Category: CONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT
‘CFP HELPS ACHIEVE U.N. SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT GOALS,’ SAYS PBSP
Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) cited CoffeeForPeace.Com as one of the
inclusive businesses helping to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in
the Philippines.

We express our gratitude first of all to the Great Creator, as well as to our farming partners,
post-harvest processing partners, quality grading partners, packaging and marketing partners,
coffee shop operating partners, impact investing partners, and the product consuming-
appreciating partners!

Nothing is impossible!

Coffee for Peace has improved the lives of indigenous communities, Muslims and migrant
workers through its peacebuilding and economic development activities. By enhancing their
coffee-growing practices, local farmers command higher prices for their specialty coffee. The
company aims to increase the income of farmers it works with by 300 percent and establish
long-lasting livelihood opportunities. These farmers then mentor other farmers and set up
local coffee kiosks to raise consumers’ awareness of the unique taste of Philippine coffee,
helping communities take pride in local produce. Given the high demand for high-quality
coffee globally, Coffee for Peace is planning to scale up its Inclusive Business model to more
regions.

New Horizons: How Inclusive Business is Helping Achieve the SDGs in the
Philippines (Philippine Business for Social Progress, p. 35)
 Author CFP InfoComm TeamPosted on 7.August.2017Categories AWARDS,
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, HARMONY WITH CREATION, HARMONY WITH
OTHERS, HARMONY WITH OUR BEING, HARMONY WITH THE CREATOR,
INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENTTags PBSP, Philippine Business for Social Progress, SDG,
Sustainable Development Goals

FINAL BUILDING PLANS AND RELEASE OF FUNDS

HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR ‘KAPEYAPAAN’ IN
VALENCIA CITY

An architect’s perspective of the building plan that will house the Peace and Reconciliation
movement in Eastern Mindanao

In behalf of Coffee For Peace, Inc. (CFP), I’m happy to report that I have signed the final
plans of a small structure to be built in Valencia City. This is made financially possible
through an impact partnership with GiversTrust, Inc.
I’m grateful for the release of this fund to start the building construction next week. This
building is expected to be completed within six months based on a Memorandum of
Agreement between Coffee For Peace, PeaceBuilders Community, GiversTrust, and our
architects, Swito Designs.

Architect Gloryrose Dy Metilla, principal at Swito Designs, presents the final building plans
to me.

This simple structure will be the home of Kapeyapaan Coffee Kiosk, Peace and
Reconciliation (PAR) Movement in Eastern Mindanao, Kalinaw Youth Movement, and
BeyondBorders Christian Community.

Kapeyapaan is a division of Coffee For Peace, Inc. for our low-cost shops yet serving high-
quality coffee.

Joji Felicitas Pantoja, CEO

Coffee For Peace, Inc.

Author Joji Felicitas PantojaPosted on 6.July.2017Categories CONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT, HARMONY WITH CREATION, HARMONY WITH OTHERS,
HARMONY WITH OUR BEING, HARMONY WITH THE CREATOR, INCLUSIVE
DEVELOPMENT, PEACE AND RECONCILIATIONTags BeyondBorders Community
Church, Kalinaw Youth Movement, Kapeyapaan, Swito Designs, Valencia City
BACOFA EXPORTS FIRST BATCH OF GREEN
COFFEE TO THE U.S.A.

The representatives of Mount Apo coffee farmers are delivering two tons of their fresh, hand-
picked coffee cherries. 20 October 2014. Coffee For Peace Processing Yard, Davao City.

Our Mount Apo farming partners are one of the community-network of well-trained and
justly-treated farmers who supply us with their premium 100% arabica coffee paid at fair
traded prices.
We’re so happy to see the Balutakay Coffee Farmers Association (BaCoFA) from Mt. Apo
grow from being coffee cherry suppliers, to becoming post-harvest coffee processors, and
now they have become green coffee bean exporters.

BaCoFA grew from 15 families to 75 farming households in 4 years.

These coffee sacks are their initial export quality products. And they are determined to
produce more! These BaCoFA folks are indeed developing into being effective, self-
sustaining “farmerpreneurs”.

