Philippine Coffee Expo 2025 brewed the perfect fair for growing coffee community

As if I died and went straight to coffee heaven.

Over the weekend, from May 9 to 11, more than 100 coffee-producing organizations, companies, and key players in the country’s coffee market system were featured in the Philippine Coffee Expo 2025 at Space One Ayala.

We know that for several generations now, starting with the Millennials, "doing coffee" is a thing, nearly a lifestyle even to Filipinos. Still, we were surprised to see the venue packed, not just with locals but even coffee lovers from abroad.

Also, it wasn't just about coffee but tea, chocolate, gelato and pastries. By the time we were done, our caffeine level must have  been so high and our waistline was bigger than ever from all the free tasting we did!

Organized by the Philippine Coffee Guild (PCG), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Barista Coffee Academy Asia with the theme "Charting New Frontiers," the Philippine Coffee Expo 2025 had a Kape't Kwentuhan Series. The topics ranged from the emergence of Philippine specialty coffee to ensuring resilience in coffee agriculture.

One of our favorites was a visit to the Coffee Artists PH booth featuring coffee art particularly coffee painting. We learned that the best coffee to use is Nescafe Classic and that to prolong the life of the painting, fixatives are used. The group of artists has at least 100 members, from 18 to 80 years old.

We also chanced upon Korean Boram Um, founder of Um Coffee and a world barista champion in 2023.

The event also served as the culminating program for the Philippine Coffee Quality Competition, wherein the winning farmers were recognized and awarded.

Other highlights of this year's three-day trade fair were business matching, product demos, guild barista and roasting competitions and roasters-producers forum.

The PCQC is an annual event designed to identify and promote the best quality coffees in the country to domestic and international markets, benefit producers, market actors, and consumers. 

Its purpose is to identify and recognize the nation's best specialty coffees to motivate producers to improve their coffee quality and market access, as these coffees are made known to specialty buyers through the competition results and subsequent auctions.

The Philippine Coffee Expo 2025 is made possible by Perdem Hay Marketing Solutions Incorporated in cooperation with major sponsors Gourmet Farms, Inc., Provincial Government of Sultan Kudarat, DA-PRDP-NPCO, Easy Brand PH, Eighty Plus, Top Creamery, and Curve Coffee Collaborators.

We heard that the Philippine Coffee Expo has continually grown in the last four years that they keep moving to bigger venues. 

Well, wherever they go next time, let's raise a cup together and count us in. See you there!