Philippine Inhandig Tribal Multipurpose Cooperative

Before 2017, the Inhandig Tribal Multipurpose Cooperative (ITMPC) in Bukidnon only farmed coffee for their own personal consumption—a very common routine that many communities, especially those living in the mountains, do.

Last month, we visited the tribe and got to interview their chieftain Adelina Tarino, mainly known as Bae Inatlawan, in the Daraghuyan Ancestral Domain, where she and her tribe reside. She shared how they used to only hear about coffee expos then but are now producing their coffee for the world to enjoy, thanks to their win in the Kape Pilipino (KP) Green Coffee Quality Competition in 2017.

“That was the time we learned about our coffee's potential and began planting more. Because back then, we would only plant a few just for personal consumption. Now, we have more,” she humbly recollects.

When asked about why Inhandig, Bae imparted that the Inhandig area is part of the tribe’s territory, and is also where the coffee that won in the competition was cultivated, hence the coffee name.

A trip of a lifetime After the Inhandig Tribal Multipurpose Cooperative (ITMPC) won in the Philippines, they then represented the country at the Global Specialty Coffee Expo in Seattle, Washington in the same year.

Bae traveled to the United States to represent the country and quickly realized the importance of promoting their coffee. Upon returning home, she gathered her people and reminded them that if they were to expand coffee farming, they must commit to nourishing them.

Fast forward to today, Inhandig coffee continues to tell its story in cups and bags all over the Philippines and the world.

Coffee takes time and so will we Bae shared that coffee farming takes time, particularly the post-harvest process, given their area’s rough roads and far distance from the city. She emphasized these as undeniable challenges but that they remain unshaken due to their belief in their coffee’s magic—to give one a longer life.

When asked about what makes Inhandig coffee unique, Bae recalled her own father’s old age and how fresh his memory remained until his surrender to frailty.

“Our relationship with our coffee is rooted in our belief that it lengthens our life. We have elders who have reached the ages of 120 to 130 years old and would only surrender due to frailty. These elders only drink the coffee that we grow and the store-bought ones, as living in the mountains limits our time in the city,” Bae pleasingly shares.

“Yutang kabilin nga among ginasunod” In many cases in the Philippines, indigenous peoples (IPs) fight for their land back. Where Bae and her tribe reside is in the ancestral domain or the land that they inherit from their elders, who are indigenous to the land—farming and taking care of it since. She brought up the fact that they applied at the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) for an ancestral domain title, a document that recognizes the rights of IPs to their ancestral lands, waters, and natural resources, as a piece of evidence that they are rightful owners of the land they till and live in. What is only a piece of paper to some is a paper that holds the key for Bae’s tribe.

Their love and respect for their land extends to the way they farm, where they perform rituals every before and after planting coffee.

“We always ask permission from the spirits so they are not disturbed. After planting, we do another ritual for the spirits to cherish and sustain our coffees,” notes Bae.

She concludes that not only is their coffee cherished by the spirits, it also cherishes those who drink it.

A woman and a leader

Near the end of our conversation with Bae, we asked her her hopes for the future.

“My only wish is that, despite my old age, I can continuously contribute to the community. I also hope that my tribe continues to flourish even with I, a woman, as their leader. This indigenous peoples (IP) housing already is an achievement for us. Our farming of coffee and various crops helps us sustain ourselves, too, allowing us to send our youth to school. Unlike in the old times where we would hike back and forth. We would leave at dawn and come home already dark. It used to be very difficult for us,” she confidently answers.

Their journey from ancestral roots to global recognition is proof to their commitment to heritage and the nurturing land they so cherish. Each cup of Inhandig coffee offers more than its rich, unique flavor—it embodies a legacy of perseverance and pride. Through the story of Inhandig, we're reminded that it’s not just about the coffee—it’s about celebrating an indigenous community whose ancestral beliefs flourish even in times of modernity.