Kalsada Coffee's journey in the Philippines began in 2013 when their team first connected with the specialty coffee industry in Manila. After a successful Kickstarter campaign raised $15,000, they established their first wet-mill in 2014 at Sitio Belis in Benguet on Luzon, the country's northernmost island, where 50 families bring their coffee cherry for centralized processing. Kalsada has since expanded to other communities around Benguet.
In 2018, Kalsada began work in Bukidnon on the southern island of Mindanao, though their initial attempt did not succeed. They reestablished operations in 2020, and within three years, 114 farmer-families transformed Pigtauranan into their Mindanao hub. The mill now processes both specialty arabica and fine robusta, receiving cherries from across Bukidnon and even from Sultan Kudarat, a six-hour land trip away.
Coffee from Sitio San Roque in Pigtauranan grows between 1,200 to 1,800 meters above sea level in the municipality of Pangantucan. The varieties include Typica "Sweet," Catimor (including the Costa Rica 95 selection), and Robusta, processed through washed, natural, and experimental methods like anaerobic fermentation.
In early 2023, an international specialty coffee brand released their first Philippine coffees, selecting two lots from Sitio San Roque: a natural-processed Typica "Sweet" and an anaerobic natural-processed Catimor. This milestone came after five years of sampling, cupping, and quality assessments. The global recognition has been transformative for the small community, where coffee earnings have helped families survive the COVID-19 pandemic and break free from generational debt.
This work is especially significant in a country where 90% of coffee production is Robusta, nearly all consumed locally in the instant coffee market. Specialty arabica is rare, and fine robusta even more so. Through Kalsada's partnership with growers to refine their coffees, these communities are now reaching the world stage.
