THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture XI signed a memorandum of agreement with the private sector to boost coffee farm productivity, investment, and market linkages.
The MOA signing occurred during the Regional Coffee Expo (RCE) 2026 at Café Noventa, Nabunturan, Davao de Oro, on Oct. 1.
“The MOA marks a concrete step toward establishing a more direct and sustainable linkage between coffee farmers and the private sector,” DA said in a statement.
Macario Gonzaga, DA XI regional executive director, represented the agency while private signatories were Jan Romeo Verueco, part owner of Verueco Ventures Corp./Teofilo Coffee Company; Joey Marcelo, chief executive officer of Elevate Foods Group Corp.; Jovannie Mondaya, owner of Kuya Gio Coffee Farm; and Shosi Mari Larido, owner of Pedings Coffee Farm.
Over the seven months, Teofilo Coffee Company, coffee farmers, and DA XI Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) held discussions, negotiations, and online consultations.
Under the agreement, Verueco Ventures Corp./Teofilo Coffee Company will invest a combined P1.96 million in five hectares of coffee farms.
Of the total, P1.15 million will go to Larido’s two-hectare farm, while P805,000 will go to Mondaya’s three-hectare farm.
The DA XI said the funds will cover production support, labor, and annual farm expenses, in line with an approved Project Work Plan.
The agreement provides the participating coffee farms with resources to sustain and improve their production operations and revenue sharing among the parties.
DA XI reported that the partnership grew out of the agency’s participation in the Specialty Coffee Expo 2025 in Houston, Texas, where initial talks were conducted with Teofilo Coffee Company. The discussions focused on developing and positioning coffee produced in the Davao Region.
