Philippine Coffee Expo 2025

Whether it’s the rainy season or another hot and sunny day in the country, there is one thing you can be sure of, and it’s that Filipinos will drink coffee. Morning, noon, and night, coffee is a staple for many people up and down the country. The youngsters like it cold and icy, while the elders usually opt for a hot cup of joe instead. Coffee culture is something that we can all easily partake in, and a great way to do that is by attending events such as the Philippine Coffee Expo.

This year’s event was held in Manila at One Ayala’s Space, which housed not only a stage for talks and seminars but also featured over a hundred coffee organizations and industry players. There were also competitions and workshops to see and experience. Here’s a quick rundown of this 3-day event held from May 9 to 11, 2025. 

Let's start at the beginning with the registration process. The venue itself is pretty easy to find and has a convenient location, being in what I like to call the shopping mall heart of Makati. One Ayala is among the row of shopping malls like SM Makati and Glorietta, which means you can shop before or after attending the event since one building connects to the other and so on and so forth. It also means you have other parking options aside from One Ayala. The registration was seamless, especially if you were able to purchase your tickets online ahead of the event. Although if you were not able to do that, they accept walk-ins, and the lines were not too long and moved quickly. 

Once you walk in, you will be met with the smell of coffee and the bustling sounds of people enjoying the different booths and brands that are showcasing their best products. Before walking into the main hall, I explored what felt like the lobby area first, which had a few different booths. Towards the end of the area, there was a Kape Tambayan area where you could buy a drink and a quick snack such as croissants, cookies, brownies, and the like. I appreciated that there was a designated space away from the main stage, as well as an area where you could talk, relax, or refuel before going back inside. However, it could have been improved if there were some seats for people to rest their feet and enjoy their coffee. 

After walking around the main hall where booths were giving out taste testers, long lines for trendy coffee brands, and selling their special blends and bags of beans, I made it to the stage to listen to the Kape’t Kwentuhan Series. 

I attended the first day of the event, and many interesting topics were discussed. Some of the topics included were: Future-Proofing Coffee: Sustainable Practices for Long-Term Growth, Promoting Local Coffee Through Kape Dos Initiatives: The Region 12 Experience, and Breaking Through Barriers: The Emergence of Philippine Specialty Coffee. Days two and three also had important topics like: Sustainable Coffee-Based Farming Systems, Crafting Coffee Stories: From Bean to Brand, Building a Brand That Resonates With Global Audience, Adapting to Changing Climate: Ensuring Resilience in Coffee Agriculture, Global Coffee Trends and the Role of Emergeing Origins, and Redefining Coffee Consumption: Creating Memorable Consumer Journeys. As you can see from the few topics I highlighted, the topics were well-varied. From sustainability to the people behind it, special products, branding, and coffee, on the international stage. There was a lot to learn, and you walked away with a better understanding of the coffee industry as a whole. 

There were also competitions held during the 3-day event. There was the Excelsa Cup Taster’s Competition by the Mindanao Coffee Community, Signature Drink Competition by the Negros Occidental Coffee Council, a Latte Art Competition by Farm Fresh, and Brewing Cup by Coffee Communities in Luzon by the North Coffee Community. 

I’ve attended many coffee events in the past, and what stood out to me during this Philippine Coffee Expo is the involvement of the local communities from other parts of the country. It was nice to see that they didn't just have booths to showcase the coffee from their regions, but they also seemed very active in terms of seminars, workshops, and competitions. Although there are many bigger, well-known, and international brands, it was a nice experience to be able to familiarize ourselves with the local producers and regions that work hard to supply us with our go-to beverage. I commend the organizers of the event for putting a spotlight on the smaller farmers and producers of coffee in the country who really need an avenue to reach a larger audience better, and of course, to spread awareness on the importance of supporting local. 

Overall, it was a successful and eye-opening event. I hope to see only more booths and more local coffee communities, producers, coffee shops, and brands at next year’s event. Hopefully, the focus on supporting local will still be the main highlight of this annual event, since what I learned from the seminars is that the local coffee industry really needs our help and support to not only survive but also to thrive!