Philippine coffee: The happy and ‘very sad story’ — café expert

MANILA, Philippines — Good news: coffee consumption in the Philippines is in meteoric rise, a coffee expert told Philstar.com.

While in previous generations, the young were discouraged by elders to drink coffee for fear of caffeine, today, coffee appreciation especially among the youth has exponentially increased as they are more into fancy and experimental blends as compared to others who still prefer their coffee black, with milk, espresso or the more traditional ways, said Robert Francisco, Managing Director, Ueshima Coffee Co. (UCC) Academy Philippines. 

Coffee culture is such a craze in the country that “The Philippines is the only country in the world with UCC coffee shops,” said Francisco.

“In Japan, you won’t even know that it’s UCC,” he enthused, noting that UCC Asia Pacific “is watching the Philippines and how we create the UCC brand of café.”

Although UCC cafes in the Philippines, such as the recently opened UCC Clockwork in One Ayala Mall in Makati City, carry out Japanese-inspired menus as a nod to the brand’s Japanese roots, the Philippine franchise has total freedom and does not need prior approval from headquarters for its dishes or concoctions, said Francisco, who is among those responsible for developing the products for the local franchise.

“We’re very traditional yet flexible. We’re traditional Japanese but we can innovate. I think we’re breaking new ground because what you see in the Philippines is different in Asia Pacific. We don’t have cafes outside the Philippines. So we are now the benchmark… other cafes also do not have food,” Francisco expounded on what makes UCC cafes, including Clockwork, unique from its many competitors.

UCC alone has expanded to many stores outside Metro Manila to include many other products and franchising.

But bad news: the country’s coffee supply cannot keep up with the demand. 

In UCC alone, over 10 tons of coffee a month are sold to its stores and clients. “It’s more than 10,000 kilos a month, easily, very easily,” Francisco affirmed.

“Coffee is not only used in hot or cold drinks. It’s used in other ingredients now… candles, rubs… others take it with alcohol,” he pointed out.

Moreover, the country’s progress