BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — About 1,000 Arabica coffee seedlings will be planted in Barangay Happy Hollow here to strengthen the city production and circular economy program.
Aileen Refuerzo, chief of the Baguio City Information Office, said Friday the seedlings will come from the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region.
The plantation site was provided by the Camp John Hay Management Corp.
The initiative will expand existing coffee farms that produce beans supplied to partner establishments.
Local farmers are directly linked with hotels, allowing them to supply vegetables, fruits, mushrooms and coffee from cooperatives in the villages of Happy Hollow, Sto. Tomas, Dontogan and Pinsao Proper.
Launched in February through a business development workshop, the program promotes sustainable Arabica coffee production, supports local enterprises, and advances circular economy practices while addressing food waste in the city.
Kitchen waste from hotels and restaurants will be collected by the city government, processed into compost, and returned to farmers for crop production, Refuerzo said.
A memorandum of agreement will be signed soon to formalize the pilot project.
The project has enabled farmers from Barangay Happy Hollow to establish a coffee processing and upcycling facility for roasted beans.
Refuerzo said they recently delivered 90 kilograms of roasted coffee beans to the Newtown Hotel Group.
The barangay also received a coffee grinder from the European Union-Philippine Green Economy Program to improve processing and add value to local production.
“To sustain its operation, it is vital to boost Arabica coffee production in the community,” Refuerzo said.
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The agri-tourism initiative also encourages participating establishments to source agricultural products locally. /apl
