GUINAYANGAN, Quezon — Coffee has long been a thriving industry in this town where it is grown, traded and consumed by townspeople and farmers alike.
Even though coffee already gives farmers a steady way to make money, mostly through trading, residents of this town hope for a more profitable and successful coffee business.
"Karamihan kasi ng aming kape ay pinagbibili sa ibang bayan at probinsya pagkatapos i-harvest. "Gusto naming subukang mag-process dito sa bayan para mapataas pa ang halaga nito, makatipid sa hauling ang mga magkakape, at magkaroon kami ng matatawag naming sariling kapeng Guinayangan," Raquel De Luna, current President of G-Cafe.
The Guinayangan Coffee Growers Association and Farm Entrepreneurs, Inc. (G-CAFÉ), a small group of coffee farmers and town residents, was conceptualized with this vision.
G-CAFÉ members contributed to acquire coffee processing machinery and to establish a small store to process and sell coffee in the Guinayangan Public Market.
Soon after, bus and tricycle drivers and coffee lovers began to visit their establishment.
"Natuwa po kami kahit pwede naman silang magpakulo sa kanilang bahay at magtimpla na lang ng instant coffee. Because of this, we are more focused on our negotiations and improving the quality of our products," said the president of the G-CAFÉ.
Along the way, members began learning about different coffee kinds, standards and other details that could elevate their offerings and businesses.
They sought assistance from the Department of Agriculture's Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) for training.
The DA-coffee PRDP's processing enterprise subproject, which aims to see the success of the coffee industry in Guinayangan and help local coffee growers make more money, chose them as the winning proponent group in 2020.
A utility vehicle and a coffee processing facility, both firsts in Guinayangan, were given to the G-CAFÉ as part of the subproject. The G-CAFÉ used the utility van to transport coffee beans from nearby farmers who sold them coffee as well as deliver goods to its customers.
By using all of the equipment, the building assisted the group in streamlining its operations. Additionally, the facility contains a tiny shop where they can showcase their goods and serve their freshly brewed coffee.
"Napakalaking gaan po ang van sa aming hauling dahil po malalayo ang mga farms na pinagkukunan namin ng kape for processing. "Mas naproproteksyunan ang mga kape sa sira dahil mas mabilis at mas maayos ang pagbyahe sa kanila," De Luna explained.
"Sa tulong ng facility, mas maayos at mabilis na kaming makakapag-process ng kape dahil sa iisang lugar na lang namin ito gagawin di tulad ng dati na sa iba-iba pang bahay hinahakot, hina-hull, sino-sort, niluluto, ginigiling, at pina-package ang aming kape," added Jeanna Victor, a member of G-CAFÉ.
The G-CAFÉ grew even more driven to enhance their education in coffee production, processing, and food safety regulations so that they could sell their products commercially and internationally after the processing facility was in place and provided an excellent atmosphere for their coffee processing.
Along with providing the group with additional direction and support, the DA-PRDP also engages in enterprise evaluation, coaching activities, and market linkage to aid them in managing their organization and business.
They recently agreed to go to the Philippine Coffee Expo, which was put on by the DA-PRDP. There, they went to workshops and talked to other coffee processors and business owners about possible partnerships. (With report from PRDP Calabarzon)