NOPE, I don’t smoke. In fact, I hate smoking.
But I love a morning cup of java, usually mixed with smoking cigarettes in downtown cafés, Liberica.
Robusta, sometimes blended with Bourbon and Typica Nepali coffee or with Arabica for that delicious and aromatic blend.
Otherwise, I buy my organic ground coffee from the uplands of Barangay Yubo, La Carlota City or Sag-ang in La Castellana.
I worked with upland farmers on rainforestation projects. The non-government organization Broad Initiatives for Negros Development (Bind) encouraged farmers to intercrop Philippine hardwoods with coffee trees.
By the way, I drink coffee not for anything but as a health drink.
According to a Harvard School of Health study, it’s considered safe to drink up to six cups of coffee per day. In fact, research suggests that drinking coffee may reduce some disease risks.
Studies suggest that drinking coffee regularly decreases risk of heart disease or stroke.
Antioxidants in coffee may improve insulin sensitivity and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes over many years. Caffeinated coffee may prevent the formation of gallstones. Or that coffee consumed in moderate quantities may reduce the risk for developing Parkinson’s Disease.
I take a plain “black” cup of coffee. No cream please and muscovado. No refined sugar. Black has a very low calorie drink, 8 oz only contains 2 calories!
Thus, I welcome the call of Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. to coffee stakeholders to unite to bring back the glory days of the coffee industry in the province.
I like what Governor Marañon argued that he finds it very stupid that the country, particularly Negros Occidental, takes half of its requirements abroad.
He said the country imports some P4 billion worth of coffee every year and thinks of it as a great loss of opportunity, investment, and revenue.
For her part, Department of Agriculture Negros Island Region officer in charge-Regional Director Joyce Wendam, affirmed Marañon’s statement and said that the country has an annual deficit of 70,000 metric tons of coffee, and Negros Occidental has a shared deficit of 10,000 to 15,000 tons annually.
So, there. As an old commercial said, “Isa pa gani.”
(bqsanc@yahoo.com)