Arnel Francisco Cadeliña initially believed their five-decade-old coffee roasting business would establish him as a specialty coffee expert. However, upon delving into the Philippine coffee industry, especially in the Soccsksargen region, his curiosity drove him to seek further knowledge and understanding.
“We have had a family coffee roasting business since 1941. It started from my grandmother in Kabacan, (North) Cotabato province. In 1973, when my father was in 6th grade, his family migrated to GenSan and continued the business,” Cadeliña recalled.
Before they used a traditional method of roasting coffee beans, his father Romeo used a kawa (huge cauldron) and heated the beans with firewood. It was labor-intensive because it needed manpower to roast the (green) coffee beans.
In 2009, Cadeliña took over the business due to his father’s deteriorating health. At that time, he started to think big for their family business. He took the initiative to formally register their roasting business to have a legal identity and named it “Tay Roming Coffee Roasters'' in honor of his late father.
“My father did not bother to register our roasting business. He was only focused on it and provided for the needs of our family,” he said.
In 2012, he collaborated with his brother Ronnel, to conceptualize and create their first coffee roasting machine. It went through research and development. It took almost a year to finish a decent roasting machine. With this kind of innovation, it became the first specialty roaster machine in GenSan.
Cadeliña’s engagements with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) led him to many opportunities. Various training and seminars were provided to help him on his coffee journey. The agency also linked him to different non-government organizations such as the ACDI/VOCA.
In 2017, he got the opportunity to participate in MinPact’s “Introduction to Coffee Roasting & Quality Control.” It was his first formal training in artisanal coffee roasting. In 2018, he also participated in Coffee Quality Institute’s Robusta Grader training in Davao City.
“The training made me realize that my knowledge of specialty coffee was limited. I started to become curious and explored the industry. What I gained from this training I pay it forward,” he said.
“When I came back to GenSan, it still did not have a market for specialty coffee. Most of the consumers preferred commercial coffee,” he added.
Specialty coffee, as defined by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), is coffee that scores above 80 points on a 100-point scale, based on factors like aroma, flavor, and balance. These high-quality beans are often single-origin, grown at high altitudes, and processed with great care and sustainable practices. The entire journey from farm to cup involves meticulous attention to detail, ensuring an exceptional coffee experience.
Specialty coffee focuses primarily on quality, traceability, and volume. Its sourcing is often linked to strong and direct relationships between buyers and producers. Industry standards involve Q Graders, who have the authority to grade coffee.
Cadeliña continues his mission to advocate for specialty coffee. He often collaborates with like-minded individuals from the industry to help promote local coffee that adheres to the coffee quality standards. He also considered Emeline “Mimi” Sabado as his coffee mentor as she encouraged Cadeliña to join different coffee training in the country.
At the height of the pandemic, there were pop-up coffee shops spread in GenSan. When Cadeliña visited these on-the-go coffee shops, he discovered that most of them were misinformed about specialty coffee. They also patronized coffee beans that are imported from other parts of the country and even abroad.
“I discovered that GenSan has lots of coffee enthusiasts but they prefer imported coffee beans. My advocacy is to support our local coffee industry,” he said.
“We are in the same industry but some of them are misinformed about coffee in general. There is a need to raise awareness of quality coffee. We need to promote our local coffee industry in the region.”
As a Q Robusta Grader and Coffee Roaster, Cadeliña took the initiative to teach these coffee shop owners and enthusiasts about specialty coffee. He collaborates with government agencies, such as DTI, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Agrarian Reform, as well as coffee organizations, to help promote the importance of quality coffee and support the coffee value chain in the region.
Recently, he has collaborated with the Filipino Coffee Institute and other coffee organizations in the Philippines.
As part of understanding what makes coffee great, the consumers must know where our coffee comes from and how it goes through the value chain.
