These days, when everything has become fast and convenient, it’s a breath of fresh air to bring back the joy of fresh dairy into our daily lives. Carmen’s Best truly captures the longing for home and the simple things that remind us of it — just like a glass of fresh milk prepared by moms or someone we love.
At the Carmen’s Best Premium Fresh Dairy launch on Jan. 22 at The Fifth in Rockwell, Makati City, Toby Gatchalian, Metro Pacific Agro Ventures (MVPA) chief commercial officer, shared that Carmen’s Best is real ice cream made from 100 percent fresh milk.
“We have worked hard to ensure more people are aware of the brand, launched special flavors that you asked for, and made Carmen’s Best ice cream available,” Gatchalian said, adding that Carmen’s Best can now be found in more supermarkets, restaurants, coffee shops, corporate offices, and online platforms. The lines at their ice cream partners are getting longer, with more scooping stations set to open this year.
On the operations side, Gatchalian revealed that they have ramped up efforts to keep up with the fast-growing demand. “We have increased our herd to around 1,400 cows, built bigger barns to make our cows happier, fed our cows 5.6 million kilograms of corn silage, and supported around 39 dairy farmer families to help augment our supply.”
One of their biggest steps to ensure nationwide presence was the acquisition of Universal Harvester Dairy Farms Inc. “We processed 1.5 million liters of fresh milk last year, a number that has been growing since we started two years ago,” he shared.

Fresh milk is also highly perishable, with a short shelf life requiring stringent cold chain management. Ensuring the quality and safety of their products at all times, for every bottle and every batch, is critical. “We have faced many challenges across these areas in the past two years,” Gatchalian said.
However, being a pioneer in the local dairy sector comes with challenges. There are many factors that affect milk supply, which is why they must carefully study and prioritize the care of their most important biological assets — their cows.
Despite these hurdles, they are intentional about improving every day because they recognize the significant impact their efforts can make.
“This is because we know how much of a difference a bottle of fresh Filipino milk can make,” he noted. For Gatchalian, it can make someone feel so special, so warmth, and nurtured when a loved one brings home a bottle of fresh Filipino milk from a farm out of town just for them. It’s healthier, creamier, tastier, and every bottle supports local farms.
The reality is that only 1 percent of the Philippines’ dairy consumption comes from local farms. The remaining 99 percent are imported dairy products, 70 percent of which are in powdered form. “Filipinos are truly missing out on being able to access and consume fresh milk from local sources.”
To celebrate their commitment to the local dairy industry, Carmen’s Best has launched a new line of fresh milk products, including whole milk, low fat milk, chocolate milk, salted caramel milk, and barista fresh milk.
Despite all these developments, they believe the best is yet to come. “In fact, the best gets even better.”
Gatchalian underscored the importance of going back to where it all started — to the heart and soul of Carmen’s Best: the precious, nourishing fresh milk that makes every scoop of Carmen’s Best ice cream so special. “That same milk is the very foundation of our brand and the reason behind our philosophy of no shortcuts.”
“Truly, Filipinos deserve nothing less than fresh and no shortcuts philosophy,” he said. There is so much opportunity to make 100 percent fresh, 100 percent local milk available and accessible to more Filipinos.
Reiterating the company’s vision, Jovy Hernandez, MPAV president and chief executive officer, said: “As our Chairman, MVP, would say — ‘We must be able to develop the ability to feed our people first.’ This launch of Carmen’s Best Fresh Milk is just the beginning of many fresh and exciting initiatives that will nourish not just more Filipinos, but also strengthen the Philippine dairy industry. We invite all of you to join us on this journey — together, we can build a fresher future for more Filipinos, one glass of milk at a time.”