For Frances Cabatuando, founder of Home Buddies, the biggest milestone was never reaching millions of members. It was seeing a simple online community evolve into something that could exist beyond a Facebook feed.

What started in 2020 as a space for home enthusiasts has since expanded into a podcast, a website, a physical bazaar, a travel community, live events, and television. Yet despite that growth, Frances still measures success by the same standard that guided Home Buddies from the beginning: whether it continues to help ordinary Filipinos build homes they can be proud of.

That perspective has shaped every stage of the community’s journey, including the recognition she has received along the way.

In 2023, Frances was named one of Cosmopolitan Philippines’ Women of Influence alongside some of the country’s most recognizable personalities. Looking back, she believes she earned the recognition as the founder of Home Buddies, but she is equally aware that no award could exist without the community that grew with her.

“The older I get, the more comfortable I am in receiving compliments with grace,” she said.

At the same time, she is quick to acknowledge that the platform has always been a collective effort.

“It wasn’t without the talents and energy and creativity of the community I have built. So I share the recognition with all my kapitbahays.”

That sense of shared ownership explains why Home Buddies never remained confined to social media.

For Frances, the Facebook group was never intended to be the final destination. It was simply the place where people first found one another.

“From the very beginning, the Facebook Group was never the end,” she said. “The goal was to build a real-life community with real people enjoying the same real interests.”

Over the years, that vision naturally expanded beyond the digital space. Home Buddies branched into new platforms and real-world activities, creating more opportunities for learning, collaboration, and interaction among members.

The community continues to grow in that direction. On August 21, Home Buddies will launch the Solar Buddies Expo, an event designed to connect members with solar panel installers and help households explore renewable energy options. For Frances, these initiatives are not a departure from what Home Buddies has always been. They are simply another way of serving the same community.

Asked what she would change if she were launching Home Buddies in 2026 instead of 2020, her answer was immediate.

“I wouldn’t change a thing,” she said. “How Home Buddies came to be is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Interestingly, despite everything she has learned over the past several years about online communities, digital platforms, and audience behavior, she would not rewrite the story if given the chance. That confidence comes from seeing the community grow into something larger than home decoration or renovation advice.

Frances believes Home Buddies also has a role in conversations about housing, sustainability, and everyday living in the Philippines. She said the community has consistently spoken about housing concerns and issues affecting homeowners, including electricity, internet services, and utilities. At the same time, it has promoted practical ideas around sustainability, from energy-efficient appliances to renewable energy and circular economy practices.

“We’ve been calling out unreasonable price hikes and subpar service from utility providers,” she said.

Still, she recognizes that an online community can only do so much when larger structural issues are involved.

“Ultimately, we can only be part of the conversation. We still call on our policymakers to actually make a change.”

Rather than stopping at discussion, Home Buddies has tried to translate those values into concrete initiatives.

Frances pointed to programs such as the Home Buddies Weekend Market, which encourages the buying and selling of pre-loved items to support the circular economy, and Buwan ng Bayan, which highlights Filipino businesses and craftsmanship. The upcoming Solar Buddies Expo continues that effort by encouraging greater energy independence through renewable energy solutions.

Beyond the home improvement space, the community has also supported Caritas Manila to help underprivileged students finish their education and donated a renovated classroom to a public school in Pasay City.

“We can’t just be loud,” she said. “We have to act in whatever ways we can, too.”

That philosophy also shapes how she thinks about the future of Home Buddies.

Frances does not see the community as something tied solely to her identity. While members affectionately call her “Mayora,” she believes the platform has already grown beyond any one individual.

“Definitely, Home Buddies is beyond me. Beyond Frances. Beyond Mayora,” she said.

Instead, she describes it as a platform that belongs to every Filipino who dreams of creating a better home and, ultimately, a better life.

“It is the platform for every Filipino who wishes to improve their homes, and improve their lives.”

If Home Buddies continues long after she is no longer at its center, she hopes members remember what the community was truly built to do.

“My wish is for everyone who visits Home Buddies to be inspired in working on the home of their dreams, wherever their starting point may be,” she said. “And they have 3 million kapitbahays ready to support them in their journey.”

For Frances, that may be the clearest measure of Home Buddies’ legacy. Not the size of its membership or the number of platforms it now occupies, but the idea that every Filipino, regardless of circumstance, can find encouragement from people who believe that building a better home is also one way of building a better life.

In many ways, Home Buddies has already outgrown the platform where it began. What started as a Facebook group has become a community built on shared experiences, practical knowledge, and the belief that no home improvement journey is too small to matter. As it continues to evolve through new initiatives and new spaces, its purpose remains unchanged. It is still a place where Filipinos help one another create homes they are proud of, proving that the strongest foundations are often built not with concrete, but with community.