Local baristas serve best brews at Negosyo Festival

October 15, 2019

Local coffee artisans brew the best coffee and beverage in the recently-concluded Barista Competition held at KCC Mall of Marbel Activity Center spearheaded by the City Legal Office as the committee in-charge in partnership with Negosyo Center and the Department of Trade and Industry- South Cotabato.

As one of the featured events in the celebration of the 19th Charter Anniversary and 9th Negosyo Festival and as part of the NEGOSolusyon Program of the partner agencies, the ‘battle of the brew’ aims to highlight the growing community of coffee crafters in  Koronadal by giving them a worthwhile avenue to support the local coffee growers in nearby towns.

Technical skills on proper coffee preparation and the aromatic, sensate experience of coffee drinking are the two main criteria for judges’ scoring. Competing baristas are challenged to make three kinds of drink: espresso, milk beverage, and their own coffee shop specialty—signature beverage.

Coffee barista Mike Santillan from La Misha Café in Polomolok gets the top spot as champion. Second place goes to Alexandra Corpuz from The Coffee Table-Koronadal, followed by Sherwin Bolodo of Roadway Café and Darlene Joy Galope for third and fourth spots, respectively.

DTI-SC Focal Person Leslie Aranilla in an interview said that the holding of the said activity help boost the people’s appreciation on the local coffee industry while keeping the  local baristas in the loop for an inclusive coffee value chain.