Pinoys consume 100,000 metric tons of coffee a year – report

Many Pinoys drink coffee for breakfast or merienda. Some also drink coffee after lunch. And some even drink coffee late into the night, as the nearly round-the-clock popularity of cafes like Starbucks shows.

"Ang demand natin domestically ay mga 100,000 metric tons. Malakas tayo magkape," said Pacita Juan, co-chair of the Philippine Coffee Board, in a report on GMA's "News To Go" on Tuesday.



This is supported by 2013 data from research firm Euromonitor.com, which shows that the Philippines has a yearly consumption of 1.2 kilograms of dry coffee per capita. It is number 49 on its list of top coffee-consuming countries.

According to a study by business news site Quartz, Pinoys drink 0.608 cups of coffee a day per capita—or 222 cups of coffee per person annually.

Local production

While there are areas in the Philippines known for their coffee production—Batangas, for instance, and Benguet—local coffee production is not what it used to be. In the 19th century, the Philippines was the fourth biggest coffee producer in the world. However, a disease hit the crops and put a stop to much of the production for decades, until a revival of the industry in the 1950s. Furthermore, "Because of industrialization, karamihan ng taniman ng kape naging golf course, naging subdivision," said Cafe de Lipa owner Jose Honrade Mercado in the report.

"Tapos yung mga nagtatanim ng kape, naging professional yung mga anak, ayaw nang bumalik sa farm," he added.

However, said the Philippine Coffee Board, the country is still one of the few countries that produce the four most popular varieties of coffee: Arabica, Liberica, Excelsa and Robusta. It is an exporting member of the International Coffee Organization.

Biggest coffee consumers

The "News To Go" report added that according to a recent poll by UK distribution services firm Pressat, the professions that consume the most coffee are:

1. journalists and media staff
2. police officers
3. teachers
4. plumbers and trade workers
5. nurses and medical staff
6. company executives
7. telesales
8. IT technical support
9. retail staff
10. drivers

"Maghapong kang namamasada nakaupo, kailangan naming mai-start yung katawan namin," said one taxi driver in the report.

"Malaking bagay po iyon para maka-concentrate ako sa pagmamaneho," said another.

While some professions do seem to require more coffee consumption than others, doctors caution against having too much coffee, and advise moderation.

"Ang recommended lang is usually one to two times a day ang pagkakape, kasi ang sobra niyan, tumataas ang BP [blood pressure] at heart rate," said Philippine College of Physicians president Dr. Anthony Leachon. — BM, GMA News