Carmen’s Best diversifies its product, market

Although CARMEN’S BEST ice creams are pricey for the ordinary consumer, still Filipinos patronize it for both quality and the fact that it is a local brand.

Not only will the company diversify its product line – from ice creams to cheeses – it will also bring its products to Mindanao, where it plans to put up a facility. It wants to bring its products to consumers from Cebu and Davao.

Carmen’s Best said it would soon introduce its line of cheese products, starting with a classic Filipino favorite — kesong puti, sourced from its farms in Luzon and Mindanao, including a recently acquired facility in Maramag, Bukidnon. The brand – now under the Metro Pacific group– claims to have one of the biggest dairy herds in the Philippines.

They also have two dairy facilities and an ice cream plant in Laguna, plus a newly added facility in Mindanao.

Jovy Hernandez, president/CEO of Metro Pacific Agro Ventures Inc. (MPAV) and of Carmen’s Best, said – “Carmen’s Best is poised to make its dairy products more accessible across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.”

“From the very beginning, the goal of Carmen’s Best has been simple: give Filipinos access to dairy products that are made fresh, with no substitutes, and with no shortcuts taken.”

“Now that we’ve expanded to Visayas and Mindanao, we’re excited to offer more customers not just our ice cream but also our new milk and cheese products, all proudly made with 100 percent fresh cow’s milk.”

Earlier, the homegrown ice cream brand said it participated in the 2025 Food Summit where Hernandez met with leaders of the agriculture sector and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce.

“The engagement underscored the brand’s commitment to working hand-in-hand with local partners in strengthening the dairy industry in Visayas and Mindanao.”

Carmen’s Best said it started expanding nationwide last March through key retail partnerships with SM Hypermarket, Robinson’s Supermarket, Metro Paisano, Puregold, and The Marketplace, making its products easier to find.

Soon, the ice cream brand will also be available in restaurants, hotels, resorts, events and festivals. In Cebu, scooping stations are also in the pipeline.

“Dairy lovers in Cebu, Davao, Bukidnon, and CDO [Cagayan de Oro] can look forward to getting a chance to try out and enjoy Carmen’s Best portfolio of fresh, dairy products.”

The line-up currently spans three main categories, all crafted with fresh, locally sourced milk and made under the highest quality standards, the brand noted.

Carmen’s Best said it started as a homegrown ice cream brand in 2011, with its premium, handcrafted flavors made from the freshest milk from its farm in Laguna.

With the investment and support from the Metro Pacific group, it said it has grown into a dairy brand, expanding into milk, cheese, and other dairy products in the near future that “uphold the same standards of purity, quality, and taste.”

Beyond creating “premium” local dairy products, the homegrown brand said it is committed to “strengthening the local dairy industry by championing farm-to-table freshness, investing in sustainable farming practices, and supporting Filipino farmers.