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Press Release
INTERNATIONAL PROFILE OF PHILIPPINE SPECIALTY COFFEE RAISED AT CHICAGO EXPO
Consul General J. Susana V. Paez (2nd from right) poses at the Philippine booth with (L-R) Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra, OIC-Regional Executive Director (Region XII) Zaldy Boloron, DA Region XII Young Farmers Challenge focal person Leah Magaway, and Philippine Coffee Institute executive director Emeline Sabadao. (Photo: DA/Marlon Rufo)
18 April 2024 (Chicago) – The Philippines, through the Department of Agriculture and with the support of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. – Office of the Agriculture Counsellor and the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago, participated in the 2024 Specialty Coffee Expo held at McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA on 12-14 April 2024.
A Philippine specialty coffee booth, which was made possible through the efforts of the Department of Agriculture (DA), was showcased at the expo. The 10-person delegation was led by DA Assistant Secretary for Consumer Affairs Atty. Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra and Agriculture Counsellor Lupiño Lazaro, Jr.
The Philippine Consulate General in Chicago, led by Consul General J. Susana V. Paez, assisted the delegation and visited the Philippine booth.
The Honorary Consulate in Michigan is located at 7071 Orchard Lake, Suite 333, West Bloomfield, MI and can be reached through telephone number (248) 626-1114 and email address marcus@maplemanorrehab.com
The Philippine booth featured the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) implemented by the DA Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service through the presence of farmer-entrepreneur Lendilou Loon of Sergio-Loon Coffee Farm and Filipino Coffee Institute Executive Director Emeline Sabado.
Some of the participants at the Philippine coffee cupping event taste specialty coffee from the Philippines. (Photo: DA/Marlon Rufo)
The delegation also conducted a coffee cupping event at the Cupping Exchange room that sampled the coffee produced by Ms. Loon and other young farmers from the Philippines such as Denz de Ramos and Rebecca Gacayan. Assistant Secretary Guevarra delivered a welcome message and provided an overview of Philippine specialty coffee before a sizeable audience.
The Specialty Coffee expo is the largest business-to-business trade show in North America. This year, it was held at Chicago’s McCormick Place, the largest convention center in the continent. The trade show attracted 17,000 attendees (23% more than the previous high in 2019) and 602 exhibitors, both record highs. Numerous exhibitors and participants visited the Philippine booth and expressed interest in its specialty coffee and other export products on display.
Specialty coffee is an emerging industry in the Philippines, thanks to a rising crop of young agribusiness entrepreneurs that have benefited from the support of the Philippine and US governments and are now producing export-quality coffee.
The participation of the Philippines in the expo contributes to the achievement of its medium and long term plans as articulated in the Philippine Coffee Road Map, which is in line with the country’s long-term vision for economic development as articulated in AmBisyon Natin 2040. The Philippine Consulate General supported Philippine participation as part of its economic diplomacy thrust.
The United States government has supported capacity building in the Philippine coffee industry through the US Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Coffee Advancement and Farm Enterprise (PhilCAFE) project with the support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and as implemented by the Agricultural Cooperative Development International/Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA). The project is a testament to strengthening Philippine-US relations resulting in concrete outcomes in terms of sustainable livelihood and economic opportunities. END
Farmer-entrepreneur Lendilou Loon (2nd from right) chats with expo participants. (Photo: DA/Marlon Rufo)
(L-R) Agriculture Counsellor Lupiño Lazaro, Jr., Supervising Agriculturist Andy Ango, and Marketing Development Division OIC-Chief Joyce Bengo pose with representatives of the US Department of Agriculture and USAID. (Photo: DA/Marlon Rufo)
(Assistant Secretary Guevarra tastes the Philippine specialty coffee served at the cupping event. (Photo: DA/Marlon Rufo)
Zaldy Boloron (left), Leah Magaway (middle), and Emeline Sabado (right) pose with cupping exchange participants who give the thumbs up to Philippine specialty coffee. (Photo: DA/Marlon Rufo)
Marketing Specialist Luzviminda Tolentino (2nd from right) and Ms. Magaway (left) provide details of the coffee being tried by an expo participant. (Photo: DA/Marlon Rufo)
(OIC-Executive Director Boloron (left) serves coffee to expo participants. (Photo: DA/Marlon Rufo)
Consul General Paez (right) enjoys Philippine coffee with Consul Melvin Almonguera (left) and Consul Ella Karina Mitra (2nd from left). (Photo: DA/Marlon Rufo)
((L-R) Market Specialist Marlon Rufo, Ms. Bengo, Ms. Tolentino, Mr. Boloran, Consul Almonguera, Ms. Magaway, Consul Mitra, Ms. Sabado, Assistant Secretary Guevarra, Consul Ryan Gener, and Consul General Paez.
