This year, the first coffee processing facility in Santa Maria, Laguna, will be constructed. The facility is part of the Coffee Processing and Marketing in Santa Maria, Laguna enterprise subproject co-funded by the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project and the Juan Santiago Agriculture Cooperative (JSACOOP), a group of local coffee farmers.

The 150-square-meter facility, which will stand in Brgy. Juan Santiago costs PhP5.60 million. Members of the JSACOOP will use it to house their equipment, raw materials, and processing operations to produce roasted and ground coffee. Along with the processing equipment in the subproject, the facility aims to increase the JSACOOP’s ground coffee production volume to 8,523 kilos and their net income to PhP2.89 million.

“Now that there will be a local processing facility here in Santa Maria, farmers can bring their products here instead of selling them outside the town. The facility will also guarantee a market for coffee farmers, encouraging them to produce more,” shared Manolo Diaz, president of the JSACOOP.

The facility is expected to be finished this year. To ensure that the construction complies with the set standards and requirements of the DA-PRDP for its funded infrastructures, the DA-PRDP, JSACOOP, and its contractor agreed to inspect, monitor, and coordinate regularly about the subproject. # (My Bejasa, CALABARZON InfoACE Unit)

Apart from quantity, the JSACOOP is also working on improving the quality of their coffee so that they can trade their products not just locally, but also internationally. (Photo by
Myrelle Joy Bejasa)

Project Coordination Office CALABARZON met with the JSACOOP and the contractor to discuss the DA-PRDP requirements and standards for its infrastructure projects. This is to ensure their compliance and the integrity and sustainability of the facility. (Photo by Myrelle Joy Bejasa)

Because the facility will enable them to process larger quantities of raw materials, the JSACOOP is multiplying their coffee trees to increase their production and maximize the facility and equipment they will receive from the DA-PRDP. (Photo by Myrelle Joy Bejasa)