If you have the energy to wake up early in the morning and enjoy a strong cup of coffee—in fact you’ll be drinking several cups of them in the course of the tour—then by all means sign up and hop into that coaster with a motley crowd. Your tour-mates will consist of foodies, corporate types, the balikbayan group wanting to get in touch with their roots, and the odd expat or two. And let’s not forget: Figaro’s very own people will be on hand to share information, and their supply vehicle will be trailing along to make sure nobody runs out of paper cups, sugar or creamer. The caffeine, well, that’s going to be something coming out of your ears by the end of the day so if you don’t drink the stuff you’re on the wrong bus!

"We wanted to wake up people into planting more coffee," explains Figaro CEO Pacita "Chit" Juan as she rattles off several facts about the coffee industry for the benefit of those seated in our bus as we sped down the superhighway to Batangas.

Curiously, Cavite has overtaken this province in terms of coffee growing but a revival in the almost-dormant industry hopes to spark the interest of businessmen and local coffee connoisseurs in organic farming.

At the turn of the 19th-20th century, coffee production in the Philippines was at its peak, since it was a cash crop and the various climes and soil conditions made the country ideal for growing all four types of beans: Robusta, Arabica, Excelsa and Liberica (which is better known in the country by its other moniker "Barako").

How popular was this cash crop? The Philippines was one of the top three coffee producers at that time and it is said that gentleman farmers from Batangas were so well-off that their wives sported diamond-encrusted slippers, the moneyed families having so much money to burn that they bought whatever their hearts desired.

Then the stock market crashed in the 1920s, the Great Depression ensued and coffee production was not quite the same. Over generations, coffee farms became neglected, the crops uprooted to make way for more profitable produce or the land sold to be developed into residential or commercial properties.

Today’s biggest coffee producer is Brazil, followed by Vietnam. And the Philippines imports about 42 thousand metric tons of coffee, while capable of producing only 23 thousand metric tons for local consumption.

The first stop after departing Manila: harvesting coffee at the Mount Malarayat Golf Club where the developers had set aside some parts of the property for growing organic coffee. Some of the plants are hybrid Excelsa and Liberica. Even at five feet and a bit over, many plants sport the red berries that are to be picked by the tour group.

One or two people pop the berries in their mouths and report that the fruit is actually sweet—yes, there were some caffeine fiends in the group who couldn’t wait for the beans to be dried eight days, roasted, then ground to their desired consistency before putting them in a coffee maker.

To make up for lost time, the tour group skips going to the Lipa Cathedral where a marker commemorates the Franciscan friars who brought coffee and cocoa (among other things) to Batangas —and everyone heads for the Siete Baracos farm where everyone samples the strong brew along with the local suman. Yes, kakanin rocks, especially when you have a very good cup of coffee to go with it.

Ms. Juan shares some tips about buying and preparing your own cup of coffee: when buying coffee, indicate to your barista if you use a French press or percolator. Buy enough coffee for a week’s consumption —because hoarding coffee just makes it stale. And use filtered tap water when making coffee.

Lunch is served at Tara Woods, a working organic farm owned and managed by Guillermo "Bill" Luz, also known as Makati Business Club’s executive director. More coffee is sampled and enjoyed after the meal as Luz, Juan and Silva talk about Kape Isla, a store selling coffee products by members of the Philippine Coffee Board.

Now open at Serendra, this store boasts of various blends found all over the country, where customers can listen to OPM while sipping their drinks and nibbling on their ensaymada. Pinoy coffee really rocks.

The next coffee tour will involve tree planting in July or August. For more information, ask the store manager of one of 56 Figaro Coffee Company outlets nationwide. For more information on the Figaro Heritage Farm Tours, call Mayleen Aguilar of the Figaro Coffee Club at 637-5969, ext. 109 or email coffeeclub@figarocoffee.com