Amid High Fuel Costs, DMCI Homes Weekend Market Offers Benguet Farmers Steady Income
The Weekend Market with Tuba Farmers as launched in Acacia Estates, Taguig in May 2025.
Since May 2025, DMCI Homes has been supporting farmers from Tuba, Benguet by providing a direct selling platform through the Weekend Market with Tuba Farmers held in its condominium communities.
Nearly a year into its implementation, the initiative—done in partnership with the Tuba Agri Tourism Community (TATC)—has grown even more relevant as farmers contend with rising fuel prices and mounting logistics costs.
For vegetable farmers in Tuba and the rest of Benguet—the host community of DMCI Homes Leisure Residences’ Moncello Crest eco‑agri resort condotel—persistent oversupply is worsened by limited storage facilities and inadequate transport systems linking farms to major markets, particularly Metro Manila.
The presence of middlemen who charge hefty commissions further reduces farmers’ earnings, making it even harder to sell their produce at sustainable prices.
These long‑standing structural issues are now intensified by high fuel costs, which have made transporting produce increasingly expensive and, in some cases, unviable, resulting in losses even before crops reach the market.
Losses Start at the Farm Gate
Members of the Tuba Agri Tourism Community (TATC) led by Vice‑Chairperson Jennelyn Saingan.
The Weekend Market with Tuba Farmers, hosted within DMCI Homes condominium communities, addresses this challenge by bringing the market closer to consumers.
Before the program’s introduction, farmers often expected losses even before their produce left the farm.
“Before the Weekend Market, alam na nila na malulugi po sila sa movement pa lang, sa logistics,” shared TATC Vice‑Chairperson Jennelyn Saingan.
When harvests went unsold, losses deepened further. Vegetables were often discarded, fed to livestock, or returned to the soil as compost.
“Kapag marami, hindi kukunin. Magiging basura na lang po o kaya ipapakain sa mga alaga nila or sa lupa na lang,” Saingan said. “Doon na lang mismo nila sinisira para maging abono sa mga tanim nila.”
Direct Access to Urban Markets
The initiative under DMCI Homes’ Kaakbay corporate social responsibility framework allows farmers to sell fresh vegetables, fruits, and locally produced goods—such as preserves, coffee, strawberry polvoron, and local wines—directly within residential communities.
To support long‑term sustainability, TATC, with backing from DMCI Homes, conducts regular training to help farmers convert unsold produce into value‑added products. Surplus harvests are turned into jams, preserves, polvoron, and healthy snacks, creating added income while reducing food waste.
By removing intermediaries, the program helps reduce transport expenses, limit food waste, and ensure that fresh harvests reach consumers more efficiently despite high fuel prices.
Higher Income, Less Wastage
The program’s impact on oversupply has been immediate and measurable. Before the Weekend Market, farmers harvested about 7,000 kilograms of produce monthly, but sold only 5,000 kilograms, resulting in roughly 2,000 kilograms of spoilage.
Through regular market days in DMCI Homes communities, surplus harvests were redirected to residents, eliminating wastage and helping stabilize demand.
Since its launch, the Weekend Market has held 45 market days across 17 DMCI Homes communities in Metro Manila, generating ₱5.6 million in gross sales, distributing 37 tons of fresh produce, and reaching an estimated 11,000 residents.
Farmers’ average monthly income nearly tripled, increasing from ₱8,805 to ₱24,061, while monthly farm production rose from 7 tons to 19.5 tons by the first quarter of 2026.
“Bago ti Weekend Market, mas abak pay ti garden expenses kaysa diay kitaem. Tatta, adda pagalan mi iti pakasapulan ti ubbing diay eskwela ken adda igatang mi ti kanen mi (Before the Weekend Market, our garden expenses were even higher than what we earned. Now, we’re able to set aside money for our children’s school needs and we can also buy food for our family),” one of the Tuba farmers, Tacio Felangen shared.
Convenience for Residents
Through the Weekend Market, DMCI Homes residents help sustain Benguet farming communities and enjoy fresh produce.
For residents of DMCI Homes’ condominium communities, the Weekend Market delivers both convenience and social impact.
“Especially mahal ang gasoline, you grab the opportunity that you shop here,” shared Lyn, a resident.
Buying directly from farmers reduces the need for additional travel while supporting agricultural communities in Benguet.
“You’re able to help our community from Benguet. Mura naman siya and more importantly, organic siya. This is one of our means to help them and also to save our time and also to save gas,” she added.
DMCI Homes is the country’s first Quadruple A real estate developer, with projects in Mega Manila, Baguio City, Tuba in Benguet, San Juan in Batangas, Boracay, Cebu City, and Davao City. Each of its properties is built with world-standard craftsmanship borne from D.M. Consunji Inc.’s over 70 years of expertise in the construction and development industry.
To learn more about DMCI Homes’ pre-selling and ready for occupancy projects, units for lease, and special promos, call (632) 5324-8888. You can also visit leasing.dmcihomes.com to know more about opportunities in leasing and rent-to-own programs of DMCI Homes. News and other updates are also posted on the company’s official website and social media accounts on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
How do you feel about it?
