11/05/2026
๐๐ผ๐ ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฆ๐จ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐
๐ฝ๐ผ
In the mountains of Panaytayan, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, the Mangyan farmers cultivate something close to their identity and life โ coffee.
Known as โKapeng Mangyan,โ this locally grown coffee is carefully harvested by the hands of the Hanunuo Mangyan and supported by Awati Ti-Kape Community Development Program of Mindoro State University (MinSU), now brewing a legacy beyond Mindoroโs highlands.
From a small Indigenous community, its rich aroma was showcased in the World of Coffee in San Diego, California last April 6-9, allowing the world to not just know how the coffee of Mindoro tastes, but as well as the enduring culture, the work, and the perseverance of the Indigenous Mindoreรฑos.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐๐ฒ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ๐ฐ๐
Long before development programs entered the mountains of Panaytayan, Hanunuo Mangyans were already cultivating coffee as part of their everyday life. For more than 80 years, they were keeping their heirloom tradition and livelihood through manual strength of planting, harvesting, and โpagbabayoโ or pounding, to produce tradeable coffee. Before, they can only sell green coffee beans โ raw, unroasted beans, and usually sold for about P20 to P30 per kilo due to limited processing methods.
Significant changes came when the Mindoro State University through Awati Ti-Kape Community Development Programs and partner organizations extended help through interventions, training and quality control, and new machinery, which refined and upgraded the indigenous farmers production process. This also led to higher profit for Mangyan farmers, earning P80 to P100 pesos per kilos of coffee beans.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
The Awati Ti- Kape program of MinSU also linked the Kapeng Mangyan to various buyers and cooperatives, participated in expos and forums like the CALABARZON Coffee Expo, and engagement with Cavite State University - National Coffee Research, Development, and Extension Center (CavSU NCRDEC) furthering the skills, knowledge and connection of the Indigenous farmers.
According to MinSU Associate Professor V and Chairperson of Awati Ti-Kape Community Development Program Maโam Zussette Aplaon through an interview of DZMM Teleradyo, the Kapeng Mangyanโs presence in the World of Coffee in America happened through a collaboration rooted from the Department of Agriculture expo. They met Domโs Barako, a partner distributor who examined the taste and production process of Kapeng Mangyan, and helped export it to the United States.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ง๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐
Beyond the coffee farmland in Panaytayan, Mansalay, the Kapeng Mangyan is also cultivated across Mt. Halcon and various municipalities including Baco and southern Oriental Mindoro. Farmers are planting four types of coffee varieties: Robusta, Liberica, Arabica, and Excelsa.
Though the coffee varieties they plant were never a species distinct to them, the coffee they produce remains theirs for the traditional process it underwent and its unique earthy, chocolaty, and winy taste causing an exhilarating effect if one consumed much. Its aroma reflects the resilience and hard work of the Mangyan farmers.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐
Beyond its growing recognition abroad, Kapeng Mangyan transformed the lives of many Hanunuo Mangyan families by creating additional income opportunities and increasing the value of their coffee products.
โMay nakapanayam po kaming katutubo tungkol sa impact ng projectโฆhindi na po sila mamomroblema sa pagpapaaral sa anak. Meron na po kaming katutubo doon nakabili na po sila ng tricycle,โ shared by Aplaon in DZMM Teleradyo.
This simple statement reflected a major improvement in mobility and livelihood for families living in the highlands of Mindoro.
๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ป
Despite its growing success, Kapeng Mangyan faces several challenges. One major concern is the aging coffee trees in the mountains of Mansalay. Many existing trees have been cultivated for decades, resulting in declining productivity and lower yields over time.
To address this, MinSU partners with the Mansalay Local Government Unit, Department of Labor and Employement, Public Employment Service Office, and cash for works programs that initiated coffee tree planting activities and sustainability programs to ensure the continuation of Kapeng Mangyan production.
๐ ๐ง๐ผ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
For the Hanunuo Mangyan farmers, the recognition received by Kapeng Mangyan represents more than international exposure. It symbolizes hope that their culture, labor, and identity will continue to be valued in the years to come.
As the aroma of Kapeng Mangyan continues to travel beyond the mountains of Mindoro, the community hopes that the recognition will not fade as a passing trend, but grow into a sustainable future that secures the livelihood of Mangyan farmers for generations. Through every harvested bean and every brewed legacy, Kapeng Mangyan carries an important story of people whose culture remains deeply rooted in the mountains they call home.
Written by Al-Francis Eje
Graphics by Jhon Carlo Landicho
