LINE agencies in the Cordillera Administrative Region have lauded the efforts of La Trinidad, Benguet in sustaining its third coffee fest slated this week.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Baguio-Benguet Director Freda Gawisan also lauded the officials for sustaining the coffee fest, which covers all relevant and experiential activities on coffee.
"It has always stimulated follow-up activities like tours, brewing, and cupping that eventually brought Cordillera, especially Benguet coffee, to greater heights not only in volume but more on quality and value adding," she said.
Gawisan added that the growing urbanization of La Trinidad brings more opportunities of value propositions for coffee stakeholders in the town.
"DTI is one with other enables in supporting this priority industry through the provision of knowledge and capability program through Negosyo Center," she said.
Jovy Ganongan, Department of Tourism-Cordillera director, also praised the town for its third celebration, citing Philippines going international because of coffee.
"We owe it to our farmers," Ganongan said. "We are celebrating coffee because it is part of our culture, it is one way of celebrating friendship, when visiting someone's house. In other words, it is way of socializing, welcoming people in the place through coffee. In La Trinidad, you are already known for strawberry, vegetable, flowers, all of this will encompass ready product which is farm tourism," Ganongan said.
Ganongan added that on national events and fairs, the tourism department promotes Cordillera coffee.
Lawyer Jennylyn Dawayan, regional technical director for Research and Regulations of the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera, said 2018 data show imports of coffee increase from Indonesia followed by Vietnam, Malaysia, China and Thailand.
She said the region ranked seventh in share production nationwide.
"We are trying to increase coffee production through various act of agriculture department. We have average annual 39 million, we are looking to infuse more interventions in the next three years," Dawayan said.
In a bid to add more coffee trees in the town, Mayor Romeo Salda said in every mass wedding held in the municipality that free coffee trees are provided for couples to plant and nurture.
Vice Mayor Roderick Awingan said it was three years ago when the local government institutionalized celebration of coffee fest through Ordinance 5 of 2017.
Awingan said sustainable tourism meets the needs of present generation, but there are many challenges in tourism that include environment.
This year's La Trinidad Coffee Festival has a theme: "Seng-ew ni Kape, Tonos di Umidi" (Aroma of Coffee, Harmony of Community).