𝑷𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒆 𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒐 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒔 𝟏𝟐𝒕𝒉 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒐 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒂 𝑪𝒖𝒑 𝑻𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔’ 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒕 𝑷𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑪𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒖𝒔

The Philippine Coffee Expo (PCE) successfully hosted the 12th Mindanao Masters Excelsa Cup Tasters’ Competition at the J.H. Cerilles State College (JHCSC)-Pagadian Campus Hostel on April 2, 2025. The event was organized and facilitated by Dr. Renato Sumania, Mindanao Master Competition Committee Head, Founder of the Filipino Bar Professionals and Innovators Association Inc., and the Mindanao Specialty Coffee Community, under the leadership of Mr. Ronald Yu, President of The Philippine Coffee Guild and Roasters’ Council Representative.

The competition brought together 15 participants from the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), all of whom are coffee industry farmers. Additionally, 10 students from the Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management (BSHM) program at JHCSC assisted in organizing. They participated in the event, gaining valuable hands-on experience in the coffee industry.

The event was sponsored by several key organizations, including the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), represented by Mr. Jason Lao, Coffee Focal, who stood in for DTI Regional Director Al-Zamir I. Lipae. Mrs. Ivy Soon-Medrano, Manager of the Provincial Coffee and Cacao Center in Ramon Magsaysay, played a pivotal role in conceptualizing the event. Additional sponsors included the Department of Agriculture, the JHCSC School of Business and Management led by Dr. Julito V. Mandac Jr., and the Provincial Office of Zamboanga del Sur. The event also saw attendance from the Philippine Information Agency Region IX (PIA-IX), Local Government Units (LGUs), SBM Faculty, and the Federated Faculty and Staff Association (FFASA) President, Prof. Glady C. Quirante.

This competition was the 6th elimination round for the region’s Excelsa Cup Tasters’ Competition. The top three participants will represent the region at the national level during the Philippine Coffee Expo 2025, scheduled for May 9, 2025, in Makati City. The competition consisted of three rounds in which participants used sensory tasting to identify the best-brewed coffee. The event was engaging for participants and the audience, with the champion hailing from Zamboanga del Norte.

The Philippine Coffee Expo (PCE) remains the country’s largest coffee-focused exhibition, offering an exciting platform for coffee farmers to gain insight into the value and quality of their crops. It also serves as an educational opportunity for farmers, helping them better understand the full potential of the coffee they harvest beyond just the process of gathering it.