Kape Isla  ::  The Finest Coffee from the Philippine Islands

The Makati Business Club, together with the biggest names in Philippine coffee, converged at Amadeo, Cavite on April 19, 2002, to discuss the need for the creation of a singular brand for Philippine Coffee.

In response to Java from Indonesia, Kona from Hawaii and Antigua from Guatemala, "Kape Isla" (meaning "island coffee") will be the representative tradename by which all Philippine coffee will be referred in the global marketplace.  This seal will guarantee the superior quality of Philippine coffee for all brands which carry the colorful trademark graphic.

The logo shows four mountains representing all four coffee varieties grown in the islands.  Rich, bold, exotic earth colors reflect the character of Philippine coffee.  All products imported by BuyBarako.com will carry this logo, ensuring consistent quality and the highest levels of standards in the industry.

Barako  ::  The official definition

While the Barako has become a generic name for all coffee from the province of Batangas, real Barako refers to Philippine Liberica and is known for its particularly strong taste, powerful body and distinctly pungent odor.  “Barako”, in the vernacular, is a colloquial term referring to male strength and machismo.  As such, particularly strong-tasting coffee is often identified as barako by the locals.

Saving the Barako  ::  A top priority

Two hundred years ago, the Philippines was one of the world's top coffee producers.  Today, the Barako coffee plant is on its way to extinction.

The cause to help coffee families and to revitalize the Philippines as a major coffee exporter has been taken up by the Figaro Foundation.  The Foundation, through its communication campaigns, has made more and more people aware of the plight of the Philippine coffee industry.  And as a result, many land holders have switched to coffee, or have turned idle land into new coffee farms.

To learn more about the plight of the Philippine coffee industry, please visit the foundation's website at www.savethebarako.org, or click on the graphic below.