Rooted in Matutum: How a Former Seminarian is Reshaping South Cotabato’s Coffee Industry
When Mario Joey Tacan was 13, he watched his relatives plant coffee seedlings in the rich soil of the Mount Matutum Protected Landscape. At the time, the crop meant little to him. Decades later, while studying as a seminarian in Cebu in 2000, Tacan learned that most coffee in the Philippines was imported. The realization planted a seed: carefully nurtured coffee could transform a community. In 2001, he returned to Polomolok, South Cotabato, to develop his father’s farm. Today, the 53-year-old Tacan is a multi-award-winning grower leading a coffee renaissance in South Cotabato. Following his recent sixth-place finish in the 2026 Philippine national round of the Southeast Asian Green Coffee Competition, Tacan is using his platform to advocate for quality coffee, mentor local farmers, and help bridge a massive supply gap in a country that imports nearly 378,000 metric tons of coffee annually. His success, however, was born from early struggles. Like many farmers lacking market acces...
