Manila — METRO Retail, which operates more than 70 stores across Metro Manila, Luzon, and the Visayas, has committed to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs by 2033, the company confirmed in a sector-wide sourcing review by Lever Foundation, an international NGO advancing humane and sustainable protein supply chains across Asia.
METRO Retail currently sources 26% of its egg offerings from cage-free farms across its brands. The company’s retail footprint spans multiple islands and store formats, so any change to egg sourcing must be phased across a larger, more geographically dispersed supplier network without disrupting store-level supply. As METRO Retail increases its cage-free percentage over the coming years, egg suppliers serving the chain will need to expand cage-free production capacity to keep pace with its order volumes.
The commitment positions METRO Retail as a leader among Philippine retailers that have set a firm date for 100% cage-free egg sourcing. Lever Foundation’s 2026 Philippine Retailer Industry Cage-Free Egg Progress Report shows that among the 23 leading retail brands evaluated, seven have already set a timeline for ending the sale of caged eggs across all operations. Three stand out for having already shifted to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs across all stores: Heyday, Healthy Options, and FreshStart. Meanwhile, e-commerce pioneer MetroMart follows closely, with 90% of its egg options being cage-free.
Industry groups and researchers have cited food safety alongside animal welfare in the push toward cage-free sourcing. A body of peer-reviewed research has found that well-managed cage-free egg production can lower the risk of Salmonella contamination compared with conventional caged systems. This is a factor the Philippine government has incorporated into its own guidance, as the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards issued animal welfare standards for cage-free egg production in 2020.
The retail sector’s progress also reflects the broader trajectory of the Philippines’ food industry. . Nearly 80% of leading restaurant chainsand 85% of leading hotel groups across the country have already set timelines for phasing out the use of caged eggs, placing the retail sector’s advances in step with an industry-wide shift spanning the country’s food landscape.
