A map of the Philippines showing the Visayas region, where ube farming communities in Bohol and Leyte cultivate the crop

Farm Stories2026-02-2810 min read

The Forgotten Farmers of the Visayas

Meet the communities growing ube long before it went viral

By Philippine Ube

In the provinces of Bohol and Leyte, farming families have cultivated ube for generations. The tuber grows well in volcanic soil, thriving in the tropical climate that defines these islands. For these communities, ube isn't a cash crop. It's sustenance, tradition, and identity.

The Disconnect

As global demand for ube has surged, driven by social media trends and Western bakeries, the price of processed ube products has climbed. But the farmers who grow it have seen little of that profit. The supply chain that connects a field in Leyte to a bakery in Brooklyn is long, and the value is extracted at every step.

This is the colonial pattern repeating itself: raw materials flow outward, profits flow upward, and the communities at the source remain invisible.

Their Own Words

When we talk about ube, we must talk about the people who make it possible.

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