SEC orders catering firm to stop alleged investment solicitation

THE SECURITIES and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued a cease-and-desist order (CDO) against Melot’s Catering Services, its point person, and its agents for the alleged unauthorized solicitation of investments from the public.

In an order dated March 14, the SEC’s Enforcement and Investor Protection Department (EIPD) directed Melot’s Catering Services, its point person, and its agents to immediately stop selling or offering unregistered securities until they secure the required Commission approvals.

The order also directed them to take down their online presence related to the investment scheme.

“They were also prohibited from transacting any business involving funds in its depository banks and from transferring, disposing and conveying real and personal assets, including bank deposits, to preserve the assets for the benefit of investors,” the Commission said in a statement on Wednesday.

The SEC issued the CDO after reports that Melot’s Catering Services, through its point person, had been soliciting investments from the public to fund kitchen expansion and renovations.

An EIPD probe found that the firm is not registered with the SEC as a corporation or partnership and does not have a license to offer securities.

The Commission said Melot’s Catering Services promoted the investment scheme on social media, requiring a minimum placement of P50,000 and promising a 10% monthly return over six to 12 months.

“[T]he act of Melot’s Catering Services through a point person and its agents in selling/offering unregistered securities operates as a fraud to the public which, if unrestrained, will likely cause grave injury or prejudice to the investing public,” the order read.

“Unless restrained, the act of Melot’s Catering Services through its point person and its agents in selling/offering unregistered securities constitutes a continuing violation of the provision of the SRC and the FCPA,” it added.

Section 8 of Republic Act No. 8799, or the Securities Regulation Code (SRC), prohibits the sale, offer, or distribution of securities unless a registration statement has been filed with and approved by the Commission. Section 28 requires that persons engaged in the buying or selling of securities be registered with the SEC as a broker, dealer, or salesperson.

The SEC said the alleged unauthorized investment scheme may constitute financial fraud under Republic Act No. 11765, or the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act (FCPA).

In October 2025, the Commission issued an advisory warning the public against investing in schemes linked to Melot’s Catering Services.

BusinessWorld was unable to reach Melot’s Catering Services. Its website and Facebook page were not accessible as of writing. — Alexandria Grace C. Magno