PRESS RELEASE

Philippine Coffee Board, City Government of

Isabela, Basilan Work Together to Strengthen
Local Coffee Industry

Alternative Titles:
 Coffee Industry Revived in Basilan
 Coffee Growing Active in BARMM

ISABELA CITY, BASILAN – The Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (PCBI) and the City Government
of Isabela, Basilan has officially launched its partnership to strengthen the coffee industry
of Basilan Province. The capacity building for local coffee farmers was held on 4 October
2019 at Basilan Business Hotel.

Basilan Province is one of the sole producers of Excelsa coffee in the Philippines. While the
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ranks third (3 rd) in the
over-all production of coffee in the country, there is a great need to bolster the region’s
coffee production—especially in Basilan Province—to meet the growing demand by local
and global consumers.

Locally, the demand for coffee is at 130,000 MT a year and the country’s current
production barely meets this requirement. Liberica and Excelsa account for about 5-10%
of local production and can easily fetch specialty prices from PHP 250-300 per kilo
compared to Robusta which now commands better prices from PHP 100-150 per kilo. With
Basilan Province eyeing to improve its coffee production, there is certainty that being able
to do so will reap great economic benefits.

The capacity building session was only the first step in bridging the gaps in the value chain
of the province’s coffee industry. The farmers who attended learned about the different
aspects of coffee farming—from planting to post-harvest processing and gaining market
access.

Through Dr. Alejandro Mojica, a Cavite-based coffee farming expert and former Vice
President for Research, Extension, Continuing Education, and Training Services of Cavite
State University (CvSU), and Princess Elardo, the Chairperson of the People’s Alliance for
Progress Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PAP-MPC) and the owner and founder of Sulu Royal
Coffee, the farmers were assured that they were learning from industry experts armed

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with years of experience. Furthermore, the best practices shared were not only for
improving harvest yield but also for improving the quality of coffee produced.

PCBI believes that the best way to make Philippine coffee competitive, especially in the
global market, is to aim for producing high quality coffee. With the support of Isabela City
Mayor Sitti Djalia Hataman, PCBI is confident that Mindanao coffee, specifically Basilan
coffee, is on its way to becoming one of the preferred coffee origins by local and global
consumers.

About Philippine Coffee Board, Inc.

The Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (PCBI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the
development and promotion of the Philippine coffee industry through projects that provide
technical assistance and credit programs for coffee farms, and marketing of coffee for
domestic and export markets through its social enterprise and trademark seal Kape Isla.
You may reach PCBI through admin.pcbi@gmail.com.

9F NDC Building, 116 Tordesillas St., Salcedo Village, Makati City, Philippines 1227
Office (632) 813.1028 • Email Address admin.pcbi@gmail.com