The Giving Cafe

My resting "I need a cup of coffee!" face.

What does a coffee cup carry nowadays? 

We all know the usual things like caffeine, sugar, cream, but whenever you drink a cup do you even ask where it came from? What beans they used? Or who planted it? Most often than not, we don't and a few days ago I got to see a thriving business that's been doing this for a combined 50 years. We were not there to boast about their achievements, but to spread the word that this business has been helping farmers in little ways that they can. It's why they put up an establishment called The Giving Cafe.

This coffee shop was conceptualized by Henry & Sons, a coffee solutions company. They've been supplying the country's best coffee shops with world class premium luxury coffee (via Conlins Coffee) and coffee equipment that has its origins in Malaysia (via RICMAS Philippines). The company imports and processes coffee beans from over 20 countries (like  Ethiopoa, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Kenya, Indonesia, Vietnam among others) and even provide training, support to coffee shops and companies in the Philippines. They also supply customized blends for their clientele and has been able to do so as a business. They felt they had to give back to an industry that has been so good to them all these years.

Under the Henry & Sons Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence, they want to put the Philippines back in the world map as legitimate source and stalwart of sustainable coffee farming. It is a tall order, but the vision is to start things and keep the ball rolling. This is a great example of social enterprise and the proceeds of operating The Giving Cafe will go to the projects they have lined up for the Filipino coffee farmers from Benguet. Soon, they will have projects in coffee producing farms and provinces but they decided to start where the majority of their beans are grown (Cordillera Range). 

I've known how much care they put in on producing Robusta, Excelsa and Premium Arabica beans in this region and it has gotten attention around the world already. These beans are hand picked, all drawn from plantations in the northern part of the Philippines, dried for a few days, processed and roasted in their plants to get the best the country could offer. The Giving Cafe sells off food items, coffee products and other items that has its proceeds go to these causes.

The Interiors

I'd like to actually compare this to a palette called shabby chic but they do have elements that are very eclectic, a hodge podge of different items from the owner's travels and books that they've managed to read through the years. The place is apt for around 20 - 30 people, more if you include the outdoor seating which sits across their RICMAS plant (See the light across the window?) where you can park since they own both places. The coffee shop is located at the corner of Pines and Sheridan streets. It's a couple of minutes away from EDSA and is accessible from that route. Here's the map!

The Coffee

Now as I mentioned earlier, they're all experts in the coffee business and that includes roasting. I was almost dumbfounded because when I asked what beans they used they answered back with the connotative answer like they've used them all. They import some of them, and most are sourced locally so if you see their blends, it makes our beans at par with the rest of the world. Maybe even better. They let us experience first hand at how to be a barista, well not so much but the thought of making a coffee cup with latte art was just so hard to pass.

This is their work, so perfect the heart no? It looked so easy when they were making it. Did I ace it? Well that's another story LOL.

This is one of their best sellers. and this chicken is pretty tasty.

They showed me how to make the latte art which were comprised of two shots of espresso and a whole lot of milk and froth. You have to move your wrist or else your latte art would look like fluff LOL!

They have guides you can follow, but really, it was hard!

They also had samples of the coffee beans we used and you can smell the samples when it's grounded. I wanted to stay here but I remembered I have to make that latte thing haha!

Now this is my first attempt, ever, in my entire life. Although they said it was good for a first timer like me, I still think it looks like a heart with tons of fat strands haha.

The Giving

One of the main projects of under the foundation who also handles The Giving Cafe is the selling of BLOOM COFFEE. Now you can see they have different designs on them which also connotes different blends. It also signifies the different causes that they help. From the scholarships they give out to the kids of coffee farmers, to the free coffee seedlings they give to farmers, to high tech water producing machines they donate to farmer organizations (one of which they just gave to Benguet farmers recently), the proceeds from these coffee beans would go those causes. 

