Sie sind auf Seite 1von 2

Feature Story April 2, 2019 Rev 02 JRAG

Miro is a Hiligaynon term for Asian Palm Civet which dwells in the fertile mountains of Sitio Nagpana,
Barotac Viejo, Iloilo while feeding with wild berries, coffee cherries and pulpy fruits. This is the birth of
the abundant coffee farm of Nagpana Minority Association (NAMIAS) an organization of the Ati (Aeta)
community of Sitio Nagpana in Barangay Lipata, 12 kilometers from the Poblacion of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo.
The sitio covers 938 hectares of fertile forest land where 21% of the area is for its watershed and 5% is for
housing and its primary school.

The community is rich in natural resources with coffee production as the major source of income of the
people. The coffee plantation is up in the mountains and is under the custody of the men of the community.
The women are into weaving. Using nito vine, they make baskets, bags, coin purses, leis, coasters,
placemats, bracelets and other fashion accessories marketed in trade fairs or sold to tourists visiting their
community.

The Nagpana aetas handpicked and roasted these coffee cherries to perfection to give that aromatic blend
of robusta coffee beans.

Every last quarter of the year ripe coffee cherries are manually picked, processed, dried, dehulled, packed
and sold to their buyers in Iloilo City. The processed dried coffee bean or “green coffee” were sold to a
multinational company and local market restaurants. However, due to improper harvest and postharvest
practices their produce was always found to be low grade consequently lowering its value.

In pursuit of harmonizing technology in the community, DOST provided technological interventions such
as label design, coffee roaster, weighing scale, grinder, moisture analyzer and stainless-steel table. These
equipment paved the way to high quality coffee beans best for brewing. Apart from the S&T interventions,
the coffee production is supported by Taytay Sa Kauswagan, INc. and Tinukib Foundation.

On developing the Economic Enterprise

Through the initiative and encouragement of Taytay Sa Kauswagan, Inc. (TSKI), a non-government
organization, the community saw the potential of having to earn more by selling roasted coffee. In January
13, 2013, the coffee processing facility began its establishment with technical assistance from DOST-
Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) and acquisition of process equipment funded under
DOST VI’s Grant-in-Aid (GIA) Program. The processing center was constructed under the support from
the TEAR Fund New Zealand and TSKI.

In November 2013, the community never thought that all their hard work in establishing a community
roasted coffee processing center will be destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Tons of coffee cherries
ready for picking, along with most of their houses, tribal hall and tourist pavilion were either totally or
heavily damaged.

Sadly, the project took a backseat as the community tried to pick up the pieces to restore everything back
to their normal lives. Recovery took some time, but with help from the government and non-government
organizations, they were able to slowly rebuild their houses and rehabilitate their agricultural lands. The
IP community started regaining normalcy and found new strength to continue with the project a year after
the catastrophic event.

A new processing facility was constructed mid of 2015 through the help of TSKI, TEARFund New Zealand,
LGU-Barotac Viejo and the Department of Labor and Employment. From then on, commercial operation
gradually started as harvest of cherries become substantial. Roasted coffee products with brand name,

/ilo Revision 1.0 14.03.2019 for CEST Coffee Table Book c/o DOST VIII
Feature Story April 2, 2019 Rev 02 JRAG

“Kape Miro,” are sold through Tinukib Café and Souvenirs, the selling arm of TSKI located in Jaro, Iloilo
City. Seeing the positive attitude of the community and the growing popularity of the product, the project
was again supported under DOST’s CEST Program in October 2017. TSKI is the project implementer and
NAMIAS as the recipient.

Varieties of assistance were provided under the project. The manpower understanding and skills were also
further advanced through science and technology. The community also tapped relevant organizations to
teach them how to ensure good quality beans through trainings on proper harvesting, drying and storage.
In addition, for a resilient community enterprise, a business continuity plan was crafted. This is to ensure
that the business will continue even after assistance from TSKI and DOST.

Role of S&T on IP’s Basic Education and Literacy

To spur interest among the IP children in pursuing career in Science and Technology, STARBOOKS was
deployed last July 4, 2018 in the community at the Nagpana Primary School. The school had classes for
Grades 1 to 6 with approximately 200 enrolled pupils.

The project provided for the computer to contain STARBOOKS and training was conducted for the teachers
who will use it to facilitate learning of their pupils. It was also agreed that the school will make it available
for use of any interested individual from the community.

Impact to the community

Kape Miro roasted coffee comes in two forms- ground and whole beans. The brand is slowly gaining
popularity as the IP association aggressively takes every opportunity to promote their product. They are
actively joining trade fairs, local markets and strives to consistently supply the requirement of Tinukib Café
and Souvenirs. With its improved packaging and quality, the product is very competitive in the market.

Equipments were provided by DOST to help the company’s operation improve. These were acquired in
the first quarter of 2018, and were fully operated during the last quarter, doubling its production volume
in the same year with 2.4 tons as compared to 1.2 tons in 2017.

Moreover, IP workers gain the skills in operating the equipment. With stable power supply and sound
business management, sales are expected to increase dramatically this coming year. This is very possible
because they now have the technological capacity to fulfill the requirement of their growing market. The
promising result of the project creates a sense of pride and new-found confidence among the people of the
community. They are now actively joining public trainings and fora, not only for growing technical
competence but also to strengthen network and possibly open new markets.

The path towards a successful community enterprise may not be any easier for them as with the others, but
with support from their partners and their strong personal resolve they can thrive to make it all work. All
for a better life and a brighter future of their children. (DOST6/JRAGabiota)

/ilo Revision 1.0 14.03.2019 for CEST Coffee Table Book c/o DOST VIII

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen