Manila: The government has earmarked PHP50 million to support the development of Bukidnon's coffee industry, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto announced Tuesday. In a statement, Recto highlighted that the funding will be distributed through the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) following discussions with local and indigenous coffee farmers in the province.
According to Philippines News Agency, the allocation will finance the purchase of specialty coffee seedlings, agricultural inputs such as parchment and chicken manure, and materials for establishing nurseries, including nets, plastic bags, hoses, and plastic drums. This initiative is part of the administration's broader strategy to strengthen the domestic coffee sector, with an additional PHP400.54 million proposed for the Department of Agriculture under the 2027 National Expenditure Program for coffee development.
During a visit to Bukidnon on September 4, Recto, accompanied by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and local officials, met with coffee growers, including Indigenous farmers, at a municipal farm in Barangay Salawagan, Quezon town. He emphasized that Bukidnon has the potential to become a major coffee-producing area due to its favorable land and climate, as well as the diligence of its farmers.
Bukidnon aims to increase coffee production by 200 percent by planting 10,000 hectares of Arabica coffee and achieving an average yield of 1 kg of beans per tree. The province also targets exporting high-quality specialty coffee within the next decade by improving farming practices, expanding market access, and developing a sustainable value chain from production to processing and manufacturing.
To support these goals, the provincial government plans to establish nurseries in its component local government units, including two facilities in Barangay Kibenton in Impasugong and Barangay Bangcud in Malaybalay City. It will also assist farmer cooperatives and associations in establishing or upgrading nurseries in Talakag, Impasugong, Lantapan, Valencia City, and Pangantucan.
Recto assured that the national government will continue to work with Bukidnon's local governments to address infrastructure gaps, including the development of farm-to-market roads, to facilitate the easier transportation of produce to commercial markets.
Meanwhile, Recto also addressed educational support initiatives, highlighting the government's assistance to graduating college students through the Presidential Scholars Program. During a recent meeting with 155 scholars from 31 villages in Quezon town, Recto reiterated that a total of 2,320 graduating college students across Bukidnon are set to receive PHP46.4 million. Each scholar will receive PHP20,000 to help cover tuition balances, transportation, learning materials, and other school-related expenses until graduation.
The Presidential Scholars Program forms part of the Marcos administration's broader education agenda, which includes free tuition in state and local universities, expanded tertiary education subsidies, merit scholarships, technical-vocational training, and strengthened senior high school work-immersion programs. The administration has also launched initiatives like the Bagong Pilipinas Merit-Based Scholarship Program and Project PEPA to further support education in the country.