Author Byron PantojaPosted on 5.June.2017Categories CONTINUOUS

IMPROVEMENT, HARMONY WITH CREATION, HARMONY WITH OTHERS,
HARMONY WITH OUR BEING, HARMONY WITH THE CREATOR, INCLUSIVE
DEVELOPMENT, PEACE AND RECONCILIATIONTags Bacofa, Balutakay Coffee
Farmers Association, farmerpreneurs

A NEW PARTNERSHIP BEGINS BETWEEN COFFEE

FOR PEACE AND D’ CUP COFFEE REPUBLIC
L-R Donnie Friolo, Dann (Lakan), Adette Purto, myself, Elizabeth Bantican-Quevedo,
Ramon Quevedo: The Koinonia Group introduced Coffee for Peace to D’ Cup Coffee
Republic. 22 April 2017, D’ Cup Coffee Republic, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila.

Last 22 April 2017, Elizabeth Bantican-Quevedo — along with her husband Ramon Quevedo
and our mutual friend, Donnie Friolo — introduced us to Adette Purto, Chair of D’ Cup
Coffee Republic in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila. After exchanging our stories during
that initial meeting, I felt Adette has been a long-time friend and sister! The similarities and
diversity of our dreams are so complimentary! I felt we, at Coffee for Peace, found a partner
and a sister company.
A NOTE FROM D’ CUP COFFEE REPUBLIC

D’ Cup Coffee Republic is a book cafe and events venue in Mandaluyong City inside Pioneer
Street Market. It has a spacious dining area that can comfortably accommodate 80 persons,
plus a book lounge area good for 20 persons, and an enclosed function hall good for up to
100 persons, making it a perfect venue for meetings, workshop classes, special gatherings.
View our venue and function hall which you can reserve online. We also invite you to visit
our site regularly for workshops, classes, and other events. [Facebook Page]

When Elizabeth arranged the meeting between us and Adette’s team, we were simply
expecting to sell our coffee brand to this coffee shop. Our presentation was scheduled for
only an hour. After our 45-minute story-telling and presentation, she kept asking questions —
deep, penetrating questions that went beyond the quality, price, and origin of our coffee. Her
questions focused on peace and reconciliation, on the dream about contributing to a God-
centered, radical, nonviolent, transformation of our people and our land.

The meeting went beyond two hours.

We didn’t say good bye. We immediately talked about “What’s next?”

Adette and I felt we have been friends for a long time even though this was our first time to
meet each other; we’re now sisters-in-vision. 22 April 2017, 1800H-2100H, D’ Cup Coffee
Republic, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila.

Koinonia Group. Elizabeth, Ramon, and Donnie are part of the leadership of the Koinonia
Group. I’m grateful to these faithful friends and partners whom we consider as our long-time
community. Koinonia Group started in 1982 when Dann and I were serving as community
organizing workers in the City of Olongapo. I was raising our little children and Dann was a
young social science teacher at the Columban College. A group of outstanding students
became regular visitors in our apartment. Elizabeth was one of them. We soon became a
fellowship of followers of Christ working for justice and liberation of our people from the
oppressive dictatorial regime of Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. We referred to our liberation-oriented
activist band as Koinonia Group.

Ramon and Elizabeth met in a workplace abroad, got married, and returned to the Philippines
to continue their careers, and later started an entrepreneurial endeavor in Metro Manila.

Donnie was Dann’s fellow leader at the Koinonia Group since our days in Olongapo.
We’re now scattered all over the world. But we’re still connected. The long-distance
connections grew stronger because of social media. We all update each other of our lives,
family development, career development, and respective ministries.

Coffee for Peace’s journey with D’ Cup Coffee Republic. Our relationship with Adette and
her team at D’ Cup Coffee Republic has been growing fast. Last 12 May 2017, she and her
team visited us in Davao and observed the operation of our coffee processing yard. We also
compared notes on the similarities and differences of our respective coffee shops based on
our differing contexts.

As I write this blog, both of our teams are talking on how our social businesses can work
together to advance Peace Reconciliation (PAR) principles and practices together so we can
establish at least one PAR community in each of the 81 provinces in this country.

In 12 May 2017, we were visited by our partners from D’ Cup Coffee Republic, led by their
Chairperson, Adette Purto. Here, we took some moments to capture their visit to the Coffee
for Peace Bistro in Davao: L-R Sihaya, Tala, Elysse, Arlyn, Adette, myself, and Lakan
(Dann).

