The scenic town of Lagawe, nestled at the foot of the Cordillera Mountains in northern Philippines, is home to the proud coffee growers of Ifugao coffee. These hard-working sons and daughters of the highlands farm and roast a blend of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans — developing a rich, deep flavor that is distinctly their own.
The journey was easier said than done. For the Ifugao coffee farmers, perfecting their craft was a process of trial and error. In fact, the first batch of planted Arabica beans failed to grow. Nonetheless, their deep understanding of the high-altitude, cool climate terrain, as well as their willingness to experiment and learn from their mistakes, eventually led to countless exceptional cups of coffee that are a testament to their skill, dedication, and love of the land.
The enterprise started in 2010 under the Livelihood, Enterprise and Agro-forest Development (LEAD) project, an initiative supported by the partnership of Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) subsidiary SN AboitizPower (SNAP) and the Social Action Development Center (SADC).
The LEAD project transformed idle cogon land areas — which covered the upland water basin used by the Magat Dam and consequently the SNAP-Magat hydropower plant — into productive assets through the planting of fruit and native trees in Tinoc and Hingyon, as well as sugar cane and coffee in Lagawe.
When the coffee growers of Lagawe mastered the art of growing coffee beans, the enterprise expanded to the creation of the Ifugao Roasting Center with the help of SNAP, which provided the center with its own roasting machine. This opened more ways for developing the Ifugao Kape Coffee Products.
Production of its smooth, flavorful, and strong Arabica and Robusta blend continues with the assistance of Misereor, SNAP-Magat, and the Department of Trade and Industry – Ifugao.
Today, their single-origin, fair-trade product is sold, served, and enjoyed in various shops in the Cordillera region.
For a limited time — from May 18 to 19 — people in the Metro can purchase Ifugao Kape Coffee Products from Lagawe at NakakaBAZAAR: the Grand Nakakalocal Fair 2023 event at the SM Mall of Asia Entertainment Music Hall.
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