Tuburan on track with ‘coffee capital’ dream

CEBU, Philippines — The municipal government of Tuburan has gathered various government agencies to support its quest to become Cebu’s coffee capital.

Line agencies of local and national government have formed the Technical Working Group to assist the 17 people’s organizations engaged in coffee farming.

These include the Department of Agriculture, Philippine Coconut Authority, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Fiber Industry Authority, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, Provincial Agriculture Office, Cooperative Development Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, National Economic Development Authority, Department of Agrarian Reform, National Irrigation Administration, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Tourism, and the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Tuburan Mayor Democrito Diamante said he came up with the TWG to empower people to sustain the town’s livelihood program even after his term of office ends.

“Kaming mga politiko come and go man mi, gusto nako ma-sustain ang livelihood sa mga tawo,” Diamante said.

Diamante is pushing for an organic coffee farming and the TWG is also recommending to the municipal council to pass an ordinance prohibiting the use of pesticides.

Diamante said he is eyeing for an international accreditation for organic products in order to sell those with higher price.

This is also the reason why PSA is involved in the TWG being the agency authorized to release official data and statistics for accreditation requirements.

During its TWG meeting last Thursday, PCA Provincial Director John Dumagtoy turned over to Diamante the papers for a pair of male and female horses in a form of dispersal program to help farmers transport harvested coffee from areas not accessible of any mode of transportation.

The DSWD also announced that it has allocated funds for the cash for work program for 752 persons to augment labor for coffee planting good for 11 days.

PAO Head Roldan Saragena said the provincial government is also putting up small water impounding systems to irrigate coffee plantation, as well as training for organic production.

The DOST, on the other hand, will support the trainings for the coffee processing and product development.

Diamante has encouraged farmers’ group to improve their harvest and even offered to give a prize of P20,000 for the top performing group, P15,000 for the second place, and P10,000 for the third place next year.

About 1,000 farmers in Tuburan are now enjoying the fruits of the government-assisted coffee plantation, which covers 2,850 hectares in 16 barangays.

Named “Kape sa Tuburan” is now being used by some Cebu’s famous coffee shops.

“This program aims to alleviate poverty. Our coffee seedlings are regarded as one of the bests. So, I hope daghan mo-patronize sa among kape aron pud makatabang ta sa mga pobre,” Diamante said.

Sometime in 2012, Diamante recalled that the DENR was scouting 700 hectares of land for its National Greening Program in western Cebu.

He offered the 500 hectares, covering 10 barangays, to be planted with coffee.

In 2013 Diamante said the coffee plantation almost died until his friend advised him to seek technical assistance from Nestlé Philippines and he did it.

Diamante said Nestlé helped the farmers in exchanged for seedlings. He bought 30,000 seedlings and Nestlé technicians went to his town to teach farmers how to propagate coffee. —KBQ (FREEMAN)