Philippine Retailers Make Measurable Gains on Cage-Free Eggs
Walk into Heyday, Healthy Options, or FreshStart anywhere in the Philippines today, and every egg on the shelf is cage-free. These three retailers have already completed the shift entirely. They are not alone in moving, but they are furthest along in a sector that is clearly picking up pace.
WHERE THE SECTOR STANDS
Lever Foundation's 2026 Philippine Retailer Industry Cage-Free Egg Progress Report evaluated 23 leading retail brands on two dimensions: the proportion of egg SKUs currently sourced from cage-free farms, and whether a policy commitment to reach 100% cage-free sourcing exists.
Three retailers have fully completed the transition. MetroMart follows closely with 90% of its egg options cage-free, backed by a 100% target by 2025. EveGrocer has reached 50% cage-free and has pledged to go fully cage-free by 2028. METRO Retail, operating more than 70 stores across Metro Manila, Luzon, and Visayas, has reached 26% and committed to 100% by 2033. All brands under SM Retail, including Walter Mart, SM Supermarket, and Alfamart, have now moved 20% to 40% of their egg SKUs to cage-free as the group works toward a broader policy.
THE GAP THAT REMAINS
Sixteen retailers have yet to set a timeline for ending the sale of caged eggs, including Unimart, Cash&Carry, Landers, S&R, Ever Supermarket, Shopwise, Landmark, The Marketplace, South Supermarket, Puregold, All Day Supermarket, Robinsons Easymart, Dali, O! Save, Super8, and MerryMart.
The retail sector's progress fits within a broader picture: nearly 80% of leading restaurant chains and nearly 85% of leading hotel groups across the Philippines have already set timelines to phase out caged eggs. Retailers are catching up, but the gap between leaders and laggards in the sector remains wide.
In 2020, the Philippines' Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards developed comprehensive animal welfare guidelines for cage-free egg production, recognizing the importance of the shift at the national level. For retailers yet to act, the sector's direction is clear.
