Is coffee the Filipinos’ first love?

Do you still remember the first time you smelled the oozing aroma of coffee? The mixture of bittersweet yet comforting feelings that probably gets you excited every time you wake up or take a break from your usual 8 to 5 routine. The familiarity that lingers ever so delicately, you might instantly crave for a cup of this sensational drink each time you get a chance. Or if you are not that into this addicting caffeine, chances are high, you still know more than half of your peers obsessing over this delectable delight.

As we see, coffee can be found everywhere in the Philippines. It’s made readily accessible from our go-to sari-sari stores, coffee shops, neighborhood groceries, and even at One Town One Product Philippines (OTOP PH) hubs, the latest favorite one-stop-shop established by the Department of Trade and Industry nationwide. It’s no surprise why coffee is well-loved by the locals everywhere we go.

The Philippines is one of the most popular countries known for having four different coffee variants such as Arabica, Robusta, Excelsa, and Liberica. Arabica is known for its mix of acidity, sweetness and bitterness making it one of the most popular types of beans while Robusta has this signature kick enveloped in its robust taste. On the other hand, Excelsa is popular for its strong and fruity flavor, and Liberica for its signature smoky feels with hints of floral that captures the epitome of a classic Filipino’s flavorful palette.

This is why there are so many places across the country where we can find some of the best coffee products assisted by the DTI through its OTOP program. Since 2023, we have over a hundred OTOP-assisted entrepreneurs pursuing the coffee industry business nationwide. 

Project Beans of Cavite

From Luzon such as the Project Beans Trading of Cavite that takes pride with their various high-quality and HALAL-Certified coffee variants. 

This brand became popular for their Coffee in a tea bag where we can instantly enjoy our favorite blend minus the hassle. It comes with 5 options to choose from including Arabica, Barako, Robusta, Isabelo, and Rhythm. Project Beans recently joined the international trade fair at Coffee Expo 2023 in Seoul, South Korea, and even some of the biggest local expos including the International Food Exhibition (IFEX).

Capiz Coffee Roaster of Western Visayas

Consistency in manually sorting the beans is what makes Capiz Coffee Roaster a cut above the rest! They take pride in carefully selecting the best beans from each batch to produce a quality we will crave for!

Their single-origin coffee beans are naturally-grown which guarantees to be made fresh using the traditional sun drying method. With this type of way, we can enjoy the maximum flavors each time!

Kape Napalit of Bukidnon

In Mindanao, “Kape Napalit” of Bayanihan Millenium MPC is definitely the next coffee brand we should look forward to! They’re well-loved not just for their consistency and affordability but surely for their humble beginnings. 

If you’re looking for a Robusta and Arabica blend, this might be your next favorite thing. As they became well-known for their mixed beans with the right kind of ratio. 

Get to know them more at OTOP PH’s Kita Mo Vlog Episode 4 which featured some of their most popular products with exclusive interviews from some of the people that made Kape Napalit a success! You may watch this at DTI Philippines official Facebook Page (facebook.com/DTI.Philippines) or Youtube (youtube.com/ DTI_Philippines)

Here are just some of the coffee producers assisted by DTI through OTOP from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Their common denominator falls deep with their intense passion to produce and advocate for the best local coffee products in the Philippines. Each unique story comes with special blends that truly captivate anyone from all walks of lives.

Indeed, there’s surely a type of coffee that will linger on in our hearts forever. For what it was, surely leaves a remarkable impact that may never cease to make us wonder how coffee grows so deep in our hearts in a very special way. There’s a unique blend of bittersweet feelings enveloped with a distinct scent mixed with familiarity and comfort that might just draw us back to particular memories each time we rekindle our first coffee experience. Just like our first love, it probably went brief but ever so highly, unforgettable.