28/08/2025
๐๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐ | ๐๐ฅ๐๐ช๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฃ๐, ๐ข๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฃ ๐๐ง ๐ ๐ง๐๐ ๐: ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ป๐โ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ ๐ง๐-๐๐๐ฃ๐
On the enchanting island of Mindoro, where the Mangyan community resides, whispers of lost souls linger in the windโwaiting to be found. Behind the steep mountains lie the hidden struggles of the indigenous tribes. With their existence seemingly forgotten, they barely survive each day. Until one morning, the sun shines a little brighter, and hope finds its way to reach them.
๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ๐๐ต ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐
In their search to understand the communityโs challenges, dedicated researchers led by Prof. Zussette Aplaon uncovered the unfortunate plight of the Mangyan people. Yet, as they delved deeper into the area, they discovered that beneath these misfortunes are hidden opportunitiesโthe community may not have fancy things, but their lands are blessed with thousands of coffee trees.
Their team engaged and socialized with the tribes and came up with possible solutions to fill the gaps in the lives of the Mangyans. It was through the โAwati TI-KAPEโ programโTurismo, Industriya, Kultura, Agrikultura, Pamamahala, Edukasyonโthis initiative of the Mindoro State University (MinSU) not only helps the indigenous people to promote and appreciate their rich culture but also empowers their existence by teaching livelihoods that would support their needs on a daily basis. โKasi minsan hindi mo malalaman โyung kung ano โyung pangangailangan nila hanggat โdi mo sila nilalapitan,โ said Prof. Aplaon, giving emphasis to the importance of having firsthand experiences and knowledge about the situation of a certain group to quickly assess what they could do for them to somehow improve their way of living.
By the very meaning behind the word โawatiโ which means โbayanihanโ Prof. Aplaon, together with her team, established a mission to uplift those who are getting left behind and least recognized in our society. They serve as an instrument, creating a ripple of positive changes as they become the living embodiment of their program.
๐ง๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐จ๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฝ
For as long as the Mangyans can remember, leadership has flowed from the elders to the sitios like a river, but what is unknown to them is that this river is carried by a single voiceโthe voice of men that makes coffee farming a patriarchโs craft. Women, on the other hand, become the bearers and keepers of their homes, raising children while also working in the fields. Yet as the coffee cascades from roasting pans to packages, a question flows in the community: What flavor could the community hold if womenโs voices were part of the blend?
Then came the steady roast of change that began with Prof. Aplaon, whose aspiration didnโt just bring warmthโit awakened the forgotten step of the blend. โWhat we did is โyung mga kababaihan, tinipon namin sila, tapos โyung pag-sort ng mga coffee, โyun na lang ang [naging] trabaho nila. At least nasa bahay lang sila, safe sila doon kahit after manganak, safe sila pero may livelihood sila,โ she uttered, with eyes full of hope and dedication, her heart glimmering with happiness for all the womenโfor those who had been brewing their own voices who now began blending into the aroma of leadership and success.
Today, when the coffee is poured, you can savour the difference. The usual bitterness is balanced with new taste; it now hints courage, serves equality, and lingers sweetness of belief. It is no longer just a manโs craft but a communityโs pride and roastโricher and inclusive.
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐จ๐ป๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐
Indeed, no simple mug is truly unbreakable. Prof. Aplaon and her team know better, resilience isnโt crafted in comfortโit is forged in the flames of hardships and every cup of coffee. The success you see today, from the neatly packed coffee beans, aromatic roasts and to the unbreakable mug of the spirit of resiliency was not brewed overnight.
โMaโam, once na umakyat ka, magbabago โyung pananaw mo sa buhay,โ Prof. Aplaon reminisces about one of their guideโs words after the climb. During the three-day journey with the Mangyans, she came on-site with a truth she couldnโt ignoreโshe was blessed and capable of becoming the bridge of transformation. The Mangyans had it hard, yet they poured their days with resilience that no such thing could break it away. That every cup of coffee isnโt just a drink but their story. An unbreakable mug is not perfect; it has been through the fire, survived the cracks and still stands steady on the table, ready to be poured with a freshly brewed success in the form of a coffee.
With her newfound purpose, Prof. Aplaon finds herself returning to the island, again and again, saying, โWala akong pinapangako, wala kaming pinapangako [at] hindi kami nangangako na magbibigay kami ng pondo. Basta ang ipinapangako lang namin sa inyo ay babalik kami.โ Awati TI-KAPE is more than just a project; it is a shared coffee between the team and the community because at the end of the day, coffee tastes better when poured into a mug of resiliency.
๐๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฒ
In an island where hope has become a forgotten language, Prof. Aplaonโs presence serves as an amplifier that proves that among all the voices in this worldโthe voice of the silenced screams the loudest. Her presence gives warmth to the struggling indigenous tribe as she gives new meaning to heroism and stands with the truth that no chain can lock a heart that is born to help.
Despite being an agricultural university, Prof. Aplaon and her team find ways to help the indigenous tribe utilize the coffee in the mountain that they once thought was meaningless. In an interview with her, she stated, โNoong una kasi hindi talaga nila alam ang value ng kape. Hindi nila alam na dito sa baba ay napakamahal ng kape, lalo na kapag specialty or organic coffee. Dati para sa kanila panggatong na lang โyon kasi wala naman bumibili at mahal siya per kilo.โ
Fortunately, through the voice of the whole team, the wind blows on the other side where coffee is seen as a hope and a lifeline. Awati TI- KAPE reframed the idea that coffee is just a mere commodity meant only for the privileged ones. It offers a new flavor of ideaโone that reflects the advocacy of Prof. Aplaonโthat helping does not always need to be loud, sometimes it can be found in every bean of coffee that feels like a hug in the heart of those who need warmth.
๐๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ
We all grew up with the idea that the path towards heroism requires martyrdom and sacrifice, but some people grow tired of cliches, just like Prof. Aplaon, who created a new narrative of heroism by daring to awaken the sleeping hope of the Mangyans. Through her research, she proves that sometimes heroes are not found in the museum but in the corners of a four-walled room where knowledge resides.
โUniversity must be felt in a whole community. Bilang isang unibersidad, hindi ka lang dapat nagtuturo, kailangan alam mo kung ano ba ang role ng Mindoro State University sa Mindoro. Paano ka ba makikilala bilang isang unibersidad? Kapag ikaw tinanong bilang isang katutubong Mangyan, ano ba ang MinSU?โ she remarked, emphasizing the crucial role of a university in a community.
In the present, Awati TI-KAPE has been continuing to grow as a 5-year community development program that aims to help indigenous people in Panaytayan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. Time may pass, but this program will remain timeless as it is already etched in the history of Mangyans that in several chapters of their story, there is Prof. Zussette Aplaon who believes in them and in their capabilities to brew the perfect aroma of their future.
Sometimes, we get lost in life chasing the life we thought was meant for us, but purpose is often not found by looking afar. It is discovered when we pause for a moment and realize that the recipe for success has always been within us and it comes to life only when spirit meets aroma, just as Mangyansโ spirit meets the aroma of Awati TI-KAPE.
Story by Yunina Patrice Villanueva, Althea Castro, and Ashley Brent Esteban
Photo courtesy of Jhon Mike Del Rosario, Niel Neithan Hernandez, and Awati TI-KAPE page
Layout by Jordan Evaristo
