Agriculture has always been close to the heart of the Philippines. It feeds our families, employs millions, and supplies the raw materials that keep many of our industries alive. But behind this reality lies a hard truth: our farmers, who carry the weight of this vital work, still struggle every single day.
I’ve seen it myself. As a lawyer, I once handled cases where farmers lost the very land they depended on because the system failed them. Later, as I built One Farmvest, I met farmers who told me how they would sometimes sell their crops for less than what it cost them to grow. These aren’t just stories I’ve heard, they are faces I remember, hands that I’ve shaken, and lives that fuel my work.
Many of our farmers still rely on traditional ways of planting because modern tools are simply out of reach. Imagine trying to compete in today’s world with a plow your grandfather used. Productivity stays low, costs remain high, and farmers are stuck in a cycle they can’t break. This is why One Farmvest provides seedlings, helps with sorting and packing, and brings farmers closer to buyers who demand higher standards. With even small improvements, the difference in a farmer’s income can be life-changing.
Every farmer I’ve spoken with knows the anxiety of looking at the sky and not knowing if the rains will come or if too much of it will. Typhoons, floods, and droughts aren’t just news headlines. They wipe out months of hard work in a single night. This is why we at One Farmvest Agriventures are exploring solar dryers and biomass-powered technology, so even in bad weather, farmers can still preserve their crops and earn from what would otherwise be wasted.
Another struggle is the size of landholdings. Many farmers only till small patches of inherited land, too small to support a family. Others farm without clear ownership or long-term security. I’ve worked closely with land issues long enough to know that without security and scale, it’s hard for farmers to take risks, adopt better methods, or dream bigger.
This is perhaps where I’ve felt the problem most directly. I’ve seen trucks overloaded with vegetables stuck for hours on rough roads. By the time produce reaches the city, half of it is spoiled. The farmer loses, the buyer loses, and the consumer ends up paying more for less. At One Farmvest, we’ve focused on solving this exact problem by linking farmers to distribution hubs, handling logistics, and ensuring that crops reach supermarkets, restaurants, and hotels quickly and in good condition.
Even when farmers have good harvests, they often don’t have access to fair loans or insurance. They rely on middlemen who dictate the price. I’ve sat with farmers who told me that by the time they’ve paid debts and expenses, there’s almost nothing left. That’s why our efforts include giving them better market access and exploring financial partnerships so that they can earn more from every kilo they produce.
These challenges are many, but they are not insurmountable. What I’ve learned through One Farmvest is that farmers don’t need charity, they need a fair system. A system where logistics, technology, and markets are within reach. Where government, private companies, and consumers all play their part.
For me, this is stewardship in action. It’s about responsibility, not just ownership. It’s about making sure that farming is not a burden carried alone by the farmer, but a shared mission for all of us who eat the food they grow.
The future of Philippine agriculture will not be built on quick fixes. It will be built on cooperation, on farmers and businesses standing side by side, and on all of us choosing to support systems that are fair and sustainable. One Farmvest is my way of living out this mission but the bigger mission belongs to us all.