Coffee aficionados and business owners gathered at Manila Coffee Festival 2022
Coffee drinking, for many Filipinos, is more than just a dining ritual done in the morning or any time of the day. It is an experience that is part of our heritage. And throughout the pandemic, Pinoy’s relationship with coffee has deepened, with many putting up their own humble businesses showcasing their best brews using coffee beans cultivated and produced locally. And after a two-year hiatus, finally, producers and consumers got the chance to be together in celebrating their love for coffee.
Last month, Intramuros became the epicenter of the Filipino coffee experience as it hosted the much-awaited Manila Coffee Festival 2022 (MCF). Organized by the Intramuros Administration (IA), Coffee Heritage Project, and The Coffee Science Center, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, Culture and Arts of Manila (DTCAM), coffee aficionados and business owners gathered together from April 29 to May 1 to share the joy that comes from different cups of coffee through a variety of booths and bars with musical performances, exhibits, and virtual talks and workshop.
“The MCF started four years ago. It’s a way to promote the Philippines’ coffee as we are now getting into a new age of the local coffee where it is being internationally recognized as one of the best coffee in the world,” Rich Watanabe, MCF event director and CEO of SGD Coffee, said. “We have a lot of regional coffee here, from Sulu up to the Cordilleras. I hope you will discover the Philippines in cups of coffee.”
The historical Fort Santiago became a coffee lover’s heaven with more than 20 booths presenting not only Filipino-made coffee beans and drinks, but also the latest trends, innovations, and tools in the local coffee scene. One of the participating brands during the three-day was Typica Coffee, a sari-sari-store-turned-cafe in Rizal that went viral in 2020. Homegrown brand Papa Kape showcased its crowd-favorite Black Gulaman Americano. Another stand-out is Monin with its modern coffee libations. It also continued to showcase Philippine coffee as one of the best in the world and Filipino coffee growers as the artisans of the coffee industry through the Single Origin Bar.
Also present during the opening of the festival was Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat, who expressed how Filipino coffee is gaining international recognition and explained the role of food in strengthening tourism and local heritage.
“Food tourism has been identified as an important protector of our cultural heritage as it passes down the story of the people and the place where it came from. It also helps create opportunities and livelihood, especially in rural destinations around the country,” Secretary Berna said. “In the DOT, we have been championing food as one of our key tourism products, subscribing to the principles of sustainability as guided by the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization, which recognizes that gastronomy is much more than food. The organization also acknowledges the role of the story as a way of promoting understanding among different cultures and bringing people and traditions closer together. I am pleased that this festival is a celebration of sustainability and inclusivity.”
Check out our quick tour of the Manila Coffee Festival 2022 below:
@manilabulletinlifestyle Today on #MBLifestyle Food with @johnrlegaspi : Brewing again—The Manila Coffee Festival. For more #SocialNewsPH, visit mb.com.ph #food #foodtokph #newsph #foryoupage #fyp #BeFullyInformed #LifestylePH #mcf2022 #buylocal #ManilaCoffeeFest #WeAreIntramuros #ItsMoreFuninthePhilippines Just Chillin' - Downtown Owl
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