Saving the Barako
The scarcity of indigenous Philippine barako coffee led Figaro to launch a project to ensure its steady local supply
By Gail J. Pelayo

Coffee drinking has become more than just a morning ritual for many Filipinos or a midnight habit for chronic crammers. It is now part of the Filipino lifestyle – constantly present in social gatherings, late night parties, and even passes as a convenient excuse to invite somebody for casual dinner dates whether in the office or out in a coffee shop.

All over the metropolis, the wonderful aroma of ground beans and the flavorful taste of coffee have become the lifeblood of many booming cafés.

Patronage of coffee products and coffee shops, however, brings to fore the need to source coffee beans – the main ingredient of the potent brew.

In a bid to augment, if not end, the shortage in supply of locally grown coffee, particularly the liberica variety (a.k.a. barako) Figaro Coffee Company, through Figaro Foundation, begun the “Save the Barako” project.

Nearing Extinction
It all started in 1997 when a team from Figaro went around the country to look for existing coffee farms. They found out that most coffee farmers had shifted to other crops or sold their land.

Two years later, Figaro Foundation started a research project on the barako, for which the Philippines is famous for, but which the Foundation surprisingly had a hard time finding even in Batangas where it was known to have originated.

Thus, the launch of the “Save the Barako” project to encourage the planting of Philippine liberica or barako, an indigenously Filipino bean that is now grown in Malaysia and Ethiopia as well.

Earlier on, the Foundation found interested partners in Amadeo, Cavite – ex-mayor Albert “Tik” Ambagan, Sr. and his son, incumbent mayor Albert “OJ” Ambagan, Jr. – who lent their personal properties to be used as pilot farms where Figaro planted 500 seedlings of coffee trees in 2002.

Bean Aid
The Foundation has been active ever since in promoting the barako. Knowing that awareness was a big factor in the success of their campaign, it installed coffee carts called “Bean Aid” kiosks in events sponsored by the Foundation. These coffee carts disseminate information about the on-going campaign to save the barako and sell Figaro’s own Barako Blends. Later on, these kiosks were taken to strategic locations to extend the reach of their information dissemination.

Figaro and GMA Foundation partnered to bring one of these carts to the 4th floor of the GMA Network Centre. It also opened a kiosk at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The proceeds from these “Bean Aid” coffee carts go to the Foundation’s projects – mainly to save the barako and the local coffee industry.

To immerse interested parties in their campaign, the Foundation continues tree-planting activities in Lemery, Batangas, Cavite State University, and at Leisure Farms in Tagaytay. It has also been concentrating on developing idle lands and transforming them into productive coffee farm sites in Amadeo, Cavite.

Beyond Barako
In 2003, parallel with the goal of revitalizing the local coffee industry, the Foundation joined the Makati Business Club and the biggest names in the Philippine coffee industry to create an umbrella brandname for Philippine coffee, Kape Isla. This later on became the name of the cooperative marketing program for Philippine coffee under the National Coffee Development Board.

To further complete the information campaign, the foundation has been conducting coffee farming and coffeology seminars. Coffee farming seminars provide interested coffee farmers with the basic knowledge in farming processes and handling of coffee crops. Coffeology seminars, on the other hand, equip prospective specialty shop owners and restaurant and hotel coffee shop operators with the knowledge on how to improve their services in their respective businesses.

Long Way to Go
The battle to regain the lost glory of the local coffee industry is just starting and the Foundation continues in its quest to revive an industry that can bring significant support to the local economy. Thus far, its tree planting activities has already brought to life 5,000 new coffee trees, covering 170 hectares of farmland. The 2004 target is to appropriate an additional 400 hectares of land for the project. By 2005, the Foundation aims to bring to 10,000 the number of new coffee trees planted under the project – an easy goal for a coffee-invigorated spirit.