QUICK QUESTIONS
WHAT REALLY MAKES YOU ANGRY?
I think it’s when people trap other people in abusive or disadvantageous contracts or situations. People who take advantage of coffee farmers who are not well-versed or equipped to enter into agreements (people, nongovernmental organizations, people’s organizations, organizations within the community, entrepreneurial parts of the community).
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO WORK HARD?
I had through the years shared stories about farmers and their struggles, and how they overcame it.
WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH THE MOST?
When you sit down with farmers, having a cup of coffee, they have an almost childlike way of conversing, they don’t see lines between ikaw, ako, and meron and wala. It’s just a nice moment of being together. We’re always happy when we’re in the communities. Sa city, hindi, kasi laging may binabayaran.
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE SMALL?
I wanted to be a lawyer. The sentiment of putting down what’s right and defending the wrong. I’m not a lawyer, but I do lawyer for coffee farmers. Defense and representation.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WON THE LOTTO?
I could finally work on the other projects I am sentimental about. This life is about helping others. And maybe get myself a Porsche.
IF YOU COULD SHARE A MEAL WITH ANY INDIVIDUAL, LIVING OR DEAD, WHO WOULD THEY BE?
That would be my old good friend, Goad Sibayan, who won the first AVPA award. He’s a Sagada farmer. We were the ones who did the first AVPA coffee project. He died two months after winning. I want to share gains of what we’ve had so far from the time we did this project.
WHAT’S THE MOST DARING THING YOU’VE EVER DONE?
Ang dami. Getting into conflict areas. Threat to life, to safety, for something you believe in. I’ve thought to myself — what if I put myself in danger, would I regret it? But I don’t think so.
WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?
Michael Pollan — “How to Change Your Mind.”
WHICH CELEBRITY WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET FOR A CUP OF COFFEE?
I’d like to meet two people: One, Hugh Jackman because he’s had the same experience in coffee when he was UN Ambassador of Goodwill. He went to Kenya and he was appalled at how difficult it was for the community to be able to sell their coffee at a fair price. He has a coffee called Laughing Man Coffee. Two, Leonardo DiCaprio, who has a project on fungus — the study of micro fungi population. He’s heavily supporting fungi research. I’m interested in why he felt strongly about that. I like how they lend their celebrity status to sustainability projects.
WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WILL NEVER DO AGAIN?
Be indecisive. You just have to enter everything with boldness. Period.
If it’s really your nature to be that, then adversity shouldn’t change your nature.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS?
I see myself to mentor a lot of younger players among the younger producers. It’s happening now: 20-year-olds starting their own coffee or cacao farms. To share with them what we’ve done before and what they could do with it the next 10 or 20 years.