Executive Secretary Ralph Recto announced that Bukidnon coffee farmers will receive Php 50 Million through the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF). Recto made this announcement during his September 4, 2026 visit to Bukidnon, where he met with local indigenous coffee farmers at the municipal farm in Barangay Salawagan, Quezon, Bukidnon.

Recto said that the said LGSF funds will cover specialty coffee seedlings, agricultural inputs including parchment and chicken manure, and nursery materials such as nets, plastic bags, hoses, and plastic drums.

Recto said the release was a direct response from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to the needs of coffee farmers.

“Agad na tumugon si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa pangangailangan ng ating coffee farmers. Ang bilin ng Pangulo ay suportahan natin sila mula punla hanggang merkado upang lumaki ang kanilang ani at kita,” he said.

Beyond the Php 50 Million allocation, the Marcos administration has also earmarked Php 400.545 million under the Department of Agriculture in the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program to accelerate the development of the country’s coffee industry nationwide.

Manobo Datu Kennedy Linongcay, chairman of the Gamot-Dumasilag Tribal Agriculture Cooperative Inc., welcomed the government support, saying it would sustain local livelihoods and expand production opportunities for farmers.

Recto, a proud Batangueño and advocate of Kapeng Barako, expressed his desire for Bukidnon Arabica to achieve the same national and international recognition.

“Gusto rin nating dumating ang panahon na kapag masarap na Arabica coffee ang pinag-uusapan, Bukidnon agad ang maiisip ng coffee lovers,” he said.

Under Bukidnon’s coffee development plan, the province targets a 200 percent increase in production through the planting of 10,000 hectares of Arabica coffee, with an average yield of one kilogram of beans per tree. The province also aims to export high-quality specialty coffee within the next decade by improving farming practices, expanding market access, and building a sustainable value chain from production to processing and manufacturing.

To ease the transition away from traditional monocrops like corn and abaca, the Quezon Municipal Agriculture Office has converted its 4.2-hectare farm into a propagation center distributing thousands of Robusta and Catimor coffee seedlings to rural and indigenous communities.

Quezon Mayor Pablo Lorenzo III called for additional farm-to-market roads and upland infrastructure to reduce the cost of bringing produce to commercial markets. Recto assured farmers that the national government would continue coordinating with local governments to close infrastructure gaps and secure a clear path from farm to market for Bukidnon’s coffee industry.

More photos on the Bukidnon Online Facebook Page

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