"There is no bad coffee, only bad processing": PH Coffee Guild Chair Brenda Claver urges Tanudan to unlock world-class coffee potential

Tanudan, Kalinga – Chairman of the Board of the Philippine Coffee Guild Marietta "Brenda" Claver believes Tanudan possesses the potential to produce world-class coffee, stressing that the quality of its beans is already there—the challenge lies in improving post-harvest processing.

Speaking during the 11th Kapi Festival on June 25, Claver, who also served as the head judge of Tanudan's 2nd Coffee Quality Competition, emphasized that every coffee bean is inherently good and that poor processing is what diminishes its quality and market value.

Having evaluated coffees from different parts of the country, Claver admitted that she has long believed Tanudan's coffee remains an underappreciated product despite its strong market potential.

“You have a product that is very much marketable and in demand in the whole world. Pero anong ginagawa natin, we take it for granted? Diay kape tayo nga ibil-bilag tayo iti dagdaga or kalkalsada, in other countries they are appreciating how coffee is sa kanila,” she said.

Claver even emphasized, “nag-imas iti kape iti Tanudan.”

To illustrate the value of producing premium-quality coffee, Claver cited the story of a young coffee farmer from Benguet who sold his coffee beans for P9,900 per kilogram in 2022, earning P1.158 million from just 117 kilograms of coffee. She said Tanudan farmers could achieve similar success if they consistently produce high-quality coffee through proper processing.

'Basically Coffee is Sweet'

Claver explained that quality coffee naturally possesses sweetness and can develop flavors such as mango, pineapple, chocolate, peach, vanilla, and honey. However, she stressed that these desirable characteristics can easily be lost through improper processing and handling.

“Even one bean, mairaman iti whole batch nga ni-roast yu, giniling yu nga sagpaminsan, pumangit iti raman iti kape. Even one bean, that is how critical it is. Sanay tayo sa black bean, ibelleng da ket “ay sayang diay kape” apan tayo piduten, itipon idiay batch, tapos i-roast. So anya iti maramanan? Phenolic, medicinal, rubber,” she explained.

Encouraging the iTanudan to continue improving their coffee production practices, Claver underscored that coffee quality depends not on the bean itself but on how it is handled from harvest to processing.

“There is no bad coffee. Amin nga coffee mayat, inherently they are all good pero saan pumapangit? Because of the processing…Inbillag iti daga, rumwar iti kape nga agat daga,” she said.

Claver also commended the Municipality of Tanudan for naming its annual celebration the Kapi Festival, saying it recognizes the invaluable contribution of coffee farmers while promoting an industry that has long been part of the municipality's identity.

Her message reinforced Tanudan's growing reputation as an emerging coffee-producing municipality in Kalinga, with the potential to compete in premium markets if farmers continue adopting internationally recognized coffee processing standards.