The Underdog Story of Skyflakes, FITA, & MY San

SkyFlakes: The Complete Brand History

Skyflakes is one of the biggest cracker brands in the Philippines. You will find it in lunch boxes, sari-sari stores, office drawers, long bus rides, merienda tables, and OFW care packages sent across the world.But how did a simple cracker become such a big part of everyday life in the Philippines?

In this episode of Brand Origins, we uncover the complete brand history of SkyFlakes and the rise of M.Y. San, the company behind some of the most iconic biscuits in the country.

From its early origins before World War II, to its reinvention in the Philippines, to the launch of SkyFlakes and FITA in the 1960s, this episode breaks down how a humble cracker became a cultural staple.

We explore M.Y. San’s beginnings, the debt crisis it survived, and how SkyFlakes managed to outlast competitors like Rebisco and Magic Flakes.We also dive into the surprising story of graham crackers and why M.Y. San became the go-to brand for mango float in Filipino homes.

If you want to understand how a biscuit became part of our national identity, this is the full story.

Episode Sponsor: The Sauce

For bite-sized, easy-to-digest business news in the Philippines, check out The Sauce on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thesauce.ph/

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Timestamps

0:00 – Intro

0:50 – Ad: The Sauce

2:33 – The Founder, M.Y. San

2:57 – Escolta Ice Cream Parlor

3:24 – Escolta and Binondo History

7:20 – M.Y. San’s Debt Crisis

10:19 – M.Y. San in the Philippines

11:18 – FITA History

12:05 – Graham Crackers History

13:16 – SkyFlakes History

14:29 – SkyFlakes Marketing Strategy

16:27 – SkyFlakes Ads

20:00 – Outro

About Brand Origins

Brand Origins tells the stories behind the biggest brands and the ideas that built them.Each episode dives deep into the business moves, cultural moments, and turning points that shaped the companies we see today.