“It would have cost me 60,000 pesos or more, but I got it all for free,” says Jennifer Rimando, now a Q grader for Arabica beans, after attending the Q grader course, sponsored by ACDI/VOCA, PCBI, and Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) in 2016 and 2017. Jennifer was one of those who took the intensive course… Read More
Silca Coffee Roasting Company has been a byword in the local coffee industry since the company was founded in Silang, Cavite, in 1975 by husband and wife Enrile and Evelyn Asuncion. “My parents owned rural banks in Silang at the time, and I saw that many farmers were borrowing money for fertilizer, so there was… Read More
2011 was a breakthrough year for coffee and for women. What started as a trip to China to explore the exportation of coffee and textiles now becomes an advocacy to cultivate the uniqueness of women and coffee. The kismet meeting of Pacita Juan, President of the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA) in the Philippines, with… Read More
ASEAN coffee origins have come to the fore since the ASEAN Coffee Federation (ACF) started almost seven years ago. After initial organizational meetings in Singapore and Laos, the annual coffee events Café Asia and THAIFEX have served as ACF’s launching pad for introducing exotic coffee origins of the ASEAN region. “Training the Trainer” courses also… Read More