Coffee is life for many Filipinos, but for our local growers, it’s a daily fight for survival against imports and limited support from the Philippine government.
In this light, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson filed Senate Bill 1556, establishing a Philippine national coffee industry development program.
Lacson’s bill also creates the Philippine Coffee Board and provides comprehensive support mechanisms for the coffee sector.
“This measure seeks to establish a national framework that will accelerate the development of the coffee industry, create a National Coffee Board, strengthen every link of the value chain, improve the country’s competitiveness, and reduce our heavy reliance on imported coffee,” Lacson said in his bill, titled the “Philippine National Coffee Industry Development Act of 2025.”
In Filipino: Panukalang Batas ni Lacson, Nagtatatag ng Programa para sa Pagpapaunlad ng Industriya ng Kape
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He noted that in the 1880s, the Philippines was among the world’s top coffee exporters, but the industry has collapsed and relies on imports for as much as 81 percent of our coffee requirements.
Government agencies’ guidance is limited and outdated. Worsening the problem are the lack of basic equipment and post-harvest facilities, and the lack of access to planting materials, fertilizers, bio-control inputs, as well as poor farm-to-market roads.
Even post-harvest support is not enough as farmers sun-dry their beans and rely on small local millers, while existing facilities in some areas are being underutilized due to inconsistent or insufficient supply of raw beans. Research and development efforts remain limited.
Lacson said the Department of Agriculture recommended a program to encourage and assist private sector processors to develop quality coffee and cacao products that can compete with international brands; a harmonized online industry information database including price, production and yield that can be accessed by stakeholders; increased promotion of patronizing local coffee and cacao products; partnerships between local coffee and cacao farmers with high-end and local coffee shops; and profiling of different coffee and cacao varieties.
Under the bill, the State aims to transform the Philippines into a globally competitive producer and net exporter by 2035; improve the livelihood of small coffee farmers operating 95 percent of the country’s coffee farms; preserve and enhance our unique coffee varieties including Barako, Robusta, Arabica and Excelsa; ensure sustainable and climate-resilient coffee production; and develop world-class quality standards and value-added processing capabilities.
The bill shall cover all coffee farmers including smallholders who comprise 95 percent of farms under five hectares each.
It creates the Philippine Coffee Board under the Department of Agriculture. The Board shall absorb the functions of the private sector-led Philippine Coffee Board Inc., which was established in 2002.
Regional councils shall be established in major coffee-producing regions in Cordillera (Benguet, Mountain Province), Southern Luzon (Batangas, Cavite), and Mindanao (Davao, Bukidnon, Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato), SOCCSKSARGEN, and other emerging coffee areas.
A National Coffee Replanting and Rehabilitation Program shall be established, targeting coffee expansion to 250,000 hectares over 10 years. It involves free distribution of 150 million high-yield climate-resilient seedlings, technical assistance, P50,000 per hectare subsidy for establishment costs, and insurance coverage for the first three years.
The PCB shall establish comprehensive quality standards for Philippine coffee, and facilitate extension services to improve the coffee industry, including farmer field schools in coffee-producing areas, monthly farm visits and technical consultations, and mobile apps for technical support.
A Coffee Credit and Insurance Program will be available for coffee farmers, producers and traders, with a P10-billion annual allocation for production loans at 3% interest; P5 billion for processing and marketing loans at 4% interest; crop insurance covering 100% of production costs; and calamity assistance fund of P2 billion yearly.
A Coffee Farmer Subsidy Program will be created with fertilizer subsidy of P5,000 per hectare yearly, price support mechanism guaranteeing minimum farm gate prices, and transport subsidy for remote highland areas.
The PCB shall facilitate coffee processing hub development and value chain integration, along with domestic market development and export promotion.
Meanwhile, a National Coffee Research Institute shall be created under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to develop climate-resistant varieties, improve processing technologies, conduct market and consumer research, and coordinate with international research institutions.
Also, the bill provides for an initial appropriation of P15 billion per year for the first five years under the DA’s budget. The fund allocation shall include 40% for production support, 15% for research and development, 20% for processing and infrastructure, 10% for marketing and promotion, 10% for institutional support, and 5% for emergency and calamity fund.
“Through these reforms, the Philippines can steadily work toward regaining its place in the global coffee sector, while building an industry that is more responsive and productive – one that focuses on increasing yields, improving farmer incomes, strengthening echnical skills, widening market opportunities, and ensuring long-term stability,” Lacson said.
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Panukalang Batas ni Lacson, Nagtatatag ng Programa para sa Pagpapaunlad ng Industriya ng Kape
Para sa maraming Pilipino, “Coffee is life” – pero para sa ating mga lokal na magtatanim, ito’y araw-araw na laban para mabuhay laban sa pagdagsa ng imported na kape at kakulangan ng suporta mula sa pamahalaan.
Dahil dito, naghain si Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson ng Senate Bill 1556 upang magtatag ng isang pambansang programang pangkaunlaran para sa industriya ng kape sa Pilipinas.
Lilikha rin ang panukala ni Lacson ng Philippine Coffee Board at magbibigay ng komprehensibong suporta para sa sektor ng kape.
