Cebu as Philippines coffee capital

CEBU, Philippines —  Entrepreneurial Mayor Aljun Diamante of Tuburan town encouraged the other day Cebu's municipalities to join his town and plant at least 1,000 hectares of coffee, creating a P13.2-billion industry.

Cebu province has 44 municipalities and six component cities.

The Tuburan Coffee founder said that it his dream not just for their second-class municipality to be known as “Coffee Capital of Cebu” but for Cebu to really become the “Coffee Capital of the Philippines.”

Diamante said that if Tuburan and the other towns would allocate at least 1,000 hectares for a coffee plantation, this would mean 44,000 hectares of coffee plantations.

He said that if each hectare is planted with at least 1,500 coffee trees, Cebu would have 66 million coffee trees.

He told participants of last Friday's convergence meeting, which various national agencies attended, that one coffee tree can produce 10 kilos of coffee cherries.

This, he said, would translate to 660 million kilos of coffee produced in a year.

“So, kung naa kay 660 million kilos times P20 per kilo, that is a P13.2-billion industry,” Diamante said.

“There is now a huge demand for coffee. Kay sa una ang mga batan-on dili manginom og kape, karon naa na gyud tay market. There is money in coffee,” he said, in an interview at his newly-opened "Tuburan 360" in Barangay Kabangkalan, Tuburan.

Aside from Cebu's homegrown coffee, the resto, which is being developed into an eco-tourism attraction, also offers a scenic view of Tuburan town.

Diamante said that he was proud to say that from 10 in 2011, 29 barangays are now participating in Tuburan's coffee production.

“There is money in coffee. It is my dream that Tuburan will not only be known as the ' Coffee Capital of Cebu' but for Cebu to be known as 'Coffee Capital of the Philippines',” he said.

He hoped that all of Cebu's local government units would plant coffee to generate more income for the province and livelihood for their constituents.

Tuburan is among the exhibitors of the ongoing "One Cebu Island Expo 2023", which runs from August 16 to 20, at the Mountain Wing of SM Seaside City Cebu.

During the expo's opening, Diamante even personally served cups of coffee to a few of the guests, including Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and other Cebu mayors.

In the same meeting last Friday, national agencies informed participants on their various intervention programs as part of the Accelerated and Sustainable Anti-Poverty Program (ASAPP).

The National Economic and Development Authority, which spearheads the ASAPP, convened the government agencies and stakeholders mainly to help improve and further develop the local Tuburan coffee as a poverty reduction program.

The town’s 2,000 coffee farmers are being supported by the various agencies to ensure the sustainability of their coffee products.

The agencies include the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Tourism, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, National Irrigation Administration.

In 2018, for example, DTI-7 turned over to the farmers their post-harvest facility.

Diamante said his town's coffee production is a real poverty alleviation program, adding that it is his target that in the next five to 10 years, there will be no more "poorest among the poor" in Tuburan.

National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Secretary Lope Santos III said Tuburan town's initiative is something that should be replicated in the entire country.

He said this is the reason why NAPC joined last Friday's convergence meeting, so they can document the project.

"Gusto naming i-dokumento ito at ikwento sa mga local government units. Ang aming mandato ay ang pagpalakas ng mga local action poverty reduction plan, ayon sa Magna Carta for the Poor, and adequate food and agriculture is one of our major priority, to have adequate food for everybody,” Santos said.

Diamante said coffee production in Tuburan uplifted the lives of its 2,000 farmers, who include Criselda Lapus.

The 48-year-old mother of two is a farmer of Diamante's personal coffee farm since 2011.

“Sa una, mag-uuma gihapon mi pero mais among gitanom. Kung makabaligya mi og mais, makapalit mi og sud-an," she said.

"Karon nga naa na mi diri isip mag-uuma sa kape, naa na gyud miy sweldo ni mayor matag semana. Dili na mi magproblema asa mi og kaon ug palit sud-an,” she added.

Aside from Diamante's 80-hectare coffee farm, over 3,000 hectares more are owned by various residents, who are all assisted through the convergence of national agencies.

Meanwhile, to market more Tuburan's homegrown coffee, Diamante said he plans to open a “Tuburan Cafe” branch each in SM-Consolacion, SM Seaside City Cebu, and Robinsons Galleria.

"It’s about time that we, Cebuanos, should patronize our own local coffee,” he said.  The mayor also plans to open branches in the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

Tuburan Cafe currently has two branches--one in Poblacion, Tuburan and another at Tuburan 360.