies Carlos Chan as heading the company at this time.
- 2017
Operations begin in South Africa
[1]Oishi establishes operations in South Africa.
- 2006
Factories open in Indonesia and Thailand
[1]Oishi expands its manufacturing footprint to Indonesia and Thailand. Oishi Shanghaojia is also recognized as a Shanghai famous brand.
- 2005
Carlos Chan becomes an honorary citizen of Shanghai
[1]The city of Shanghai grants Carlos Chan honorary citizenship.
- 1999
Operations begin in Myanmar
[1]Oishi establishes a presence in Myanmar.
- 1998
Carlos Chan receives the Magnolia Gold Award
[1]Shanghai recognizes Carlos Chan for contributions to the city’s development.
- 1997
Operations begin in Vietnam
[1]Oishi establishes a presence in Vietnam.
- 1984
Expansion planning for China begins
[1]Carlos Chan begins prospecting for Oishi’s expansion into China during the country’s reform and opening period.
Products and positioning
An accessible packaged-food and snack brand originating in the Philippines, with a strong China presence and broader Asian international distribution.
Snack food · 1974
Oishi Prawn Crackers
A shrimp-flavored cracker line distributed by the company from 1974. It is one of the products specifically associated with the development of the Oishi snack brand.
Snack food · 1974
Kirei Yummy Flakes
A flaked snack product distributed by the company from 1974. The product is cited alongside Oishi Prawn Crackers as an early branded snack offering.
Confectionery and packaged food
Oishi confectionery and packaged foods
The company’s broader portfolio includes confectionery and other packaged-food products, building on Liwayway’s earlier distribution of basic commodities, coffee, and starch. The supplied references do not enumerate the complete current range.
Brand decisions
2024
Plastic-packaging waste co-processing partnershipStrategyBackground
Liwayway’s packaging-waste initiative was linked to environmental stewardship, circular-economy principles, and the Philippines’ Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022.
Action taken
Liwayway partnered with CEMEX Asia Holdings and planned to channel plastic packaging waste to CEMEX’s Solid Cement plant for co-processing.
Aftermath
The available material describes the partnership’s intended environmental role but does not report quantified results or its full geographic scope.
1984
Pursuit of Chinese expansionStrategyBackground
The company assessed China as a growth market after the country’s economic reforms and opening to external business.
Action taken
Liwayway entered a joint venture with two Chinese state-owned companies and established manufacturing capacity in Pudong, Shanghai, later developing a broader factory network.
Aftermath
The brand became known in China as Oishi Shanghaojia and developed a substantial regional operating base.
Sources1 sources
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