“This measure seeks to establish a national framework that will accelerate the development of the coffee industry, create a National Coffee Board, strengthen every link of the value chain, improve the country’s competitiveness, and reduce our heavy reliance on imported coffee,” ayon sa paliwanag sa panukalang may titulong “Philippine National Coffee Industry Development Act of 2025.”
Ani Lacson, noong 1880s, kabilang ang Pilipinas sa mga nangungunang coffee exporters sa mundo, ngunit bumagsak ang industriya at umaasa ngayon sa imports para sa 81% ng pangangailangan sa kape.
Limitado at luma na ang karamihan sa impormasyon mula sa gobyerno, habang may kakulangan ng pangunahing kagamitan at post-harvest facilities, kawalan ng access sa planting materials, fertilizers, bio-control inputs, at maayos na farm-to-market roads.
Kulang din ang post-harvest support dahil maraming magsasaka ang umaasang i-sun-dry ang kanilang beans at gumagamit ng maliliit na lokal na millers, samantalang ilang pasilidad ay underutilized dahil sa hindi regular o kulang na supply ng raw beans. Limitado rin ang research and development.
Ani Lacson, nagrekomenda ang Department of Agriculture ng mga programa upang hikayatin at tulungan ang private sector processors na makapag-develop ng de-kalidad na coffee at cacao products na kayang makipagsabayan sa international brands; isang harmonized online industry information database na naglalaman ng presyo, produksyon at yield; mas pinalakas na kampanya sa pagpatronisa ng lokal na coffee at cacao; pakikipag-ugnayan ng local growers sa high-end at lokal na coffee shops; at profiling ng iba’t ibang coffee at cacao varieties.
Sa ilalim ng panukala, layon ng Estado na gawing globally competitive na producer at net exporter ang Pilipinas pagsapit ng 2035; mapabuti ang kabuhayan ng maliliit na coffee farmers na nag-ooperate ng 95% ng coffee farms; mapreserba at mapaunlad ang mga natatanging uri ng kape tulad ng Barako, Robusta, Arabica at Excelsa; matiyak ang sustainable at climate-resilient production; at makapag-develop ng world-class standards at value-added processing capabilities.
Sasaklawin ng panukala ang lahat ng coffee farmers kabilang ang smallholders na bumubuo sa 95% ng farms na may sukat na limang ektarya pababa.
Lilikha ng Philippine Coffee Board sa ilalim ng Department of Agriculture, na sasalo sa mga tungkulin ng Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. na naitatag noong 2002.
Magtatatag din ng regional councils sa mga pangunahing coffee-producing regions sa Cordillera (Benguet, Mountain Province), Southern Luzon (Batangas, Cavite), Mindanao (Davao, Bukidnon, Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato), SOCCSKSARGEN, at iba pang emerging coffee areas.
Magsasagawa ng National Coffee Replanting and Rehabilitation Program na magtatarget ng 250,000 ektarya ng coffee expansion sa loob ng 10 taon. Kasama rito ang libreng pamamahagi ng 150 milyong high-yield at climate-resilient seedlings, technical assistance, subsidy na P50,000 kada ektarya para sa establishment costs, at insurance coverage para sa unang tatlong taon.
Magtatakda ang PCB ng comprehensive quality standards para sa Philippine coffee at magpapatupad ng extension services tulad ng farmer field schools, buwanang farm visits at technical consultations, at mobile apps para sa technical support.
Magkakaroon din ng Coffee Credit and Insurance Program para sa farmers, producers at traders na may P10-bilyong taunang pondo para sa production loans na may 3% interest; P5 bilyon para sa processing at marketing loans na may 4% interest; crop insurance na sasaklaw ng 100% ng production costs; at P2-bilyong calamity assistance fund bawat taon.
Ililikha ang Coffee Farmer Subsidy Program na magbibigay ng fertilizer subsidy na P5,000 kada ektarya kada taon, price support mechanism na magtatakda ng minimum farm gate prices, at transport subsidy para sa malalayong highland areas.
Pangungunahan ng PCB ang pag-develop ng processing hubs at value chain integration, gayundin ang pagpapalakas ng domestic market at export promotion.
Samantala, itatatag ang National Coffee Research Institute sa ilalim ng Department of Science and Technology (DOST) upang makapag-develop ng climate-resistant varieties, paghusayin ang processing technologies, magsagawa ng market at consumer research, at makipag-ugnayan sa international research institutions.
Nagtatakda rin ang panukala ng initial appropriation na P15 bilyon kada taon para sa unang limang taon sa budget ng DA. Ang pondo ay ilalaan nang ganito: 40% para sa production support, 15% para sa research and development, 20% para sa processing at infrastructure, 10% para sa marketing at promotion, 10% para sa institutional support, at 5% para sa emergency at calamity fund.
“Through these reforms, the Philippines can steadily work toward regaining its place in the global coffee sector, while building an industry that is more responsive and productive – one that focuses on increasing yields, improving farmer incomes, strengthening technical skills, widening market opportunities, and ensuring long-term stability,” ayon kay Lacson.
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