(L-R) Ms. Sabado, Consul General Paez, Ms. Tolentino, Assistant Secretary Guevarra, Ms. Bengo, Consul Gener, Consul Almonguera, Ms. Magaway (foreground), Consul Mitra, and Mr. Boloran. (Photo: DA/Marlon Rufo)
Consul General J. Susana V. Paez (2nd from right) poses at the Philippine booth with (L-R) Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra, OIC-Regional Executive Director (Region XII) Zaldy Boloron, DA Region XII Young Farmers Challenge focal person Leah Magaway, and Philippine Coffee Institute executive director Emeline Sabadao. (Photo: DA/Marlon Rufo)
18 April 2024 (Chicago) – The Philippines, through the Department of Agriculture and with the support of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. – Office of the Agriculture Counsellor and the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago, participated in the 2024 Specialty Coffee Expo held at McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA on 12-14 April 2024.
A Philippine specialty coffee booth, which was made possible through the efforts of the Department of Agriculture (DA), was showcased at the expo. The 10-person delegation was led by DA Assistant Secretary for Consumer Affairs Atty. Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra and Agriculture Counsellor Lupiño Lazaro, Jr.
The Philippine Consulate General in Chicago, led by Consul General J. Susana V. Paez, assisted the delegation and visited the Philippine booth.
The Honorary Consulate in Michigan is located at 7071 Orchard Lake, Suite 333, West Bloomfield, MI and can be reached through telephone number (248) 626-1114 and email address marcus@maplemanorrehab.com
The Philippine booth featured the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) implemented by the DA Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service through the presence of farmer-entrepreneur Lendilou Loon of Sergio-Loon Coffee Farm and Filipino Coffee Institute Executive Director Emeline Sabado.
The delegation also conducted a coffee cupping event at the Cupping Exchange room that sampled the coffee produced by Ms. Loon and other young farmers from the Philippines such as Denz de Ramos and Rebecca Gacayan. Assistant Secretary Guevarra delivered a welcome message and provided an overview of Philippine specialty coffee before a sizeable audience.
The Specialty Coffee expo is the largest business-to-business trade show in North America. This year, it was held at Chicago’s McCormick Place, the largest convention center in the continent. The trade show attracted 17,000 attendees (23% more than the previous high in 2019) and 602 exhibitors, both record highs. Numerous exhibitors and participants visited the Philippine booth and expressed interest in its specialty coffee and other export products on display.
Specialty coffee is an emerging industry in the Philippines, thanks to a rising crop of young agribusiness entrepreneurs that have benefited from the support of the Philippine and US governments and are now producing export-quality coffee.
The participation of the Philippines in the expo contributes to the achievement of its medium and long term plans as articulated in the Philippine Coffee Road Map, which is in line with the country’s long-term vision for economic development as articulated in AmBisyon Natin 2040. The Philippine Consulate General supported Philippine participation as part of its economic diplomacy thrust.
The United States government has supported capacity building in the Philippine coffee industry through the US Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Coffee Advancement and Farm Enterprise (PhilCAFE) project with the support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and as implemented by the Agricultural Cooperative Development International/Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA). The project is a testament to strengthening Philippine-US relations resulting in concrete outcomes in terms of sustainable livelihood and economic opportunities. END