My family owns a small parcel of land in Tagaytay that is used for coffee plants but is already old to produce really good beans; I kinda understand you need to replenish them every couple of years; so I understand how these things sort of in more ways than one had been able to help local farmers in their goal to be as competitive as they can be in the market. To see them achieve this soon is what would make Henry & Sons happy, hopefully your support to this social enterprise would be the start. If you're around the area and looking for a place to hang out and read, The Giving Cafe would be the perfect place for that. Buy a can or more of the coffee while you're at it.  

I've never seen a man so enthusiastic about their CSR projects. Michael Harris Conlin the President and CEO of Henry & Sons Manufacturing & Trading Company Inc. says "I hope we would be able to help more farmers and inspire them to become better producers so we could get Philippine coffee back into the international market by next year. The Giving Coffee is already serving a lot of special things. This, hopefully, would be something we would be more proud of until the next decade."

Thank you so much to Henry & Sons and The Giving Cafe for having us in their event. I'd be really happy to get a cup or two of your brew when I'm in the area and perhaps take some of it to my relatives in EU who digs these stuff the most. You're genuinely helping an industry that is connected to your business and aside from that, you're caring for their families which I am so impressed with. Congratulations, I hope this goes a long way!

UnionBank Continues <|U|>Hack & Pl@y Series

It's a little daunting to talk about this but to put it simply, they want to discover talents, to discover ideas to improve their banking services. In the process, they also have created partnerships by letting them use Unionbank's API's (Application Programming Interface) and improve them even more. They want to push the envelope to find out how to do things even better. They are sponsoring hackathons and you would be amazed at what people offer, no matter what age and show us how their project works. They call it UNIONBANK Hack, going on their 5th one in this series. 

UnionBank's SVP for Human Resource and Director Michelle Rubio says "We have this soul behind the digital transformation, to have people with really good capabilities and harness UnionBank's resources. We want to progress it more and not just be the financial corporation of choice. We want to get apps and API's to deliver technology for nation building. We have been doing this since last year and we are working with the academe and their schools to improve what we have, enjoin more students, professionals and perhaps next year even a hackathon next year, hopefully to attract them to also work later on with us as we are a digital bank. Our objective is also simple, we do not agree that our talented people are being used by other nationalities because we can do it here."

She adds "Last year we thought of wicked problems, this year we want to focus on AI, VR, authenticating identity and things that are related to us as a financial institution. We were surprised that each of the groups that did good in the past are also joining us as institutions, partners or offer even freelance work. "

Not to confuse this with black hat, they're into making things that could spark positive change in the lives of Filipinos. They will also be providing the platform, possible future development of their work if they win the competition. Some cash prizes also await winners. Most of the winners have already worked with Unionbank and have worked with them over the years. If you've got bright ideas and can do code, then this would be a great opportunity for you. They will be roaming around the schools nationwide to choose the best talents, including those recommended by their professors and see how this will grow. I could see the optimism in their eyes, and they are right, why should we be outsourcing these things when we know we could do it ourselves? We've got tons of programmers and leaders in the country who can spark change, and that's a good thing. Congratulations to Unionbank for spearheading this, I can't wait to join your caravans too in the near future. :)

KUMAGCOW
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The Great Grande Cook-Off

I've only used a couple of oil variants in my kitchen which consists mostly of Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Vegetable Oil, Palm Oil, Peanut Oil and Olive Oil. Other than that, I'm quite oblivious to other types of it because as you may know it's uncommon here in the Philippines. I was schooled by Chef Miko Aspiras a couple of weeks ago about Rice Bran Oil. This newcomer called Grande Rice Bran Oil comes from rice which is staple for us Filipinos. It's naturally loaded with anti oxidants, has got a high temperature smoking point, and has got a balanced fat profile. During the small event, he used it to cook great dishes and did a main course plus a lovely "no diet" dessert.

What I immediately noticed is that aside from it's attractive golden color, is how it actually is good for any type of cooking method that needs oil. Whether it's for deep frying, sauteing, pan frying, or even desserts, it doesn't actually change the way the food tastes which is remarkable in my books. I thought it would be slightly nutty since it comes from rice bran but no, it was just as good as them but healthier. I guess that is it's main selling point because you can't see anything that is as au naturelle as this is compared to what we have out in the market.

