Tuburan coffee to be used by Cebu shops
Around a thousand farmers in Tuburan, Cebu are now benefiting from the government-assisted coffee plantation project as one of Cebu’s coffee shops will begin using their crops.
Tuburan Mayor Democrito “Aljun” Diamante Jr. was happy to announce that "Kape sa Tuburan" will soon be the coffee that will be used by Cebu coffee shop chain, Coffee Dream, owned by Glenn Soco, President of Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
"This program aims to alleviate poverty of my town. Our coffee seedlings are regarded as one of the best. So, I hope daghan mo-patronize sa among kape aron pud makatabang ta sa mga pobre," said Diamante.
Diamante said their coffee plantation now covers 2,850 hectares covering 16 barangays in the town.
“It excites me to be part of something we can truly claim our own, and I'm happy that our first batch using coffee from our beloved province has arrived,” confirmed Soco.
In his coffee shop, Soco is naming the coffee product “Kape Arcadio” after Tuburan’s patriarch and revolutionary leader, Arcadio Maxilom.
“We thank the town officials for collaborating with us on this project. Surely it’s coffee that you can drink without any sugar and creamer in it,” added Soco.
Sometime in 2012, Diamante recalled that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources was searching for around 700 hectares for its National Greening Program in western Cebu.
He offered the 500 hectares covering ten barangays but to be planted with coffee.
In 2013, Diamante said the coffee plantation almost died until his friend advised him to seek technical assistance from Nestle Philippines.
Diamante said he was told by Nestle that they will give assistance provided he would buy their seedlings. He bought 30,000 seedlings and Nestle technicians went to his town to teach farmers how to propagate coffee.
In the same year, Tuburan was the chosen beneficiary of the government’s Accelerated and Sustainable Anti-Poverty Program (ASAPP), giving a boost to the town’s local coffee industry as government agencies, local government units, and private enterprises collaborated to expand production and markets of coffee growers in the area.
Launched in 2015, ASAPP aimed to ensure that poverty reduction programs are focused, well-targeted, and coordinated.
In Cebu, stakeholders identified the coffee industry as a potential driver of inclusive growth that will increase the income of the poor in the areas.
Convened by the Regional Office of the National Economic and Development Authority-7, the ASAPP Cebu Action Team led discussions among LGUs, line agencies, private enterprises, and community members to come up with a poverty-reduction program in Tuburan through developing local Tuburan coffee.
Based on coffee site visits and an assessment of the 2,850 hectares currently planted with coffee in Tuburan, the ASAPP Cebu team developed various technical assistance projects to enable the town’s local coffee growers sector to increase production and sell to wider markets.
These include technical assistance on coffee production, coffee handling practices, and post-harvest facilities as first steps.
The team also found the need to provide coffee seedlings and funds for fertilizers, as well as for post-harvest facilities and facilities for coffee bean grinding and processing. Being part of commercial value chains was likewise considered crucial.