Iloilo Coffee Fest 2026 to spotlight education, innovation, and stronger coffee community

Rather than making it bigger, organizers are making this year’s Iloilo Coffee Fest more meaningful.

Set on July 9 to 11 at the Iloilo Convention Center as part of the MAFBEX Trio, the Iloilo Coffee Fest 2026 will focus on creating a greater impact for coffee farmers, café owners, baristas, students, coffee enthusiasts, and the entire Ilonggo coffee community.

“Instead of making the festival bigger, we made it more meaningful,” Iloilo Coffee Fest organizers said in a statement. “We curated every activity to create a greater impact for our coffee farmers, café owners, baristas, students, coffee enthusiasts, and everyone who believes in the future of Ilonggo coffee.”

The three-day festival is divided into three themed events highlighting different aspects of the local coffee industry—from education and industry development to showcasing coffee craftsmanship.

The festival opens on July 9 with Eskwela Kape, featuring Discovering Coffee, a hands-on class led by baristas JJ Tanalgo and Karl Gabriel Aguilos. The workshop will introduce participants to coffee science, brewing methods, and the fundamentals of making a great cup of coffee.

Later in the day, coffee lovers can join Coffeellowship: Manual Brewing Party, a free community gathering where participants can brew and share different coffees—from robusta grown by Iloilo farmers to beans sourced from across the Philippines and abroad. Organizers encourage attendees to bring their own brewing equipment, favorite cups, and even coffees they’d like others to taste, while local café owners are invited to showcase their signature beans and brews.

The day will also mark the official launch of the Kape Ta Iloilo Web App, a new digital platform designed to help coffee lovers discover cafés across Iloilo, explore local coffee experiences, and continue supporting the province’s coffee community throughout the year.

Organizers said the web app replaces the traditional coffee exhibition featured in previous festivals, allowing support for local cafés to extend well beyond the three-day event.

On July 10, the festival shifts its focus to the industry through Istorya Kape, a day dedicated to coffee farmers and stakeholders.

Among the highlights is a coffee forum featuring Dr. Alejandro Mojica, author of Barako: The Big Bean and widely known as the “Barako King.” Mojica will discuss the potential of Liberica coffee and why it could play an important role in the future of Iloilo’s coffee industry.

Representatives from the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office and the Department of Agriculture – Western Visayas will also share insights before a fireside discussion bringing together farmers, processors, baristas, café owners, and government partners to tackle opportunities and challenges facing the local coffee sector.

The day concludes with a business matching activity connecting coffee farmers directly with processors and coffee shop owners, creating opportunities for long-term partnerships beyond the festival.

The final day, July 11, will be dedicated to coffee competitions under Hampang Kape.

Participants will compete in the Inter-School Latte Art Competition, Open Brewing Competition, and Open Latte Art Throwdown, with cash prizes and sponsor giveaways awaiting the winners. Organizers said the inter-school competition will be free for participating schools, while the open competitions are open to coffee professionals and enthusiasts through registration.

According to Noi Dongor, the festival has always been driven by a shared vision of strengthening the local coffee industry.

“The Iloilo Coffee Fest has always been more than an event. It is a celebration built by passionate volunteers, advocates, partners, sponsors, and people who simply love coffee and believe in what it can do for our communities,” Dongor said.

Visitors to the Iloilo Coffee Fest can also explore the other events under the MAFBEX Trio, including PHILBEX Iloilo (Philippine Building and Construction Expo), TLEx Iloilo (Travel and Leisure Expo), and MAFBEX Iloilo (Manila Food and Beverage Expo), all happening simultaneously at the Iloilo Convention Center.

By shifting its focus from a larger exhibition to education, industry collaboration, digital innovation, and community building, this year’s Iloilo Coffee Fest aims to strengthen every link of Iloilo’s coffee value chain—from farmers and processors to cafés, baristas, and consumers.