This article was originally published in the Brand Finance Philippines 50 Report 2026.
Ranked as the Philippines' second strongest brand this year, Mang Inasal has strengthened its position by combining great value, authentic Filipino flavours, and a brand experience that resonates across generations. In a new interview with Brand Finance, Joseph Michael V. Castro, President of Mang Inasal, discusses the drivers behind the brand's rapid rise, how digital engagement and cultural relevance are deepening customer connections, and the opportunities shaping its next phase of growth.
Mang Inasal recorded one of the biggest improvements in this year’s rankings, rising from seventh to second strongest brand in the Philippines, alongside strong system-wide sales growth despite inflationary pressures and shifting consumer habits. What were the biggest drivers behind this momentum in brand strength and consumer connection?
President,
Mang Inasal
Driving Mang Inasal’s momentum is its ability to stay deeply connected to what Filipinos truly value – great-tasting food, strong value for money, and an authentic dining experience that feels familiar and joyful.
We have consistently communicated our identity as the country’s Grill Expert. Our uniquely delicious, expertly grilled food, paired with the brand’s signature Unli Saya (unlimited joyful) experience, continues to resonate strongly with customers across generations. Even amid economic pressures, Filipinos still look for brands that deliver both satisfaction and sulit (worth it) value, and that has remained one of Mang Inasal’s strongest differentiators.
Mang Inasal’s distinct and culturally relevant brand identity has become part of everyday Filipino conversations, from memes about chicken oil and unli-rice to organic social media content that reflects real customer experiences.
As we strengthened our online presence and customer touch points through digital engagement, creator collaborations, live streams, and platform-specific campaigns, we have made the brand feel more accessible and relatable.
Social media plays a major role in shaping food trends and consumer perception. How has Mang Inasal leveraged digital platforms and online communities to strengthen its connection with Filipino audiences?
Mang Inasal approaches digital not simply as a marketing platform, but as a way to participate in everyday Filipino conversations and be part of communities online and offline.
Our strategy starts with listening. We actively monitor social conversations, online behaviour, and cultural trends to understand how people genuinely experience and talk about the brand.
This allows us to create content and campaigns that feel organic, relatable, and emotionally engaging instead of overly commercial.
One example is our creator ecosystem through the Mang Inasal Creators’ Circle, where we prioritise long-term relationships with creators who already have an authentic affinity with the brand. This helps generate more credible storytelling and peer-driven engagement.
We also continue to invest in community-led programmes that deepen relevance among younger audiences. Initiatives like MI UNIVerse allow us to engage directly with students and campus communities, while campaigns such as the CreamyYESS Halo-Halo tap into youth culture and creator fandoms in a very natural way.
Beyond campaigns, digital also plays a major role in customer convenience. Through the new Mang Inasal App and stronger off-premise capabilities, we are making it easier for customers to enjoy Mang Inasal wherever they are –whether dine-in, takeout, or delivery.
Ultimately, our goal is not just to go viral but to remain culturally relevant and meaningfully connected to Filipinos across platforms and generations.
What do you see as the next major growth opportunities for Mang Inasal - whether commercial, operational, or brand-led - and how is the business evolving to capture them?
We see strong growth opportunities across multiple areas of the business, particularly in emerging consumption occasions, off-premise channels, and broader category penetration.
Mang Inasal already has a very strong market position with our bestsellers such as Chicken Inasal, Pork BBQ, and Extra Creamy Halo-Halo, but there is still significant room to grow household penetration and frequency, and truly become part of more everyday eating occasions. We are also closely examining dayparts and consumer segments where we remain underrepresented, particularly breakfast and merienda (snack time).
Another major growth area is our off-premise business as consumer behaviour continues to evolve toward convenience, mobility, and digital ordering. This prompted the revamp of the Mang Inasal App as part of our efforts to strengthen delivery, takeout, drive-thru, and digital ordering capabilities to better serve customers wherever they are.
Strong customer connection is shaped by the experience delivered on the ground. How do you cultivate a culture that enables employees and franchise partners to consistently bring the Mang Inasal brand to life?
At Mang Inasal, culture begins with a shared understanding that every customer interaction is an opportunity to deliver Ihaw-Sarap and Unli-Saya (deliciously grilled and unlimited joy).
We invest heavily in training, operational discipline, and people development to ensure that our store teams and franchisees consistently embody the values and standards of the brand.
While systems and processes are important, we also emphasise warmth, hospitality, and genuine Filipino service because these are core to the Mang Inasal experience.
Our “Tatak (Trademark) Mang Inasal” culture is rooted in our values of mahusay (expertise), masiyahin (joy), mapagmalasakit (genuine care) and buo ang loob (fortitude).
We want every team member –from store crew to franchisees –to understand that beyond serving food, they help create joyful everyday moments for our customers. As part of the Jollibee Group, we also benefit from system-wide capabilities in food safety, operational excellence, digital innovation, and people development, which help us scale while maintaining consistency across the network.
