Manila: Strong fundamentals and locked-in supply of raw materials and electricity, among others, made officials of Monde Nissin Corp. confident of their 2026 operations amidst the challenges from the Middle East conflict.

According to Philippines News Agency, in a briefing Thursday, Monde Nissin Corp. Chief Financial Officer Jesse Teo noted that since they are in the food business, they produce Lucky Me! Noodles, among others, are staple items and continue to have a big following in the Asia Pacific. He said experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have proven that demand for their products remains despite price upticks, which provided the company with some yield.

'We cushioned the blow for our consumers initially, but then they rewarded us with their loyalty, so that we grew volume, even as we were increasing the prices, to recover the margins. We were able to therefore, beat, and even beat the margins that we had pre-crisis,' he said.

Teo said their Philippine operations account for around 94 percent of the company's branded food and beverage business in the Asia Pacific, while the Middle East accounts for less than 1 percent. He said the additional cost for fuel and electricity-related expenses will affect their bottom line 'but we believe that we should be able to navigate this through cost-savings and small price increments to offset some of the higher costs that we are experiencing.'

In a disclosure with the local bourse during the day, the company reported a 0.8 percent drop in consolidated core net income in 2025 to PHP9.7 billion. However, it posted an 8.1 percent jump in earnings in the last quarter of last year to PHP2.5 billion, driven by enhancements in its alternative protein business and sustained expansion of its regional food and beverage operations.

Company officials, however, declined to provide income guidance for this year due to the risks posed by the current situation in the Middle East.