Filipino coffee farmers who won at this year’s Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC) earned record prices during the online auction, held on May 7 and organized by the Philippine Coffee Guild.
These farmers received support from the Philippine Coffee Advancement and Farm Enterprise (PhilCAFE), a program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and implemented by ACDI/VOCA that launched in 2018. PhilCAFE supports the sustained development of the country’s coffee sector with public and private sector partners.
At the auction, the highest prices secured went to Marifel Dela Cerna, of Davao del Sur, and Mabini Ubuan, of Ilocos Sur, for their specialty Arabica and fine Robusta coffees, respectively. Teofilo Coffee Company, a U.S.-based company, bought both winning coffees.
Ubuan won the fine Robusta category in both the 2021 and 2022 PCQCs. However, bids secured this year on their winning coffee varieties were even higher at this year’s auction.
According to T.J. Ryan, Chief of Party of PhilCAFE, PCQC provides a platform for Filipino coffee farmers to showcase their best agricultural practices resulting in better coffee. Their showcased products often become sought-after varieties among local and international coffee buyers and enthusiasts.
“The successful auction of the winning PCQC entries can be attributed to the hard work of Filipino coffee farmers, whose dedication in producing the best coffee resulted in better prices for their products.”
— T.J. Ryan, Chief of Party of PhilCAFE
At the 2022 Specialty Coffee Expo in Boston, Massachusetts, the Coffee Quality Institute, a partner of PhilCAFE, organized a coffee tasting activity for the top six Arabica and Robusta PCQC finalists. Samples of winning Philippine coffee were served to event participants at the Philippine coffee booth. The expo is considered North America’s largest specialty coffee trade show. This year, it featured more than 420 exhibiting companies and organizations and hosted over 10,000 participants.
The Philippine delegation at the expo included coffee farmers and representatives from the Philippine Coffee Guild, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Trade and Industry, as well as local ACDI/VOCA staff.
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