Philippine Coffee Board

Also known as: Philippine Coffee Board Inc. · PCBI · National Coffee Board of the Philippines

Definition

The Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI) is a private-sector-led non-profit organization established to develop, promote, and sustain the Philippine coffee industry. Founded in 2002, PCBI coordinates technical assistance for coffee farmers, establishes quality standards, conducts training for coffee roasters and baristas, and promotes coffee consumption both locally and internationally. It serves as a key industry advocate, organizing major events such as the annual Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC) and ‘Kape Pilipino’ to elevate the standards of both commercial and specialty coffee in the country. (PCBI)

Identities

Source Type	Identity
Wikipedia	Coffee production in the Philippines
Wikidata	N/A
DBpedia	N/A
ProductOntology	N/A
Wiktionary	board
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)	Coffee industry — Philippines — Societies, etc.
MeSH	N/A
NCBI Taxonomy	N/A
AGROVOC	N/A
Google Scholar	Philippine Coffee Board PCBI specialty coffee industry quality
ConceptNet	board
OpenCyc	N/A

Also Known As

Philippine Coffee Board Inc.
PCBI
National Coffee Board of the Philippines

Examples and Analogies

Organizing Quality Competitions: PCBI partners with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to run the PCQC, judging local Arabica and Robusta entries.
Farmer Technical Training: PCBI organizers travel to Davao and Benguet to train upland farmers on proper pruning and honey processing techniques.

Usage Scenarios

1. Filing a Entry for PCQC

A coffee cooperative submits a 100-kilogram lot of specialty green beans to the PCBI office to enter the national coffee competition.

2. Attending Coffee Summit

A local coffee roaster attends the annual coffee summit organized by PCBI, networking with green bean suppliers from Mindanao.

Strategies

Consult PCBI resources and grading sheets to understand the flavor parameters required to achieve specialty coffee classification.
Participate in PCBI-certified baristas and cupping seminars to obtain industry-recognized Q-grader or grading certifications.
Monitor PCBI market reports to track local coffee price trends and global market requirements.

Security and Safety Measures

Ensure that any coffee seeds or seedlings purchased for farm expansion are certified by the Bureau of Plant Industry and aligned with PCBI recommendations.
Verify that coffee packaging conforms to national labeling standards, displaying correct variety classification (Arabica, Robusta, Liberica, Excelsa).

Historical Context

The Philippine Coffee Board Inc. was incorporated in May 2002 by a group of coffee industry advocates, including Pacita ‘Chit’ Juan, Nicholas Masefield, and other private sector representatives. The board was created to address the decline in Philippine coffee production and to reposition the country as a source of premium specialty coffee rather than just commodity-grade beans. PCBI spearheaded the creation of national coffee standards and has represented the country in international bodies like the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). (PCBI, Philstar)

Challenges and Controversies

Declining National Production

High production costs and conversion of agricultural lands to subdivisions limit the country’s coffee self-sufficiency, requiring heavy imports to meet local demand.

Farming Age Gap

The average age of coffee farmers in the Philippines is over 57 years, presenting a major challenge in attracting the younger generation to coffee agriculture.