ISULAN, SULTAN KUDARAT — The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are intensifying efforts to strengthen Mindanao’s coffee industry, with Sultan Kudarat and Bukidnon emerging as focal points for development through consultations, site identification, and infrastructure planning.
In a high-level meeting held on October 29, 2025, at the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Capitol, MinDA Undersecretary Janet M. Lopoz, representing Chairperson Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, and DA Undersecretary Jerome Oliveros convened with key provincial and municipal leaders to finalize the Sultan Kudarat Coffee Roadmap.
Among the participants were Former Vice Governor Raden Sakaluran, Kalamansig Mayor Ronan Garcia, President Quirino Mayor Katrina Sandigan, and Board Members Jose Remos Segura and Louisa de Manuel. Discussions focused on identifying strategic interventions to improve production, enhance market access, and bolster infrastructure such as farm-to-market roads, coffee hubs, and shared processing facilities.
Sultan Kudarat, long recognized for its fertile lands and active participation of Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities in coffee farming, is now being positioned as the Coffee Capital of the Philippines. Its potential lies not only in favorable agro-climatic conditions but also in the community-driven approach that integrates local farmers and IP groups into the national value chain.
Meanwhile, in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, Undersecretaries Lopoz and Oliveros met with Mayor Rogelio N. Quiño and provincial officials to discuss plans for an integrated food and commodity hub within a 47-hectare property formerly occupied by Del Monte’s tomato processing plant. The area, now owned by the Provincial Government of Bukidnon, will be transformed into a regional center for agricultural production, processing, and trade.
As part of the broader strategy, MinDA aims to identify pilot coffee sites with at least 1,000 hectares of contiguous land to be declared by local governments as coffee reservation areas. These will serve as plantation-scale zones under the joint DA-MinDA program designed to attract private sector investments and increase export-grade coffee production.
To complement these efforts, DA committed to replicate Smart Coffee Nursery projects initially launched in Pangantucan and Talakag, Bukidnon. These projects, funded through the BIMP-EAGA–Republic of Korea Cooperation Fund (BKCF), have successfully introduced high-yield and climate-resilient coffee varieties supported by modern nursery management.
The initiatives fall under the leadership of DA Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr., whose priorities include direct extension services, agricultural modernization, and long-term food security. They also reinforce President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of a modernized, inclusive, and climate-resilient agriculture sector.
President Marcos has consistently underscored the importance of empowering farmers and Indigenous communities as key drivers of rural transformation and national progress. By investing in coffee as a high-value commodity and enabling IP farmers to access global markets, the DA-MinDA partnership seeks to uplift livelihoods, diversify agricultural output, and enhance Mindanao’s role in food security and export competitiveness.
With the combined commitment of local governments, national agencies, and grassroots communities, Mindanao’s coffee renaissance could soon brew not only economic prosperity but also a more inclusive and sustainable future for rural Filipinos.