Davao City—The tribal town of Talaingod in Davao del Norte is banking on its unique coffee product, which the national and municipal governments would promote and market, to attract more tourists to the area.
Municipal Administrator Clifford Libayao said Talaingod’s coffee has its own “unique aroma” due possibly to the town’s topography.
“I think, what’s make our coffee more distinct, the key is actually our elevation here in Talaingod, because we have good elevation here in Talaingod. I think that makes the coffee in Talaingod of good quality.”
Libayao said he is planning to link the town’s coffee production to the tourism industry and expand the market of its local coffee producers.
He said Talaingod has about 1,700 hectares of coffee farms scattered in various areas in the municipality. He noted that the land area of Talaingod “is wide enough to [meet] the growing demand for Talaingod coffee.”
Talaingod is 112 kilometers north of Davao City. Members of the Ata-Manobo tribe make up the majority of the town’s population.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Davao del Norte Field Office has worked out a plan to position Talaingod as the coffee corridor of the province.
“If you want to invite people to Talaingod, we really want them to personally visit Talaingod, and get a taste of its coffee so that we can emphasize that this is Talaingod,” the DTI said.
Initial talks were held with the local tourism industry players in Talaingod to patronize the coffee produce of Ata-Manobo farmers who were organized into a people’s organization, growing the Arabica and Robusta varieties. The Talaingod Coffee Growers Association (Tacoga) has the youth and women Ata Manobo residents as its production crew.
DTI-Davao del Norte Provincial Director Romeo L. Castanaga said Talaingod needs the branding and promotion of its coffee that is being produced by the indigenous peoples. He said Talaingod is yet “to grind a considerable volume of coffee to compete with established producing areas in Mindanao.”
Castanaga said the taste of the Talaingod coffee is its competitive edge. “The market is really waiting for Talaingod coffee.”
He said Tacoga has been provided with productivity training and a shared service facility. A shared facility is a support mechanism that is offered by the DTI to farmers and other community associations.
The DTI has also enrolled the Tacoga members in the DTI Rural Agro-Enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth Project “for them to have a sustainable market of their coffee.”