By Elvy T. Estacio, RPCO-CAR Writer

On its third consecutive year, coffee-producing groups in the Cordillera region, supported by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP), participated in the Philippine Coffee Expo. The event was held from June 7 to 9 at the Space at One Ayala Mall in Makati City.

With the theme, “Philippine Coffee Expo 2024: Reimagining Philippine Coffee,” the expo brought together key players in the industry to celebrate and promote the richness of Philippine coffee. This year’s coffee expo featured several activities with a focus on innovative technologies that have the potential to significantly elevate the quality of coffee and fostering networks within the coffee sector.

The annual expo serves as a vital platform for the coffee industry to converge, enabling producers and buyers to form valuable linkages. It also recognizes the country’s best coffee brews and brewers.

The DA-PRDP, through its I-REAP (enterprise development) component, showcased PRDP-supported enterprises, promoting their products and helping them build networks in both local and international coffee markets.

Among the participating groups showcasing their products were the Tuba Benguet Coffee Growers Association and La Trinidad Arabica Coffee Producers, representing the Benguet Arabica Coffee Enterprise (BACE); Dupligan Farmers Agriculture Multipurpose Cooperative and Gawidan Malin-awaan Marketing Cooperative, representing the Kalinga Integrated Coffee Processing and Marketing Enterprise; Hojap Multipurpose Cooperative; and Sagada Arabica Coffee Growers and Processors Organization.

These groups highlighted the diverse and quality coffee products from the Cordillera, with commitments of elevating the Philippine coffee industry. ###