As known in the coffee industry, the value chain—from coffee trees to cups—goes through these five essential steps: 1) Coffee Production – Planting and harvesting coffee; 2) Processing – Drying and removing the seed from the coffee fruit; 3) Trading – Selling of beans from farmers to roasters; 4) Roasting – Transforming green coffee beans into flavorful coffee; and 5) Marketing – Selling directly to consumers.
He often visits different communities in the Soccsksargen region to share his knowledge on coffee. Cadeliña has also been invited to other parts of the country to share his expertise on coffee.
Cadeliña has conducted various coffee training on post-harvesting, processing, roasting, and coffee cupping for different coffee farmers, roasters, coffee shop owners, and enthusiasts.
As part of his advocacy to support local farmers, he purchases their coffee, whether it is commercially or specialty graded. In doing so, he promotes it by selling it or recommending it to other Q Professionals in the Philippines.
“We need to highlight our local coffee farmers. It’s a bonus if we, the coffee Q Graders, would be recognized for our efforts,” he said.
He was often invited to become one of the judges in various coffee-related events, including the Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC) and Soccsksargen’s Kape Dose Coffee Quality Competition.
According to the PCQC website, the event is “an annual green coffee competition that seeks to increase the consciousness of Filipino farmers on coffee quality and encourages them to improve their competitiveness in the domestic and international markets.”
“We need to uplift the local coffee industry starting from the grassroots level. We need to support all sectors in the coffee value chain. It is good to see that their lives would improve because of coffee,” Cadeliña said.
2021 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Region 12 indicated that the Soccsksargen region has the widest area devoted to coffee production in the country with 26,172 hectares planted for the said crop. Of this area, 20,437 hectares, or 78 percent are in the province of Sultan Kudarat.
In terms of coffee production, in 2021 the region ranked first in the Philippines, contributing about 34.66 percent (21,007.41 metric tons) to dried coffee (DC) and 34.66 percent (10,503.71 MT) of green coffee beans (GCB) produced in the country.
Sultan Kudarat contributed 85.90 percent of both dried coffee and green coffee beans to the total regional production. The province is known for its best-tasting Robusta coffee.
The region is actively vying for the title of “Coffee Capital of the Philippines” through the concerted efforts of various agencies and local government units, including the Provincial Government of Sultan Kudarat, which are all pushing this initiative forward.
Cadeliña and other coffee players in the region are supporting this initiative. But some problems need to be addressed. As identified, the local coffee industry has often been vulnerable to erratic pricing and low supply due to several factors, such as climate change.
As a Coffee Q Professional, Cadeliña continues to deepen his knowledge of the coffee industry. He actively participates in coffee-related classes, including the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Roasting Class (Foundation and Intermediate), which stands as a testament to his unwavering commitment to continuous learning.
Cadeliña also competes in relevant coffee competitions. Notably, he secured 5th place in the 2024 Philippine Coffee Roasters Competition (PCRC). His talent and expertise also shone on the international stage, where he earned 4th place in the prestigious Professional Coffee Roaster International Championship (PCRIC) held in Bangkok, Thailand, from December 14 to 17, 2023.
Recognizing his significant contributions to the Philippine coffee industry, Cadeliña received the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) Merit Award during the 2023 Philippine Coffee Expo's closing ceremony at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
Cadeliña is committed to continue spreading awareness through consumer education, empowering local coffee farmers, and sharing his coffee knowledge with as many people that are involved in the industry.
He played a pivotal role in establishing the GenSan Coffee Association (GCA), which contributes to fortifying the coffee value chain in the region. Additionally, he co-founded The Coffee Academy (TCA) GenSan to educate people about coffee and promote awareness of locally produced high-quality coffee.
“We should support and consume our local coffee. We make sure that we patronize coffee that passes the industry’s quality standard, has good agricultural practices, and values fair trade, as well as helps empower communities. We need to raise consumer awareness to help support the coffee industry,” he said.
(Note: First published in SunStar Davao. This feature story is an updated version of it.)
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