Davao NGO diversifies, opens coffee shop and organic food store

DAVAO CITY — It started out as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) whose aim was for farmers to go into chemical-free farming.

A plate of organic Filipino food at 5^th Street Cafe in Davao City

Now, Siad Initiatives in Mindanao Convergence for Asset Reform and Regional Development has diversified and opened a coffee shop called 5th Street Cafe. The coffee shop, located on 5th Street, Ecoland Subdivision, is just a stone’s throw away from SM City Davao.

"This is an alternative meeting place," said Tom Villarin, manager of the cafe and executive director of Siad.

"We came up with this idea of a neighborhood store for organic products but ended up [doing that and] managing a cafe at the same time."

He is optimistic the organization will be able to recoup its investment of P300,000 in the next two years.

Mr. Villarin said his group thought of coming up with the cafe concept after finding out that people — mostly those involved in NGO work — had a difficult time finding a place where they could meet and discuss issues.

In the past, there was Puslan Man, a restaurant-cum-venue for the performing arts where civil society leaders used to meet nightly. The venue, however, closed down in 2002 after three years of operation.

While nearby Matina Town Square has filled the void left by Puslan Man, 5th Street Cafe is an alternative venue, especially during day time.

"Here, they [can be who they want to be]," he added, pointing out that even students have started trooping to the cafe especially on Saturdays to work on their assignments as it is also a Wi-FI spot.

"It’s a nice place to hang out with former college buddies and my classmates," said Albert de Leon, a student at the Davao Medical School. "We can have coffee and browse the Internet which we can’t do in school or at home."

Advocacies on the menu

At the cafe, the chickens are native, the rice is organic and the coffee is from small farmers’ cooperatives. Some beans, said Mr. Villarin, come from as far as Basilan, the besieged province that has been hounded by the armed conflict between the military and the Abu Sayyaf.

"We are helping the coffee farmers there," he said, adding that Basilan coffee is comparable with the much-touted Barako coffee of Batangas.

Other sources of coffee are the farmers of upland Maragusan in Compostela Valley and those in Sultan Kudarat.

The menu consists mainly of home-cooked food. They don’t serve pork and beef nor use MSG (monosodium glutamate).

A hearty meal at the cafe costs P65 at most while bibingka at tsokolate (native rice cake and hot chocolate) is just P30.

Coffee drinkers, on the other hand, can have two shots of espresso for P40. A large mug of cappuccino that might sell for P100 in regular coffee shops in the city, costs P45 at the cafe. Those who don’t want coffee but want to quench their thirst can try sambong tea, a drink made with powdered sambong leaves.

Sambong is a medicinal plant with diuretic properties. It is used to treat everything from hypertension, rheumatism, colds and fever to diarrhea, dysentery and sore throat.

For the very young, there are several fruit shakes to choose from all sold at P35 a glass. The cafe management, however, does not use plastic straws and coffee stirrers as their "humble contribution to protecting Mother Earth."

Organic products from premium brown and dinorado rice to muscovado sugar from Agusan del Sur and Sultan Kudarat are also sold on the premises.

If you want to sip a steaming cup of coffee and dine on organically grown produce, then Davao City’s 5^th Cafe is another option.


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Davao NGO diversifies, opens coffee shop and organic food store