The Department of Trade and Industry – Region 12 (DTI-Region 12) is urging the public to join the agency’s celebration of the International Coffee Day and the launching of its first Regional Coffee Month as way of promoting and empowering coffee MSMEs despite the world’s health crisis.

The celebration starts this Thursday, 1 October 2020 through the International Coffee Day Celebration and the mounting of the R12 Mobile Cafe.

The Regional Coffee Month will highlight Region 12 as the number one coffee producer in the country. Activities during the month-long celebration includes, free tasting of local coffee through R12 Mobile Cafe which will roam around the compound of the Regional Center and key landmarks around the city of Koronadal, this platform was also adopted and benchmarked by the DTI provincial offices in Cotabato Province, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Sarangani; a photo contest for social media followers was also launched and the  “Hello, Coffee!” video series about brewing technique and guides was aired on the official social media outlets of the agency.

The RAPID Growth program under the agency have also conducted simultaneous activities within the provinces of the region, it will focus primarily on the conduct of Coffee Tossing Caravans, Training on Coffee Production and Methods, Institutional Development Training, Product Development Training, Entrepreneurial Development Training, and Coffee Planning and Farming activities.

Jude Constantine Jaugan, DTI-Region 12 regional director, said that, this coffee month celebration is a tribute to coffee farmers, processors, roaster and barista who are behind our favorite hot and cold coffees.

“Let us celebrate the entire coffee community of Region 12 by patronizing local coffee”, Jaugan said.

The coffee month celebration of the region will become an annual event of DTI to fulfill their commitment in supporting the stakeholders of Region 12’s coffee industry.♦

Date of Release: 7 October 2020