Showcasing local MSMEs: Atokape, the sweetest Arabica Coffee in the Philippines from Benguet

Showcasing local MSMEs: Atokape, the sweetest Arabica Coffee in the Philippines from Benguet

Atokape is a proud product of the Atok Arabica Coffee Growers Marketing Cooperative (ACOGMAC) in Atok, Benguet. Coffee enthusiasts across the country love it for its distinctive smooth and chocolatey sweetness along with its fruity aroma. No surprise, it’s consistently been recognized since 2018 as the best Arabica coffee in the country by no other than the Coffee Congress of the Philippines. Many ACOGMAC farmers affectionately credit Atokape’s export-quality taste to their tradition of making every newly married couple in their community plant Coffea Arabica trees in their backyard. Each coffee seed, the story goes, sprouts from the ground basking in the radiance of the couple’s affection for each other. This gives Atokape its signature sweetness and enticing aroma. But, like raising a child, it takes more than just two people to grow coffee; it takes the entire community’s tender, loving care, no less! Here’s where the ACOGMAC farmers come in. They keep the coffee farm under their watchful eye from the first day of cultivation to the processing of the ripe Arabica ‘cherries.’ The whole process takes nine to ten months, but rest assured, ACOGMAC farmers use only organic fertilizers to keep their coffee trees in bloom. They also preserve as much natural sugar content in each bean as possible by not rinsing them before milling. The drying of the dehulled beans then take place on sterile beds away from the farm, keeping these beans free of microbes and pests. After roasting, the farmers get hands on in packaging, labeling, and even marketing their finished product. Talk about community teamwork!

So, each time you brew a cup of Atokape, remember it’s a labor of love through and through!

For order inquiries, visit their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ Atokape.com.ph/) or contact Mr. Oliver Oliem at (+63 9184122443).

#ISSIsupportsMSMEs

 

References:

Department of Agrarian Reforms (DAR). February 4, 2020. ‘Products of Cordillera ARBOs showcased in DAR National Summative   Assessment.’ Retrieved on 17 August 2020. https://www.dar.gov.ph/articles/news/101420.

Philippine Information Agency (PIA). ‘Why Benguet Arabica Coffee is the best.’ Retrieved on 17 August 2020. https://pia.gov.ph/features/articles/1019148.

Peace and Equity Foundation. 11 April 2018. ‘SE partner Atokape bags Arabica Cupping Competition in Coffee Congress.’ Retrieved on 17 August 2020. https://pef.ph/index.php/2018/04/11/se-partner-atokape-bags-arabica-cupping-competition-in-coffee-congress/.

Department of Trade and Industry. 13 December 2017. ‘AVP: Ani Para Sa Lahat – Atokape Cooperative. Retrieved on 17 August 2020.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3LSurVCB3o.

 

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