Bukidnon Bets on Coffee as Its Next Economic Powerhouse on NewsLine Philippines - Building Information Highway for the Community
VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon (May 31) — Long known as Mindanao’s food basket, Bukidnon is now staking its claim as the country’s coffee capital.
The province formally launched its first-ever Coffee Festival on Friday, bringing together farmers, roasters, traders, and industry leaders in a bid to position Bukidnon as a major player in the Southeast Asian coffee industry.
More than a celebration of coffee culture, the festival serves as a declaration of economic ambition.
Provincial officials view coffee as a high-value crop capable of generating greater income for farmers, attracting tourism, and strengthening Bukidnon’s agricultural economy at a time when many producers are searching for alternatives to volatile commodity markets.
Governor Rogelio Neil Roque described the event as a milestone in the province’s long-term Coffee Roadmap, a development blueprint designed to transform Bukidnon into a center for coffee production, processing, and investment.
The roadmap has already drawn attention beyond Mindanao, with other provinces reportedly adopting the model in hopes of replicating Bukidnon’s strategy.
The province enters the race with significant advantages.
Bukidnon’s high elevation, fertile volcanic soil, cool climate, and vast agricultural lands provide conditions ideal for growing specialty coffee varieties increasingly sought after in global markets. Industry advocates believe these natural assets give the province a rare opportunity to compete not only nationally but regionally.
That potential was underscored by coffee entrepreneur Giorgio Bernardo Visitacion, founder of The Good Cup Coffee Company, who described Bukidnon as one of the few places in Southeast Asia capable of developing an internationally recognized coffee destination.
His vision extends beyond farming.
With the planned completion of the Bukidnon Airport, industry players foresee the emergence of coffee tourism circuits linking farms, processing facilities, cafes, and training centers—a model that has transformed coffee-growing regions in countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and Colombia.
For local farmers, however, the promise of coffee lies less in tourism and more in livelihoods.
The festival spotlighted producers such as Cornelio Eraya of Maramag, whose farming practices have become examples of how quality-focused cultivation can improve productivity and profitability.
The attention on farmers reflects a growing recognition that the future of Philippine coffee depends not only on branding and marketing but also on whether growers themselves benefit from the industry’s expansion.
That challenge remains significant.
Despite increasing demand for coffee, the Philippines continues to import large volumes to meet domestic consumption. Local producers often struggle with aging trees, limited access to financing, inconsistent farmgate prices, and the effects of climate change.
Bukidnon’s coffee push is, in many ways, an attempt to reverse that trend by strengthening the entire value chain—from seedling production and farm management to roasting, marketing, and export development.
The province’s ambitions were further highlighted by its hosting of the Philippine leg of the Southeast Asia Green Coffee Competition, drawing more than 100 entries from around the country.
The competition offers local producers a chance to benchmark their beans against regional standards and gain exposure to international buyers increasingly interested in traceable, high-quality specialty coffee.
The winning Philippine entry will advance to the regional competition in Vietnam later this year.
For Bukidnon, the festival represents more than a weekend gathering of coffee enthusiasts.
It is part of a broader effort to transform one of Mindanao’s traditional agricultural strengths into a globally competitive industry. Whether that vision succeeds will depend not only on market demand and government support but also on whether the province can ensure that the gains from coffee’s growing popularity reach the farmers who cultivate it.
For now, Bukidnon’s message is clear: it does not intend to be merely a producer of coffee beans. It aims to become one of Southeast Asia’s coffee destinations.
The post Bukidnon Bets on Coffee as Its Next Economic Powerhouse appeared first on NewsLine Philippines.
Bukidnon Bets on Coffee as Its Next Economic Powerhouse
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