Coffee is one of the most popular beverages globally, sought for its aroma and caffeine content. It is the most widely traded tropical product, and a growing market due to increasing consumption and stronger interest in specialty coffee innovations, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

To cap off their celebration of Coffee Month, The Philippine Coffee Board, Inc., in cooperation with the International Women’s Coffee Alliance Philippines, conducted a webinar entitled “Coffee Farming: We Believe, a testimonial from real coffee farmers who are making change” last October 29, 2022. The speakers in the webinar were all women, and Pacita “Chit” Juan, President and Co-Chair of Philippine Board, Inc. shared, “I don’t know if it’s by conscious choice or just the trend in the Philippines, but when we were getting farmers in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the names that came up were all women.”

In the thick forests of Mankayan, Benguet, Noemi Dado made use of her great-grandmother’s land to establish Agnep Heritage Farm and grow coffee in 2018. She shared her advocacy of sustainable coffee farming, which her family has thoroughly applied on their farm by growing coffee without cutting trees, producing their own organic fertilizers, and collaborating with indigenous farmers in the area. After four years, in 2020, they successfully harvested their first batch of arabica coffee beans.

Juliet Morales, a coffee farmer from Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, shared that she started trading coffee in the 1980s, but stopped in 2002 because of low coffee prices. However, in 2015, she realized that she needed to go back to coffee farming and established Bumolo’s Integrated Farm, planting catimor, arabica, and robusta coffee varieties. She shared that she successfully expanded her farm and now has an association of 128 farmers. At the present, the farming cooperative now covers all stages of coffee production, from nursery to post-harvest processing, and even a coffee shop.

In Iloilo, Bibay Bionat, another coffee farmer, shared that her late father was originally into sugar cane farming, but shifted to coffee in 2012 in preparation for the possibility of sugar cane prices going down. They developed their robusta coffee farm, La Granja Cerza Roja, in Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo. She shared that women farmers on their farm are the ones usually tasked with sorting beans because their attention to detail makes them better at doing the job. In a bid to have a more sustainable water source and additional income, her family built a rain catchment facility, where they also cultivate tilapia.

Another coffee farmer, Jocelyn Mamar, shared that she was originally a vendor in a public market before venturing into the coffee business. After selling in a public market for 17 years, Mamar shared that she eventually got interested in planting vegetables and fruits and started off by buying small lots, some of which already had coffee planted on them. Even if she didn’t have a background in coffee farming, her determination to learn through training and seminars, paved the way for her successful John and Marga Nursery Farm, which currently has farms in Luzon (Cavite), Visayas (Bacolod), and Mindanao (Davao del Sur). Though she has a variety of fruits and vegetables, coffee remains her main crop, specifically robusta and liberica.

Maria Teofannie Tutanes, a coffee farmer in Sultan Kudarat, shared that coffee farming was her family’s livelihood ever since she was born and through it, she and her three siblings were able to finish school. “Coffee is profitable,” she emphasized, just find the right skills related to coffee production, processing, and marketing. Currently, she is the owner of PMTZ Care Marketing and producer of Mnemo Coffee, a popular household coffee brand in Mindanao. In her talk, she also advocated for proper financial management to help coffee farmers and traders to prioritize their spending and save money.

“First, you could start with a small property, or you could have a big property, that doesn’t really matter too much, as long as you can grow coffee. You can grow a lot of varieties, and of course in different elevations, just match the soil and elevation with the variety, that’s possible. And the Philippines, by the way, grows all the major varieties, so that’s not the problem. The third is that[,] it’s never too late to get into coffee…..and there is a network of people willing to train you, to teach you, [and] to share their experiences as we’ve seen here people have learned from each other,” shared Guillermo “Bill” Luz, Trustee in the Philippine Coffee Board, Inc., and co-moderator of the webinar, in his concluding takeaway from the discussions.

TURNING PROBLEMS INTO OPPORTUNITIES
I believe this wonderful world can happen, so I traveled to Sultan Kudarat, Bukidnon, Nueva Vizcaya, Cavite, Ifugao, and Kalinga to teach Women in Coffee. Listening to the women’s concerns, I realized that my participants share three common challenges: difficulty in balancing farm and family duties, lack of training, and lack of government support.

I described proper planting to post-harvest processing, showing photos to complement each step. I was encouraged when the participants asked questions because it confirmed their interest to learn.

And while drying equipment and other facilities are needed and should be given by the government, I reminded the women not to rely too much on our public servants. After all, the ones in position also need to verify the women’s needs, and it takes time for the budget to arrive. Some leaders also experienced supplying the much-needed help of their constituents but saw that the resources were not used productively. In the end, time and resources were wasted. 

My father once told me, “Look at the ants. Put something sweet and they will come. You don’t have to call them.” Likewise, I encouraged the women to believe in themselves and have faith in their community too. Opportunities may already be there, like a fellow local who could offer the land or have everyone chip in some money until they can afford the materials and then work together to build the communal facility. The positive attitude of the community works wonders.

I’m happy to see that my participants have applied what they had learned, like Juliet who adjusted the height of her drying beds and started farm tourism, and Carissa who practiced proper post-harvesting.

With my son and my fellow PCBI Director (Andy Mojica) who help me as I trained the women and men of Kalinga

TOGETHER THROUGH COFFEE
When women and men help one another, the next generation sees the transformation. Both are free to ask questions, to listen, and to give advice. There is mutual respect. That is how gender and development changes our lives for the better.