Joji “Lakambini Mapayapa” Pantoja, CEO

Coffee For Peace, Inc.
 Author Joji Felicitas PantojaPosted on 12.May.2017Categories CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT, HARMONY WITH CREATION, HARMONY WITH OTHERS,
HARMONY WITH OUR BEING, HARMONY WITH THE CREATOR, INCLUSIVE
DEVELOPMENT, PEACE AND RECONCILIATIONTags Adette Purto, D'Cup Coffee
Republic, Donnie Friolo, Elizabeth Bantican-Quevedo, Joji Pantoja, Lakan Sumulong

JOJI PANTOJA, OUR CEO, HAS BEEN AWARDED AS

ONE OF THE ‘2017 INSPIRING FILIPINA
ENTREPRENEURS’

L-R: Ramon M. Lopez, (Secretary of Trade and Industry), Salvador Medialdea (Executive
Secretary, Office of the Presidernt), His Excellency Rodrigo Roa Duterte (President of the
Republic of the Philippines), Joji Felicitas Pantoja (Coffee for Peace), and L. Daniel Pantoja
(PeaceBuilders Community) — during the awarding ceremony of Inspiring Filipina
Entrepreneurs 2017. 30 March 2017, Malacanang Palace.

We’re inspired by the life and work of Joji Pantoja, our CEO at Coffee For Peace, Inc. (CFP)
and our Ina (a term of respect for ‘mother’) at PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI).

The partnership between CFP and PBCI in advocating Peace and Reconciliation (PAR)
principles and practices was once again affirmed last 30 March 2017 when Ina received an
award from the President of the Philippines as one of the Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs
2017. The awarding ceremony happened at the Malacañang Palace. There were 26 women
throughout the Philippines who received similar awards for their “capacity to be catalysts for
change and progress.” Ina was one of the two in the ‘social business’ category.
Joji Pantoja, our Ina, poses with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte after the awarding
ceremonies.

According to the brochure published by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on

Entrepreneurship, this annual tradition aims to recognize women and their capacity to be
catalysts for change and progress. The qualifications are:

1. May or may not have come from humble beginnings;

2. A Filipino who embodies the following traits: passionate, positive, and panalo (‘can
do’) attitude;
3. Must have an innovative business model (products/processes);
4. Must show the ability to genuinely care for the community and stakeholders and must
have the potential to share time and talent to help spread the entrepreneurship
advocacy;
5. Must be well-respected by their peers.

The statement in Ina’s Certificate of Recognition reflects the above qualifications:

“For engendering peace through the innovative use of coffee as source of livelihood,
community-building and conflict reduction. Her unwavering commitment to improving the
plight of farmers and establishing peacebuilding mechanisms in conflicted areas of Mindanao
through her business Coffee for Peace has brought inclusive growth to the region.

The award is given to Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs who emulate the modern-day
successful Filipina with an enterprising attitude, passion beyond measure, an innovative
outlook on doing business, and heart for contributing to the inclusive growth of our nation.”

This story was published in a national newspaper from the perspective of Mindanao.
 Author CFP InfoComm TeamPosted on 3.April.2017Categories CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT, HARMONY WITH CREATION, HARMONY WITH OTHERS,
INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT, PEACE AND RECONCILIATIONTags Inclusive
Development, Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs 2017, Malacanang Palace, President Rodrigo
Roa Duterte, PRRD, Social Business, Social Entrepreneurship
COFFEE FARMERS FROM SOUTHERN MINDANAO
VISITED CFP PROCESSING YARD

Thirty-four (34) coffee farmers from the municipality of Maasim, Sarangani Province, and
from the municipalities of Kalamansig and Lebak, Sultan Kudarat Province visited our
processing yard and bistro in Davao City.

Joji Felicitas Bautista Pantoja, CEO of Coffee For Peace, Inc., gave the farmers a half-day
overview on coffee planting, post-harvest processing, quality grading, packaging, and
marketing. We hope to continue this engagement with these farmers until a mutual initiative
for long-term partnership between us is developed.
They were brought here by Pasali Philippines Foundation Inc., a nonprofit organization from
General Santos City. This is part of their project called “Reducing Rural Poverty through
AgroEntrepreneurship,” in partnership with PinoyMe Foundation.
 Author Lakan SumulongPosted on 3.March.2017Categories CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT, HARMONY WITH CREATION, HARMONY WITH OTHERS,
INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENTTags Kalamansig, Lebak, Maasim, Sarangani Province,
Sultan Kudarat Province

CFP DEMONSTRATED Q-GRADING BEFORE

COFFEE INDUSTRY FOLKS AND MEDIA
REPORTERS
Byron Bee Pantoja, our Production Manager and Q-Grader, showed how quality grading was
done before the coffee industry leaders and media representatives in Davao City. This event
was featured in a news article about the President of the Philippines declaring to sign an
Executive Order to launch Philippine coffee brand.