Tun Aburi Tataki was seared on both sides then sliced thinly. Served with tartar sauce, beet root, and a side salad. Fish tasted like fish, as its supposed to be.

Twice Fried Pork which was brined first, boiled, then fried to get that crisp exterior. It was served with spices, chorizo, and seasoned potatoes.

For dessert Chef Miko Aspiras prepared and ground up some sugar coated Pili Nuts from Bicol. Then he got unsalted butter and melted it with the ground nuts. Et voila! That's Pili Nut Butter for you! So good!

He also deep fried sourdough donuts made into balls then thrown into cinnamon sugar. They poured in a hefty amount of the Pili Butter and now, we have to marvel at this piece which was gone in 20 seconds LOL!

Rice Bran Oil may have been a little too hard to get hence it's price (but I find it competitive), but think about the benefits on how it could lower your bad cholesterol levels, boost you immune system, lessen the chances of cancer, improve your skin health and even help in your weight loss. Women can also get relieve from your usual menopausal symptoms, protect your heart from disease and lower allergic reactions. All you have to do is get good rice bran oil like GRANDE. If you want to know more visit https://www.grande-rbo.com.

KUMAGCOW
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MFT's SALADSTOP! Ventures Into Spanish Market

Have you ever wondered why there are thousands upon thousands of brands around the world that are here in the Philippines but not quite a lot of our own venturing into other countries? That's depressing to know huh? Have you guys seen Saladstop!? I've had the privilege of seeing and experiencing it over at San Juan but they're pretty much everywhere as they have outlets in Makati and Bonifacio Global City. The brand originated in Singapore and is now present in other countries too like Japan and Indonesia.  

Albeit not being that into salad, I tried out several of their best sellers. The Vegetarian Bowl I had is called IRON WO MAN and is comprised of fresh Spinach, salty and creamy feta cheese, roasted pumpkin, sweet and tangy raisins, nutty toasted almonds, in a tangy Raspberry Vinaigrette.

This one is one of their signature wraps. It's got romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, creamy avocado, green apple, celery, grapes in a Ranch dressing. Pretty good and very filling.

This is Fried Kale, it's very nutty and fresh.

The MFT group Joan of Regional Marketing Head says "We were established in 2009 and is one of the world's leading nutrition brand. It is the first time that we are taking this out of the country, to Spain in particularly. Our brand puts holistic customer experience to the forefront because we want this to be an experience for them. The founders are vegetarian and we are sharing the values for the brand. 12 Signature wraps, 4 tortilla wraps, our dressings are home made and fresh made everyday. We source our food locally so for the Spanish branches we maintain a good relationship with the farmers and suppliers. We want people to eat wide awake, in September we are putting this movement in Spain and we are so happy about that."

Paul Paraeda who's handling their operations in Spain and Portugal says "We are moving to these countries in a few months and why not. It's a good place to start for a Philippine business to venture out into the EU. We will have more as soon."

MFT Group CEO Maria Francesca “Mica” Tan adds "MFT is a diversified holding company. We are not limited in regions, involved in 22 subsidiaries under our wing including medical equipment, petroleum, and now SaladStop! in Spain. Barcelona has 5 million people and is an emerging area. There is a very diversified economical structure home to 90% of investments in Spain. Hopefully we would be doing it in the whole of Europe later on. We are not just tied with food, they are also looking for something healthy and this is evident in food clusters in Spain. MFT group is confident about this franchise in Europe and we are present in 6 countries, we love emerging markets. We want SALADSTOP! to be our flagship food product. In SaladStop Spain we have our own suppliers and farmers so it will be a level up as Spain and there is a big demand for what we are offering. The carrier of the food is the sauces, the freshness is still with the farmers that we have locally and you'll only get the best produce."

This is very promising and I can't wait to see how they (being a Filipino owned company) would grow BIG in the European region.

KUMAGCOW
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