How Philex is helping Benguet coffee farmers

MANILA, Philippines - Px Community Foods and Marketing Inc., the social enterprise set up by Philex Mining Corp.’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm Philex Group Foundation Inc. (PGFI), has entered into a strategic partnership with Ryokudo Eco-Services and Trading Inc. for the nationwide distribution and export of its roasted coffee beans.

“Our partnership with Ryokudo comes at an opportune time as Philex has been robust on its goals to engage the Padcal community on our livelihood programs. We are confident that this partnership will further improve the economic condition of our local community members who are also our key partners in this endeavor,” said Paulino Buenconsejo, executive director of PGFI.

The joint agri-enterprise is hinged on providing a ready and fair trade market, technology knowledge transfer, and equipment for indigenous coffee farmers at the company’s host communities in Padcal, Benguet.

“In our last discussion, we also talked about exporting our coffee beans to the US, Japan, Thailand, and Hongkong,” Buenconsejo said.

PGFI will allot 50 kilos of roasted Arabica coffee to Ryokudo monthly.

“Meanwhile, our beans are also set for nationwide distribution not just in coffee shops and restaurants, but also supermarket chains, like SM, Robinson’s, Puregold, Rustan’s, Landmark, and NCCC,” he added. 

Each plantation will have a consolidated area of more than two hectares within Padcal and nearby areas such as Torre, Sante Fe, Ampucao, and Padcal.

Given the territorial limits, the project undertakes to respect the rights of the indigenous coffee farmers that inhabit the area, particularly in the area of Philex’s  Mineral Sharing Production Agreement.

In 2014, PGFI undertook a multi-year program designed to mentor select partner-coffee farmers on proper organic coffee farm management, harvesting techniques, and value-adding post-harvest activities that will increase the volume and quality of their produce. 

“The farmers are also trained to understand, appreciate, and apply the discipline required in engaging a coffee business enterprise” Buenconsejo said.

For his part, Philex SVP for public and regulatory affairs Michael Toledo said the strategic foray into agribusiness with Ryokudo underscores Philex’s corporate objective to sustain social services and job creation among its present beneficiaries.  

“This will further strengthen our social commitment: making good on a long-term promise made to the community,” he said.

“This is testament that mining, agriculture and other revenue-generating enterprises like tourism can coexist and actually support each other,” Toledo added.

Philex earlier announced that additional resources have been discovered in its Bumolo porphyry copper-gold deposit in Benguet which may extend its Padcal mine’s life to two more years to 2024.

“The development that we are discussing today is sustainability – at the onset, what the company planned, or the joint venture plans to address the immediate need for employment of the community, when the end of mine life comes,” Toledo said. 

The Bumolo deposit lies within the mineral production sharing agreement of Philex.