Manila Coffee Festival 2024 at Newport World Resorts is sweeter the second time around. The much-anticipated festival opened with a ceremonial tree planting of a Batangas cacao criollo sapling at the Urban Farm site in the country’s premier lifestyle and entertainment destination on March 15.
Newport World Resorts President and CEO Kingson Sian (fourth from left) led the ceremony along with (from left) Department of Agriculture High Value Crops Development Ricky Dela Cruz, Agency for Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA) Paris Head of Studies Alphonse Pignan, AVPA Paris Juror and Coffee Specialist Charlène Cabioch, Executive Director of The Coffee Heritage Project Rich Watanabe, Specialty Coffee Association Partnerships Director for Asia-Pacific Kyonghee Shin, Acapulco Cacao Farmer Marvin Lopez, and Federation of Sulu Coffee Industry Cooperative Coffee Farmer Abdurahman Abani.
Manila Coffee Fest bloomed with 10 new homegrown coffees and a “Cacao Alley” debut, drawing 10,000 attendees. The event celebrated Filipino coffee culture and farmers, echoing CEO Kingson Sian’s call to champion local stories. Held at Newport World Resorts, known for sustainability and original Filipino musicals, the festival was a sweet success.