AS SOMEONE who recently just started to enjoy unadulterated local coffee, I couldn’t resist joining Cybercrib Trips and Tours’ “Davao Coffee: From Beans to Cup Tour,” a day-long journey that unraveled the story behind Davao’s award-winning coffee.
Our adventure began in Upper Catigan, Toril, at a farm owned by the Bagobo Tagabawa tribe led by Datu Lawrence Bayocboc. Walking through their coffee nursery, we listened to local growers share fascinating stories about their generations-old techniques.
“It is with great pride that we share our tribe’s ways of growing coffee,” said Datu Lawrence.
Next stop, we visited Dubria’s Farm in Balutakay, Bansalan, in Davao del Sur, where renowned coffee farmer Marivic Dubria welcomed us with rich knowledge in coffee farming. Her Arabica beans, grown on the volcanic slopes of Mount Apo, have earned global praise, and hearing her journey as a farmer felt like sipping inspiration itself.
Also in Bansalan, we visited the farm of Coffee For Peace, Inc., where their CEO and coffee farmer, Joji Pantoja, captivated us with her expertise, explaining thoroughly the art of coffee processing—wet, dry, and honey methods—while emphasizing sustainable farming. Her passion for empowering communities added a deeper layer to every bean.
On our way back to Davao City, we made a stopover at the Davao del Sur State College-Regional Coffee Innovation Center and Museum in Digos City, Mindanao’s first and only coffee museum. The visit brought the experience full circle, with interactive displays tracing coffee’s journey and cementing Davao’s emerging spot in the global coffee scene.
The tour finally came to a halt at FROG Kaffee in Davao City, where we tried our hand at roasting and cupping. During the tasting session, we savored single-origin local coffee from Davao Region, where we detected notes of tropical fruits and even dark chocolate—each sip a revelation to our rich soil.
“We carefully curated the Davao Coffee Tour Experience for us to explore the rich flavors, traditions, and stories behind our pride, the Davao specialty coffee,” Jen Ramirez of Cybercrib Trips and Tours said, and they truly delivered beyond our expectations.
Perfect for culture seekers, foodies, and nature lovers, this coffee tour was a blend of flavor, community, and connection. Thanks to Cybercrib Trips and Tours, we didn’t just taste Davao’s coffee, we lived its story, at least for a day.
