🌿 From OFW to successful herb farmer in Pampanga
What started as a craving for authentic Thai food has grown into a flourishing agricultural business in Arayat, Pampanga.
In 2021, former overseas worker Ginalyn Valenzuela established The Basil Farm on a two-hectare property, bringing fresh Thai herbs closer to Filipino kitchens. Inspired by her years living in Thailand, she returned home determined to grow ingredients that were difficult to find in the Philippines.
Despite having little experience in herb farming, Valenzuela relied on the farming values passed down by her grandparents. Beginning with just 3,000 square meters of land, she cultivated Thai basil, holy basil, lemon basil, and red holy basil before expanding to cilantro, coriander, pea eggplant, and kaffir lime leaves.
Today, The Basil Farm has evolved into a self-sustaining enterprise that also produces its own high-quality seeds, helping introduce authentic Thai flavors to more Filipino households while showcasing Pampanga’s growing agricultural innovation.
📸 Source: Manila Bulletin Agriculture
Photo courtesy of: The Basil Farm Arayat
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