The said article quoted Byron:

Daniel Byron Pantoja, one of the Q graders said that with the growing awareness of the
public to specialty coffee, he sees people getting inspired with the Filipino farmers who now
begin to grow quality coffee that could compete with international brands.
“It’s a domino effect,” he stressed as he said other farmers are now encouraged to grow
specialty coffee.

This is part of an on-going quality enhancement program of Coffee For Peace that started in
2008. At CFP, we cheer-up one another by shouting a borrowed term from the Japanese:
Kaizen!

Joji Pantoja, our President and CEO, affirms Byron’s public representation of CFP. In a text
message, she said:

A paradigm shift is needed on how Filipinos appreciate good coffee: our farmers must be
willing to accept quality processing methods; and, our consumers must be educated and must
be exposed to the various tastes of good coffee.

Let us continue to promote peace as we drink our own Philippine grown and processed
coffee.

Indeed, peace is the prime product of CFP, and world-class quality coffee is its vehicle.
 Author CFP InfoComm TeamPosted on 13.January.2017Categories CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT, HARMONY WITH CREATION, HARMONY WITH OTHERS,
HARMONY WITH OUR BEING, HARMONY WITH THE CREATOR, INCLUSIVE
DEVELOPMENT, PEACE AND RECONCILIATIONTags Byron Pantoja, Philippine
Coffee Brand, President Duterte Philippine Coffee, Quality Grading

BYRON PANTOJA PASSES CQI’S ARABICA

QUALITY GRADER CERTIFICATION
Byron Bee Pantoja, our Production Manager, passed the examinations as a Certified Quality
Arabica Grader by the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI).

According to the CQI website:

 An Arabica Q Grader is an individual who is
credentialed by the CQI to grade and score coffees utilizing standards developed by the
Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA).

Currently, there are no formal requirements to enroll. However, the Q Grader Exam is not a
course for inexperienced or new cuppers; it is an advanced level course. It is highly
recommended that you practice your skills by signing up for SCAA Skill Building
Workshops offered throughout the year, including SCAA events.

The course for becoming a Q Arabica Grader prepares participants for the 22 tests they must
pass to become a certified Q Grader. The tests relate to an individual’s ability to accurately
and consistently cup and grade coffee according to SCAA cupping and grading standards and
protocols, including a thorough understanding of the SCAA cupping form.

A student who passes these 22 tests is given a professional license as

a Q Grader. This license must be renewed every 3 years by attending a Q Grader calibration
to ensure the Q Grader is up-to-date.
Coffee For Peace also congratulates the four candidates from among Byron’s batch who also
passed this exam.
The Mindanao Daily Mirror featured Byron’s story in their December 27, 2016 issue:

Some coffee growers and processors from Davao City were promoted as Q graders and
cuppers.

Department of Trade and Industry-Compostela Valley (DTI-ComVal) Provincial Director

Lucky Siegfried Balleque in an interview said of the 15 coffee growers who attended the
training held at the Equilibrium Laboratory in Dacudao St. from December 12 to 17, only
four growers and processors from Davao passed.

Balleque named Byron Bee Pantoja of Coffee for Peace as among the four coffee growers
who are now certified Q Graders. He said Pantoja passed the examinations as a Certified
Quality Arabica Grader by the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI). He however did not name the
other three Q graders.

“If you want to know what grade your coffee is they can cup and grade them for you now,”
Balleque said.

Author CFP InfoComm TeamPosted on 21.December.2016Categories

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, HARMONY WITH OTHERS, HARMONY WITH
OUR BEING, INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENTTags Arabica Q-Grader, Byron Pantoja,
Coffee Quality Institute, CQI

CFP-PBCI COMMUNITY GETS TO ENJOY BISTRO

BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE
The staff of PeaceBuilders Community and Coffee For Peace had our regular Monday
morning worship and reflection time at the Coffee For Peace Bistro. Afterwards, they were
given a treat to experience being valued clients by the CFP Bistro serving partners and barista
partners.