LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The Benguet Coffee-Cacao Quality Competition 2026 is now open, with entries accepted until March 1, as provincial officials move to strengthen quality standards, traceability and market access in the highland province’s specialty crop sector.
Provincial Agriculturist Delinia D. Juan announced the call for entries during the Kapihan sa Benguet on Feb. 19, describing the competition as a strategic step toward institutionalizing quality benchmarks for both coffee and cacao.
Carrying the theme “Brewing Prosperity in Coffee and Cacao for a HEALTHIER Benguet,” the initiative underscores the province’s push to link agricultural quality with economic growth and community well-being.
Organized by the Provincial Government of Benguet and its 13 municipalities, Benguet State University (BSU), and the Department of Trade and Industry Baguio-Benguet (DTI), with Baguio-Benguet Coffee Professionals as co-organizer, the competition seeks to address persistent industry gaps, including limited adoption of advanced processing technologies, weak traceability systems, and the proliferation of mislabeled coffee in the market.
Benguet is known for its high-altitude Arabica, though Robusta, Excelsa and Liberica are also grown.
Of the province’s 1.69 million fruit-bearing coffee trees, most are located in Atok, followed by Tublay, La Trinidad and Bokod.
Raising standards, expanding markets
Organizers said the competition will promote standardized agricultural and post-harvest practices, encourage compliance with global quality parameters, and connect farmers with traceable, premium markets.
“The aim is to surface our farmers in this industry and sustain the assistance needed to maintain our status,” said DTI Baguio-Benguet Provincial Director Felicitas O. Bandonill, noting that last year’s separate coffee and cacao competitions were merged because they share the same stakeholders.
She cited young Benguet farmer Rodyio Tubal Tacdoy from La Trinidad, who topped the 2025 national coffee quality competition, where bidders competed for the winning lots and showed strong preference for Arabica beans from the Cordillera region.
DTI is also urging vendors and coffee shops to properly label their products to protect the integrity of Benguet Arabica.
Governor Melchor Daguines Diclas said the provincial government aims to roll out the initiative across all municipalities and deepen partnerships among farmers, producers, sellers and consumers.
Building a cacao foothold
While coffee remains the dominant crop, officials see strong potential in cacao, particularly in warmer municipalities such as Sablan, Tuba, Tublay, Itogon, Atok and Kapangan.
Still in its nascent stage, Benguet’s cacao industry is banking on quality-focused production to tap rising global demand for fine flavor beans.
The competition will set premium benchmarks for fermentation and drying, motivate farmer adoption of best practices, and attract local investors.
Board Member Armando I. Lauro encouraged farmers to plant coffee and cacao in erosion-prone areas to enhance land resiliency.
Rules, timeline, prizes
The competition is open exclusively to coffee and cacao of Benguet origin, traceable to individual farms.
Only one entry per farmer and per household will be accepted. Incomplete registration forms will be disqualified.
Participants must submit three copies of the registration form and 3 to 5 kilograms each of green coffee or cacao beans. Entries will be coded.
Key dates:
- March 1 – Deadline for registration
- March 2–6 – Submission of entries to OMAG
- March 20 – Tabulation of results
- March 24 – Announcement of winners during Coffee Week opening
Thirteen winners each for coffee and cacao will be recognized, with cash incentives ranging from ₱2,500 to ₱10,000.
The province has allocated about ₱400,000 to jumpstart the competition, which Juan said may be institutionalized through local legislation.
“Quality competitions are not primarily about prize packages. Recognition drives bidding and market demand,” she said, adding that institutional buyers will be invited during the festival.
Coffee Week launch
Winners will be announced during the Coffee Week Celebration on March 24–27 at the Provincial Capitol lobby and Palispis Hall in La Trinidad.
Activities include a product showcase, farmers’ forum, expert talks, and the launch of Benguet’s coffee ordinance, which officials say will provide the legal framework for future festivals and industry programs.
The province will purchase beans from entries that do not pass preliminary screening to ensure farmers do not incur losses.
Free-flowing coffee will be available during the festival, and the public is encouraged to bring reusable mugs.
Officials said the competition marks the province’s first locally institutionalized coffee-cacao quality tilt — a move they hope will anchor Benguet’s position as a reliable source of specialty Arabica and emerging fine cacao.
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