"Magkape tayo"

Let’s go for coffee,“ a greeting one gets a lot of times these days, whether morning, noon or night. Meeting friends, running into an acquaintance by chance, one is likely to extend or receive that invitation – to catch up, to renew a friendship, to strengthen connections or simply to say “hello.”

Coffee is now ruling the social world, and it has seeped into our psyche and lifestyle, evidenced by the mushrooming shops offering a wide variety of the popular beverage. Even the young (from age 14) are now habitual coffee drinkers.

Perhaps it is the soothing effect of the hot liquid or the refreshing feeling that the cold drink imparts that makes a cup of coffee a lifestyle regular. Whatever it is, there is a group of entrepreneurs who take their coffee business seriously, not only from the point of business, but as a socially responsible endeavor.

October is Coffee Month. We may have taken coffee for granted, as something that wakes us up in the morning and keeps us awake at night. Have we thought about it as livelihood for the farmers? Perhaps not.

Ten years ago, the Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (PTBI) was established by investors and those in the coffee business. There was a time when Philippine coffee production was big, one of the biggest in the world, then it deteriorated to an alarming state. Local coffee was threatened and therefore needed some help. Batangas reigned in the past for its premium barako (Liberica) bean, but lost its number one standing in recent years. In order to regain its position, the farmers must be encouraged keep their land and plant again, instead of giving up their lands to developers to put up subdivisions for bigger profit. But would their harvest be enough for local and foreign consumption?

The PCBI spearheaded by the trio of officers – Nicolas Matti, Chit Juan and Manny Torrejon – went into action and looked for some other Coffee Origins, which became their battle cry for locating areas where coffee can be planted and farmers assisted. They looked at neighboring countries where the coffee industry is progressing, like Vietnam, where agro-technical training, management and awareness (of its potential) have resulted in considerable increase in production. This program pushed Vietnam to the no. 2 position in the world market, next to Brazil.

The group found areas in Luzon and in the South, in the mountains of Benguet, the Cordilleras and Mindanao, in Mount Kanlaon on Negros island, areas in which Robusta and Arabica can be grown.

As Coffee Month goes on, the group is confident Philippine coffee will again find its rightful place in the world market and that the local farmers will be blessed with better livelihood. Needless to say, as in Vietnam, government is providing support.   

One enterprising lady we met sometime ago is Vicky who owns the Bee Farm in Bohol. She was then starting a business of raising bees and using their honey for a selection of food stuff, her honey banana bread being our favorite. We were impressed by the drive of this lady and as expected, her bee specials have successfully captured its intended market. She has a bigger store and wider distribution now. Her new selection consists of a quintet of spreads, one of which which we tried to make into a pasta sauce, adding a bit of olive oil. It was good! The spreads come in various flavors – Pesto, Coriander, Malunggay, Honey and Mango. They are carried at the Echo Market/ Store/Café in Serendra. Each 150gm bottle costs P150.

Because the owners source their items from practically every region in the country, the store is a one-stop destination for various items, among them coffee blends, longganiza from Tuguegarao (perfectly seasoned with vinegar, salt and sugar), goat fs milk, wild honey, mango and guava teas (good for settling a troublesome tummy) for P180 a bottle, free-range chicken patties, mock bangus and chicken skin chicharon (crackling), veggie burgers and more. Echo Café is an ideal place for a quiet meal. It is Wi-fi enabled. 

We extend our apology to Conti’s Bake Shop and Restaurant in West Gate, Alabang for erroneously reporting that their latest branch was their 19th. It is actually their ninth.      

Have a good, blessed Sunday!

 E-mail comments and questions to [email protected].