The province of Bukidnon on Friday launched its first coffee festival and hosted the national round for the Southeast Asia (SEA) competition.

At its launch here, Gov. Rogelio Neil Roque said the festivity marks the realization of his administration’s Coffee Roadmap, which centers on the province as a hub for coffee farming and production.

“There are already three provinces adopting our roadmap, two in Luzon, and the other one is Bohol,” he said.

The festival highlights not only coffee roasters and producers but also farmers, including Cornelio Eraya of Maramag, Bukidnon, whose best practices at Eraya Farms were shared at a program meeting.

Giorgio Bernardo Visitacion, founder of the Cebu City-based The Good Cup Coffee Company, said Bukidnon has the rich resources and geography to become one of Southeast Asia’s centers of the coffee industry.

“Imagine that once the Bukidnon Airport is completed, you can visit at least 10 coffee farms in one trip,” he said.

The festival will run until Sunday, May 31, and features 34 brands on display, mostly from coffee growers and shops in the country.

There were also brewing competitions with 30 participants nationwide, and over 100 entries were registered for the SEA Green Coffee Competition.

Mikhaela Duenas, the In-Country Selection Partner for the Philippines, said the winning entry in the competition will compete in Vietnam this year. (PNA)