In a small municipality in North Cotabato, a young agripreneur is quietly reshaping how people think about farming, sustainability, and even food itself. At 32, John Paul A. Cabangal stands at the intersection of innovation and agriculture—raising superworms, producing insect-based snacks, and inspiring a new generation of farmers to embrace science-driven ventures.
His story is not one of inherited land or family tradition. It is a story of curiosity, grit, and a relentless desire to make agriculture more sustainable and accessible. And it all began with rabbits.
John Paul’s journey into superworm farming started in 2021 when he became one of the awardees of the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) Program of the Department of Agriculture. With his grant, he launched an agri-venture titled “Science and Technology-based Rabbit Production.”
“I started rearing Meat-type rabbits such as New Zealand and Californian breeds and then turning them into profitable Rabbit Lechon Business,” he recalled.
The business thrived. Soon, he expanded into raising Japanese and American-type silky chickens, along with native chickens for consumption. But as his flock grew, so did his expenses—particularly for commercial feeds.
That moment of financial pressure became the spark of innovation. “Commercial feeds for chickens are too expensive. I realize that I need to do something to lessen my cost of feeding chickens,” he says.
He began collecting vegetable scraps from the public market, but he knew vegetables alone could not meet the birds’ nutritional needs. That’s when he turned to insects.
“I discovered the use of superworms,” he said, adding that he learned they were easy to produce and rich in protein.
Superworms, larvae of the darkling beetle, are not native to the Philippines. They are typically sold in pet shops as feed for aquarium fish and exotic pets. But in his locality, there were no pet shops around.
So, he posted on Facebook, asking if anyone knew where to buy superworms. A fellow 4-H Club member connected him to a friend who raised them. John Paul traveled to President Roxas, North Cotabato, and bought his first 100 pieces of superworms.
From that humble start, he built a thriving insect farm.
Superworms undergo metamorphosis when isolated without food and water. As he explained, “They turn into pupa after 15 days and they become adult beetles after another 15 days.”
He isolated each worm in small sauce cups until they became beetles. These beetles became his breeders.
Today, he maintains 10 colonies, each containing 200–300 beetles. Each colony produces 3–4 kilograms of superworms per month, with each kilo containing 1,000–1,250 worms.
What began as a cost-saving strategy evolved into a full-scale agribusiness.
John Paul learned everything about superworm farming through online resources—articles, research papers, and YouTube videos. But real learning came from experience.
He faced pests such as ants, lizards, spiders, and rats. He also battled extreme heat, which caused mortalities when temperatures reached 40–45°C. “They require ambient temperature at least 25–30 degrees Celsius,” he noted.
But he persisted, improving his facility and refining his methods.
Superworms thrive on fruits, vegetables, and commercial chicken feed—depending on their life stage. He feeds breeders with fruits, vegetables, and chicken feed as substrate. Juvenile larvae receive both vegetables and feed, while older larvae are fed only fruits and vegetables.
For superworms intended for human consumption, he uses only clean fruits and vegetables. He lists chayote, carrots, squash, papaya, radish, and cucumber as common feeds. These provide both nutrients and moisture.
He also notes that superworms can consume organic waste such as vegetable scraps, fruit peels, banana trunks, and coconut husks—making them a potential solution for waste reduction.
Superworms are harvested depending on market needs. Smaller worms are sold to aquarium hobbyists, while larger ones are used as feed for chickens, iguanas, hamsters, tarantulas, and other exotic pets.
For his signature product, which he calls GRUBilicious Chichaworm, he harvests worms at 2–4 months old, typically weighing 0.7–0.8 grams each.
Beetles live 6–8 productive months, allowing weekly or monthly harvest cycles.
John Paul’s most groundbreaking innovation is transforming superworms into a crunchy, flavorful, and nutritious snack.
The process is meticulous. Gut-loading the worms for 1–3 days with nutritious fruits and vegetables. Degutting them for at least 24 hours. Washing and straining to remove dust and dirt. Humane euthanizing through blanching or freezing. Slow frying with garlic and aromatics until crispy. Seasoning and vacuum-sealing with desiccants for shelf stability.
“GRUBilicious Chichaworm is now ready as a nutritious and sustainable food snack,” he said, adding that it comes in five variants: salty original, hot and spicy, peanut mix, Filipino adobo, and chocolate-coated.
Consumers are often hesitant at first, but once they try it, they are surprised. “They find it tasty, crunchy, delicious, nutritious and sustainable,” he shared.
His innovation doesn’t stop at food. He is developing the following: chocolate-coated chichaworm for children and hesitant consumers; superworm frass as natural fertilizer; and superworm meal as a sustainable protein source for farm animals. “These products aim to reduce reliance on imported soybean meal and fish meal,” he said.
John Paul believes edible insects can help address food security and sustainability. “Superworms or edible insects must be utilized as a sustainable source of protein,” he emphasized, adding that he hopes to teach more farmers how to raise superworms and build their own ventures.
His venture is named I-Farm, a minimalist concept rooted in innovation. “It means Impact, Innovative, Inspires,” he explained. It reflects his mission: to create impactful activities, to develop innovative ideas and products, and to inspire people through advocacy.
John Paul’s parents are not farmers. His love for agriculture began in 2011 when he joined the 4-H Club and participated in hands-on training through the Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute.
He later became a beneficiary of the Young Farm Leaders Training Program in Japan (2018), where he learned Japanese farming technologies. He earned multiple TESDA National Certificates in organic agriculture, crop production, animal production, and food processing. In 2022, he was recognized as a Youth Ambassador by the agriculture department.
In October 2025, John Paul was recognized as one of North Cotabato’s leading innovators and participated in an educational and innovation immersion program in Singapore. Throughout this study tour, he discovered a promising technology suitable for regional implementation: Container Farm Technology (CFT)
CFT is an innovative system that features a modular, vertically arranged, and precisely controlled environment engineered to maximize the production of edible insects—including crickets, superworms, and black soldier fly larvae—for human consumption and animal feed applications.
Leveraging this discovery, he is currently spearheading the creation of a scalable SMART Modular Container Farm: An Agri-Tech Innovation designed for widespread adoption in his home region. He aims to broaden the commercial applications of superworms beyond his established product thereby realizing substantial business opportunities across diverse sectors.
According to him, primary applications include the following: insect protein powder (delivering a sustainable and nutrient-dense option for human dietary needs); insect meal (functioning as an environmentally responsible substitute for soybean meal and fishmeal in livestock nutrition), and insect oil extraction (establishing innovative opportunities for renewable biofuel development).
John Paul’s final message is a call to action: “We really need to explore new ideas… we just need to break out from our shells in order to discover and utilize our unknown potentials.”
His story proves that innovation can come from unexpected places—even from a tiny worm.
