BAGUIO CITY: Baguio’s very own coffee product was launched by the Baguio City Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (BCFAC). BCFAC Board of Directors chairperson Dr. Brigit Piok said the final label and brand were reached after a series of meetings, workshops, and training on product development, branding and labeling in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry-Cordillera. She disclosed that “Tinapong” is an Ibaloy term for brewed coffee. “Tinapong reminds us that drinking coffee is part of the Igorot or Ibaloy culture, hence, coffee trees have to be planted in our backyards to produce tinapong that we crave in our daily lives whether working on the farm or doing household chores,” Piok explained. She said the Ibaloys are the original inhabitants of Baguio city and enjoy drinking tinapong as they start their day. “Ibaloy drink tinapong to uplift or invigorate their mood, to relax and bond with family and friends and offer it to visitors. It is a way of life,” Piok stressed. Agriculturist Vincent Chacapna said the coffee beans are sourced from local coffee growers, numbering around 250, from Irisan, Loakan, Happy Hollow, Camp 7 and other areas. Those interested to purchase the Tinapong Baguio Arabica coffee can do so at the CVAO, Slaughterhouse Compound, Barangay Sto. Nino, or from farmers, Chacapna said.