As part of the 2025 Coffee Month Celebration, the City Government of Isabela, under the leadership of Mayor Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman, through the City Agriculture Office, conducted a three-day hands-on training titled KAPEsabela: From Farm to Cup – Elevating the Local Coffee Experience from October 7 to 9, 2025.
The initiative brought together Out-of-School Youth, members of the 4-H Club Isabela City, Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP), and Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) for an immersive and educational experience in local coffee production — from planting to brewing.
On the second day of the program, participants embarked on a farm immersion that began at the IDCAF Farm School, where they planted coffee seedlings and learned the basics of cultivation. They then visited Brown Estates and Farm in Barangay Panunsulan, owned by Isabela City Coffee Growers Association president Lee Roy Brown. There, they explored the farm’s rich history and sustainable farming systems that uphold the city’s growing reputation for quality local coffee.
The farm tour continued at Calvario Farm, owned and managed by Marcos Singson, where participants experienced coffee berry picking firsthand. They were taught how to identify and harvest only ripe red cherries — a crucial step in ensuring high-quality coffee.
The third and final day of KAPEsabela focused on Coffee Processing and Brewing. Held at the UWARBMPC facility, the youth witnessed how freshly harvested coffee berries are processed and transformed into premium-grade beans. The day culminated at JB Dans Hall with a Coffee Brewing Demonstration led by local cafés and baristas, giving participants the chance to taste coffee they traced from farm to cup.
Beyond technical training, KAPEsabela aimed to instill a deeper appreciation for the city’s coffee culture and the hardworking farmers behind every cup. Through the program, the City Government continues to empower the youth — turning knowledge into passion, experience into opportunity, and planting seeds of livelihood and pride for Isabela City’s future coffee champions.