Nikki Garcia, Standing Tall In Agriculture

Nikki Garcia’s many hats allow her to excel as a leader, a mom, and an agent for change in her industry.

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Nikki Garcia repeats the question. “If I were to be the president of the Philippines...” she ponders. She’s amused by the pageant-esque nature of the question, but nevertheless succinctly answers: “The first thing I would implement is to increase the agriculture and healthcare budget.” Her answer stems from Solita Monsod, who talked about the state of the economy post-COVID. To Nikki, it makes sense; infrastructure won’t find use if people go hungry.

She restates her advocacy: “I want people to buy and eat local produce. We can restart the economy by building a sustainable food supply chain. Let’s feed our country while giving livelihood to our fellow Filipinos.”

The kind of selflessness and ingenuity that Nikki holds is felt through many parts of her life, whether it’s at the farm or at home. It’s rare to find women who balance both sides, but Nikki was quick to squash the myth and admits that sacrifices had to have been made.

“Admittedly, I felt very guilty leaving my kids with the yayas at such a young age," the mother of three shares. "For a working mom, we can’t have the best of both worlds. We need help and it takes a village to bring up children and people to run a company. I have my good and bad moments being a working mom—though I am blessed that my kids are very forgiving.”