THE Department of Trade and Industry Region 12 (DTI-12) is eyeing Soccsksargen, particularly Sultan Kudarat, as the coffee capital of the Philippines.

Rictoniel Reginio, DTI-12 assistant regional director, said that they have not given up on their position, but admitted they have yet to gather more data to back up their goal.

“Our effort to be recognized as the coffee capital emanates from the coffee players in the region,” said Reginio.

He added that Sultan Kudarat has the full backing of the Regional Development Council (RDC) 12.

Reginio said that the RDC-12 supports the provincial government of Sultan Kudarat in its move to be officially declared as the coffee capital of the Philippines where fine Robusta is propagated.

He said that the regional proponents, including DTI, are “still improving our database because we couldn’t just claim if we don’t have enough facts or evidence to support our claim.”

“So once we have established the database, it will be a good reason for us to push forward with the intention that Sultan Kudarat or Region 12 (Soccsksargen) shall be recognized as the coffee capital of the country,” Reginio said.

In March, the RDC-12 unanimously approved Resolution 38, s. 2023, “Requesting the Senate of the Philippines to Confer to the Province of Sultan Kudarat the Designation of Coffee Capital of the Philippines,” reinforcing the resolution earlier passed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Sultan Kudarat.

Meanwhile, the Sultan Kudarat Coffee Council also initiated early this year the crafting of the Coffee Roadmap 2023-2027, which aims to further improve the growth of the coffee industry in Sultan Kudarat from this year onwards.

Among the places in Soccsksargen, the province of Sultan Kudarat shares about 86 percent of the region’s total coffee production, that is, for both dried coffee and green coffee beans.

Because of the more than 26,000 hectares of coffee production area, Sultan Kudarat contributes at least 20,437 hectares, or 78 percent of the total area dedicated to growing coffee.

Mary Ann Morales, DTI Sultan Kudarat OIC provincial director, said that Sultan Kudarat has a huge production area of coffee in Region 12.

“We also have winners from SK (Sultan Kudarat) who are national awardees of the Philippine Coffee Quality Competition in 2023 for the Robusta category who are young entrepreneurs,” she noted.