DTI Launches ‘Kapetirya’ for Philippine Coffee Blends and Brew

The Department of Trade and Industry opened here the first “Kapetirya,” a coffee shop that promotes Philippine specialty coffee varieties in various blends and brews, as well as other coffee products and native delicacies that goes along well with coffee.

DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez and Assistant Secretary Blesila Lantayona graced the launching and memorandum of agreement signing of the first Kapetirya, Wednesday (March 20).

The country’s first “Kapetirya” located at the Cordillera Crafts and Productivity Center along Upper Session Road here, is a tripartite project of the DTI – Cordillera, the City Government of Baguio along with the City Association of Barangay Councils and the interim operator, Ervine Pangwi, the CEO of Il Padrino Café and Restaurant.

DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez highlights the importance of boosting the Phillipine Coffee Industry to make it internationally competitive and at the same time, to benefit the farmers, MSMEs and other stakeholders in the coffee industry chain. (CCD/PIA CAR)

The kapetirya aims to promote Philippine coffee, boost coffee production, help our farmers earn more and to provide entrepreneurial opportunity for our micro, small and medium enterprises.

A pet project of DTI – CAR Regional Director and National Coffee Industry Cluster head Myrna Pablo, the Kapetirya started as regular feature on DTI – led trade fairs and expositions that offers free taste of Cordillera coffee blends and brews to the public. It has evolved into a government coffee shop brand that is registered with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).

Lopez said the DTI Kapetirya project is a very good and timely initiative that can help the whole chain of PH coffee industry given that the country is among the top consumers of coffee which makes it a potential market.

The project will also strengthen Public and Private partnership as the DTI plans the establishment of more Kapetirya in the country. The department will only carry the (coffee shop) brand ownership but business operation will be given to private operators through franchising, he added.

Lantayona outlined that the Kapetirya project is in line with the Philippine Coffee Industry Roadmap particularly in the marketing aspect that will work to improve market price and coffee standards that will primarily benefit coffee farmers.

The Philippine Coffee Industry Roadmap 2017 – 2022 is the master plan that aims to boost coffee production and help improve the life of coffee farmers in the country. Currently, there are 13 regions in the country that are into coffee farming. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)