Written by Princess Kumala Sug-Elardo

MICKAY RUAZOL
Mickay Ruazol is the head barista at Rise Fitness Boutique in Dubai, and last year, she added the title of UAE National Barista Champion to her credentials. The original espresso that she had prepared was from Colombia, a rare cross between red bourbon and typica. With it, the 24-year-old bested sixteen other competitors and earned herself a slot at the World Barista Championship in Boston, USA last April.

She has gone quite a long way, having started her career as a barista only three years ago. She juggled her previous job as in-store trainer for waitstaff with barista training. Curious about what the baristas were doing at the cafe she was working for, she took the opportunity to know more about coffee from her colleagues and be part of training sessions at Gold Box Roastery, Dubai, during her days off. “I didn’t waste my time doing nothing. I feel like I’ve always wanted this,” she says.

And she continues to learn. “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know,” she quotes, so she strives to meet new people who can teach her different things.

“I enjoy tasting coffee, having fun doing cupping and sensory training with my coffee friends,” Ruazon says. As she communicates with people from all over the world to learn more about coffee, she also works on building her communication skills, “so the right information will be passed on.”

To contribute to the industry, she discloses that she is brewing a project which will encourage more women to enter her field. She also has friends in the coffee industry in the Philippines. “We are helping them in terms of coffee beans. In Dubai, we are proudly telling everyone how Philippine coffee is emerging,” Ruazol says.

LABLIBELL BAJARIAS
Lablibell moved to Dubai in 2013. It was while training for her first job at Caffe Divino that she became interested in coffee. Thrilled and amazed by what she had learned, she decided then and there to be a barista. She hones her craft through research, constant practice and daily application of principles she picks up.

The 31-year-old currently works at Nostalgia Al Thanya. To this day, it brings her joy to get a glimpse of customers smiling and enjoying a cup she prepared. “It is very rewarding when they compliment me.”

Bajarias is among the minority of women behind the coffee bar, a circumstance with its own difficulties. “You’ll be underestimated, looked down upon and judged, just because you’re a woman,” she reveals. “The greatest challenge is to prove them wrong.”

And she did just that by taking home the championship trophy from the UAE National Brewers Cup held in December 2018 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center.

“My unique and flawless presentation on stage was the fruit of my hard work and preparation. Devoting time and effort to practice made me more confident.”

For her final winning entry, she used coffee produced by Jamison Savage and roasted by Tasos from Underdog, a Geisha variety from Finca Deborah. She also used new innovations such as the Lilydrip and a flow restrictor.

According to Bajarias, two months of preparation is sufficient. She went over her routine every day after her shift. “It is stressful yet fun. I made sure I know my coffee, I made sure everything is in place, and I made sure everything is organized,” she says.

She says having a supportive team is a must. She is grateful for her friends, all bemedalled baristas who were with her all the way. “They taught me perseverance and determination in achieving my goals, not only in making the best cup of coffee, but also making the best out of life,” she concludes.

MAI ESON
Mai Eson holds the record for the highest spot in the world barista championship that anyone from the United Arab Emirates has ever occupied. She landed 20th out of 57 contenders. For the competition held in Seoul, Korea in November 2017, she represented The Espresso Lab in Dubai where she continues to be head barista.

For a good chance at winning, she points out that foremost is choosing the right coffee. “It doesn’t have to be very rare and expensive, as long as you have the information about the coffee. Then create a script and a routine where you can express yourself and the coffee you are using,” she recommends.

But it was not until she transferred to Dubai that she realized that the coffee industry has something more to offer. And there’s still a lot of room for new members. “Begin with students. Invite young trainees or students taking up F&B courses to watch throwdowns and similar competitions,” she suggests for growing the community. To allow more women to penetrate the field, she encourages owners to hire baristas based on skills and not gender. “Most women I know are effective in the bar because they are well organized and can maintain a neat workflow,” she says.

Her post behind the bar is only the beginning for the 25-year-old. “I don’t intend to be a barista only. I’m pushing myself to become a better coffee professional who doesn’t only see the visual parameters but also understands what is happening behind the cup.”

VANESSA CACERES
“Knowledge must be shared,” stresses Vanessa Caceres. The Coffee Academics Singapore cafe manager and head barista is generous with her extensive experience from a career that started in 2007.

She has several victories tucked under her belt but her most memorable competition is the All-Stars Female Barista in Bogota, Colombia in 2015, sponsored by World Coffee Events and IWCA. Caceres’ group was hailed champion, and she won the top spot in the Latte Art category.

“We are most alive when we are in love—cliché, but that’s how I feel about being a barista, where I can freely express my creativity and originality,” declares the self-taught 36-year-old.

Aside from being an expert in latte art and pour over, she considers herself a specialist in explaining and educating drinkers about the types of beans and techniques used in coffee preparation. After all, she was a teacher of hospitality management before becoming a barista. “I have mentored more than a dozen, and now they’re all baristas working in Manila and Singapore,” she says. Someday she hopes to open her own barista school or training center in Manila to help potential baristas who cannot take expensive courses.

“We should not doubt ourselves on the things we cannot do. Trying means you are doing; doing means there is progress. Don’t stop learning every day and practice harder,” Vanessa advises those who aspire to get to where she is. “And once you’ve learned the skills, share it with others. Let’s continue forward and uplift each other.”

In the meantime, she extends her reach through social media. She is the Founder of Pinoy Barista on Facebook. The group, which currently has over 2,000 members, seeks to provide recognition to baristas as well as develop the craft. “The group helps baristas find jobs easily,” she says. Caceres is also the administrator of the 33,000-member strong Latte Art Philippines Facebook group, which promotes coffee and latte art and supports baristas around the world.

written by Nana Nadal