Selecta (dairy products) facts for kids
Logos of Selecta ice cream (left) and Selecta milk (right)
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| Owner | RFM Corporation |
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| Introduced | 1933 |
| Previous owners | Arcecon Dairy, Inc. (1933–1990) |
| Tagline | Sarap ng Sama-Sama (transl. "Delight Together"; ice cream brand only, 2022–present) |
| Website | https://www.selectaphilippines.com/ (ice cream brand and products) |
Selecta is a well-known Filipino brand that makes dairy products. It is owned by a company called RFM Corporation. Selecta's milk products are made by RFM Corporation. However, its ice cream business is a partnership with Unilever Philippines, Inc.. This partnership is known as Unilever RFM Ice Cream, Inc. It also serves as the Philippine part of Unilever's Heartbrand line of ice cream.
The Story of Selecta
How Selecta Began
The Selecta brand started way back in 1933. A man named Ramón Arce began to pasteurize (heat to kill germs) carabao milk. He did this near his home in Novaliches, which was then part of Caloocan. There were many carabaos in that area.
Arce built his first dairy plant in 1935. Some records, like those from Unilever RFM Ice Cream, Inc., say the brand officially started in 1948. Ramón Arce first sold and delivered fresh milk in bottles. He used the Selecta brand name for homes, restaurants, and offices.
Soon after, Arce and his wife, Carmen, created their own ice cream recipe. It was also made from carabao milk. These products became the start of the family's Selecta business. Later, they even opened Selecta restaurants and a bakery.
Growing the Business
After Ramón Arce retired in 1950, his children continued the Selecta business. In 1952, they built a dairy plant in Balintawak. By the 1970s, Selecta's ice cream and fresh milk were sold in supermarkets. The milk came in glass bottles. The ice cream was sold in special gold-colored tin containers.
In January 1990, RFM Corporation bought the Selecta brand name. They bought it from Arcecon Dairy Products, Inc., which was the company that continued the original Selecta business. RFM Corporation then created a new company called Selecta Dairy Products, Inc. This new company took over making Selecta ice cream.
Under RFM's ownership, the Selecta ice cream recipe got even better. It was advertised a lot, which made it a strong competitor to Magnolia, the top ice cream brand at the time. Because of its success, Selecta ice cream eventually started using cow's milk instead of carabao milk. Later, the gold tin containers were changed to gold plastic tubs. RFM also started selling its own Selecta milk products, which were made from cow's milk.
A New Partnership
In January 1995, the family of Mauro Arce, Ramón and Carmen Arce's youngest son, started their own ice cream business again. They called it Arce Dairy. Their ice cream continued to be made from carabao milk at the old Selecta Balintawak dairy plant. It was also packaged in gold-colored tin containers, just like the original Selecta ice cream from the Arce family.
In February 1999, RFM made a partnership with Unilever Philippines, Inc.. This partnership was created to handle the making and selling of Selecta ice cream. For this purpose, a company called Selecta Walls, Inc. was formed. This company is now known as Unilever RFM Ice Cream, Inc. However, the Selecta milk business is still run directly by RFM Corporation.
