Philippine coffee production is not new. In fact, its harvest and consumption date back many, many years, to the late 18th century. It is unknown exactly who introduced the coffee beans to Philippine lands, some believe it was the Spanish, others say it was the American missionaries.

The truth is that already in the early 1700s the Philippines was the only place on the planet that produced the four types of coffee: Arabica, Libérica, Excelsa, and Robusta. Although it is no longer the only one, its production continues to be one of the most important in the Asian continent.

A little bit of history…

Historians, agronomists, and anthropologists assume that coffee production in the Philippines began around the 18th century.

After distributing coffee seeds throughout India, Muslims sold the beans to British and American missionaries, who in turn brought their lord’s word and the sacred drink to other parts of the world.

It is said that the first coffee plant flourished in 1730, in Lipa, Batangas. Since then, both Franciscan and Augustinian monks extended the harvest to other parts of Batangas, making Lipa the first coffee capital of the Philippines.

In other versions of the story, it is said that it was the Spanish sailors who came from trading spices in India and came to the Philippines for exchanges.

At that time, coffee production was in competition with other Asian countries. However, at the end of the 19th century, there was a plague that destroyed the crops.

It took almost a century for the Philippines to recover from this natural disaster. Coffee sown and distributed in the middle of the 20th century was promoted by the American industry, which was interested in instant coffee.

Philippine coffee production was maintained for many years thanks to the demand for Robusta coffee used for instant formulas. Although it has not been as imposing as other coffee producing countries such as Brazil or Colombia, coffee was an alternative to maintain small and medium associations.

In 1980 the Philippines joined the International Coffee Organization (ICO). This represented a positive and drastic change for coffee farmers. New harvesting methods, new strategies for caring for the beans and new tools improved the quality and efficiency of production.

Philippine Coffee today

At least 80% of coffee production in the Philippines is distributed and marketed by Nestlé.

However, this does not mean that all Filipino coffee is reduced to instant machines in bakeries or offices. Many small villages still believe in “artisanal” coffee, in whole beans of outstanding quality marketed organically.

Do you want to taste a real Filipino coffee? Check all the products we have for you at Bean To Mug!

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