Jose del Fierro, an 89-year-old coffee farmer from Claveria, Misamis Oriental, received two recognitions at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-supported Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC) 2025.
Held at One Ayala Mall, Makati, on May 9, 2025, Del Fierro’s exceptional Excelsa coffee earned him the Special Awards-Excelsa Citation.
His coffee achieved a tally score of 80.92, boasting complex flavor notes of dark chocolate, fruit, and lemon & lime.
Del Fierro also received a Special Award for being the oldest participating farmer in the coffee competition.
The PCQC is an annual competition that evaluates and ranks the quality of Philippine green coffee beans. This year, it was one of the major events of the Philippine Coffee Expo, held from May 9 to 11.
This competition was able to gather 186 official entries across various categories: 109 Robusta, 69 Arabica, 7 Excelsa, and 1 Liberica.
The event was organized by the Peace and Equity Foundation, Barista Coffee Academy of Asia, Philippine Coffee Council Advisory Board, the DTI, and the Department of Agriculture.
