New doors for opportunities open once more for the Cavite coffee industry as the Café Amadeo Development Cooperative joined the Philippine Coffee Expo 2024 last June 7-9 in Makati. The cooperative, hailing from the municipality of Amadeo, is one of the enterprise subproject proponent groups of the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP).

The cooperative showcased their signature Pahimis blend, a mixture of four varieties of coffee: Robusta, Excelsa, Liberica, and Arabica. Through the expo, the cooperative made additional sales and linked up with other cooperatives from various regions as far as Mindanao. According to Arnold Bay, secretary of the cooperative, the expo was a great opportunity not just to further expand their enterprise, but also to sustain the Philippine coffee industry as the demand for coffee is continuously rising.

“Nagpapasalamat kami sa DA-PRDP sa pagbibigay sa amin ng opportunity na maipakilala ang aming produkto sa mas malaking market. Nakakatuwa po kasi may mga nakakakilala na sa amin. Nagpapasalamat din po kami dahil sa hands-on nilang pagtulong at paggabay sa aming enterprise subproject. Sana po ay magpatuloy ang mga ganitong klaseng suporta,” he added.

On the following week, the cooperative is set to travel to Mindanao to talk with their potential partners. Later, they will also be launching their newly constructed coffee shop in Brgy. Banay-banay, Amadeo, Cavite which was the result of the success of their DA-PRDP enterprise subproject. 

Last June 5, the World Bank hailed the cooperative’s subproject as one of the model DA-PRDP enterprise subprojects in the country. #

The cooperative showcased their signature jute sack packaging in the expo. They also introduced their new packaging design which is a ziplock bag to help customers preserve their coffee’s quality and to minimize waste. (Photo by Kristel Lalap)

Aside from marketing, DA-PRDP participants in the expo also engaged in ‘kamustahans’ which allowed them to discuss pressing issues in the coffee industry, possible solutions, and what they can contribute to the industry’s development and sustainability. (Photo by Arnold Bay)

Arnold Bay, the secretary of the Café Amadeo Development Cooperative felt honored to represent their cooperative in the Philippine Coffee Expo 2024. This is the second year they have been invited by the DA-PRDP to join the expo. (Photo by Kristel Lalap)

Through the expo, the cooperative was able to introduce their product to new customers all over the country, expanding their reach and further nurturing the growing interest of the market towards their product. (Photo by Kristel Lalap)

The cooperative also linked up with other cooperatives and potential buyers of their products during the expo. A week after the expo, the cooperative headed to Mindanao to continue their discussions with a potential supplier. (Photo by Kristel Lalap)

Secretary Bay took the opportunity to showcase their signature Pahimis blend online in the DA-PRDP National Project Coordination Office’s vlog on the expo. (Screencap from DA-PRDP NPCO InfoACE Unit)