The Biyaya Sustainable Living Festival isn’t just about coffee, it’s also about uplifting the ecosystem of the local heritage industry

Rich Watanabe can talk about coffee all day.

Considering he is the CEO of SGD Coffee and also the head of Coffee Heritage Project, his relationship with coffee precedes much of the specialty wave coffee we see around today.

His journey started as a coffee trader in New York back in 2009. “One thing that struck me was finding all of the countries listed alphabetically at the New York Coffee Exchange. When I looked at the Philippines, it said ‘Philippine coffee not traded’,” he recalls.

“Since coffee farmers only harvest at certain times of the year, they rely on other trades—cacao farming, coconut production, weaving, basketry, and even pottery—to sustain them year-round,” Rich Watanabe shares

For a country that incorporates coffee in many parts of Filipino life—when we go on a date with someone, when we have a special visitor at home or the office, or even up to death at wakes—it didn’t make sense to Watanabe. He returned to the Philippines and went around to visit all the coffee producing regions. And it was in Sagada where he found his calling.

After a hike down a remote, pine-filled village in Sagada, he was directed to a small cooperative made up of a group of women. It was there where he tasted his first cup of coffee from beans that were freshly roasted. The village roaster roasted coffee on a large wok using a paddle made of pine. 

“In that profound moment when I had the first sip of that coffee, it was so good in a way that it felt like I was tasting the view that was in front of me. That coffee was a snapshot of the place it grew in,” he reminisces. 

It was this cup of coffee that inspired Watanabe to work with these farmers and help share their coffee to the rest of the world. On Mar. 14 to 16, he is joining forces with Tati Fortuna—a stalwart advocate of heritage weaves of Kalinga—to shine the spotlight on farmers and weavers at the Biyaya Sustainable Living Festival. It will be a place where people can meet the people behind the beans and witness the craftsmen behind the intricate weaves. You might not know it, but supporting local coffee farmers and other local crafts have a direct impact on each other.

“As we worked closely with farming communities, we saw firsthand that coffee is just one part of their livelihood. Since coffee farmers only harvest at certain times of the year, they rely on other trades—cacao farming, coconut production, weaving, basketry, and even pottery—to sustain them year-round,” Watanabe shares. “Biyaya isn’t just about coffee; it’s about uplifting the entire ecosystem of heritage industries that allow these communities to thrive.”

The Biyaya Sustainable Living Festival builds on the efforts of the highly successful Manila Coffee Festival, which welcomed 12,000 visitors and generated P45 million in earnings for its exhibitors. This time. Manila Coffee Festival will be part of Biyaya Sustainable Living Festival, expanding the scope of local crafts and goods available for people to shop for.

This year will feature more than 200 exhibitors, including coffee, cacao, and coconut farmers as well as craftsmen, weavers, and local fashion designers. Simultaneously, there will be educational workshops such as sustainable practices that can enhance gardening and farming efforts, coffee tastings, and artisan craft demonstrations.

“When we protect, nurture, and grow the heritage craft and practices of Filipino communities, we ensure their sustainable livelihood. In the process, these communities can continue to live on the land of their ancestors, safeguarding not just their culture but also the environment”

“When we protect, nurture, and grow the heritage craft and practices of Filipino communities, we ensure their sustainable livelihood. In the process, these communities can continue to live on the land of their ancestors, safeguarding not just their culture but also the environment. Thriving, sustainable communities are the foundation for environment protection,” Watanabe says.

You can directly support these communities by going to the Biyaya Sustainable Living Festival from Mar. 14 to 16, 2025 at Parqal Aseana City, Parañaque.