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Participants of the Production Investment Forum for Coffee and Bamboo.

Stakeholders from across Northern Mindanao gathered at the Production Investment Forum for Coffee and Bamboo on January 21 to 23, 2026, in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, to establish a collaborative investment platform to ensure the long-term viability of sustainable agroforestry in the region. 

The primary objective of the activity was to present commodity investment plans that integrate coffee and bamboo-based agroforestry. This strategy is designed to create robust opportunities for stakeholders, including smallholder farmers and Indigenous Peoples (IPs), to participate in sustainable livelihoods and secure alternative income sources.  

NSC on Coffee and Cacao Chairperson David Santos answers questions from the participants during the open forum.
Edgardo Manda, a member of the NSC on Fiber, discusses the role of bamboo in developing a sustainable farming system in Bukidnon.

Participants included coffee and bamboo growers and other industry stakeholders from Northern Mindanao, members of the Agricultural and Fishery Councils, Indigenous Peoples engaged in the coffee and bamboo sectors, and members of the National Sectoral Committee (NSC) on Coffee and the NSC on Fiber Crops.

The three-day forum was organized in response to the NSC on Coffee and Cacao Resolution No. 2, Series of 2025, and in support of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) participation in the Food and Agriculture Organization “Hand-in-Hand” Program aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on ending poverty and hunger.

Manda showing his scarf made of bamboo fiber during his presentation.

“We want to create a farming system where coffee and bamboo remain productive, profitable, and self-sustaining for decades, rather than just a few seasons. Bukidnon is a strategic location because it has strong political support, high material availability, and the country’s leading high-end bamboo processing facility,” said Edgardo Manda, member of the NSC on Fiber Crops and president of the Philippine Bamboo Foundation, Inc.

By promoting sustainable land use, the initiative seeks to utilize bamboo for soil stabilization and carbon sequestration while integrating coffee for agroforestry rehabilitation. Beyond environmental benefits, the project aims to generate over 1,000 jobs across the value chain, from farming to high-value processing industries.  

Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) Executive Director Bernadette De Los Santos pointed out that this activity laid the groundwork for a shared vision. 

“Let us carry forward the momentum we have created. The true measure of our success lies in our collaboration by nurturing partnerships forged, refining the investment opportunities identified, and ensuring that the

frameworks we have discussed are translated into tangible benefits on the ground,” she added. 

Outlining the ways forward

The forum featured plenary sessions that covered production and farm-level investment, financing and credit access, and public-private investment. Aside from these discussions, the participants also went on an exploratory visit to coffee and bamboo program hubs in Bukidnon. 

With the information and experience gained, the participants and organizers outlined several critical ways forward to maintain the energy generated during the activity.

  • Positioning Bukidnon as a hub: A central goal is to establish Bukidnon as the “Arabica Capital of the Philippines” and ultimately, the country’s “Coffee Capital,” leveraging its unique capacity to grow all four coffee varieties. Aside from Arabica, the province also has the potential to grow Robusta, Liberica, and Excelsa.   
  • ​The hub-and-spoke model: Stakeholders proposed a system where cooperatives operate nurseries backed by government-provided seedlings and mother clonal sources. 
  • ​Standardization and quality control: To increase bargaining power, the forum recommended standardizing production practices and improving bean sorting to access premium markets under the “Bukidnon Bean” brand.  
  • ​Infrastructure development: Improving farm-to-market roads was identified as a priority to ensure the efficient transport of harvested bamboo and coffee.  

​Proposed policy resolutions

​To solidify these efforts, the forum proposed policy resolutions aimed at streamlining government and private sector support. These resolutions will be consolidated by PCAF technical team to be presented at the NSC on Coffee and Cacao and NSC on Fiber meetings for adoption.

  • Fast-tracking IP projects: The forum calls for the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to expedite project approvals involving private partners like Rizome. This move aims to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and ensure timely IP community-related project implementation. 
  • Expansion of curing and processing facilities: Stakeholders urged the Department of Trade and Industry, DA-High Value Crops Development Program, and the Department of Science and Technology to prioritize the provision of curing facilities and specialized equipment for organized bamboo growers in Northern Mindanao.  

DA Undersecretary for High Value Crops, Cheryl Natividad-Caballero, emphasized in her closing message that coffee and bamboo are strategic pillars for food security and resilient value chains. She urged swift, scalable investments to build a sustainable and inclusive agricultural future. | Jezebel Campaniel