Taking nine spots off the 12 Top Robusta Coffee in the 2023 Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC), and occupying the first seven ranks, who would dare argue that the province of Ilocos Sur is the Land of the Best Robusta Coffee in the country?
 
The town of Quirino, in the person of Rodolfo Aciong, landed first in 2018 and third in 2019, and Sigay town through Mabini Ubuan won the first place two years in a row in 2021 and 2022.

This year, Gregorio Del Pilar’s Vilma Lasan with a score of 85.22, whose coffee entry emerged as the top in the country and also bagged a special award – the Best Processing for Robusta – Natural.
 
Mr. Ubuan, once again proving his excellence as a coffee grower, closely followed Lasan with a score of 85.
 
Other winning entries from Juana Bitongan of Tirad Pass Coffee Growers Association, Marietta Lidem, Jean Apalet of San Elias Coffee Growers Association, Byron Daplayan of San Elias Coffee Growers Association, and Silvestra Villegas placed third to seventh respectively.
 
Also, Erlinda Dao-ayan is in 9th place, Jordan Dalida – 11th, and Marielle Gannad – 12th. 

The province has been consistent in securing top places in the competition since joining in 2018.
 
Lasan, with her face laced with tears, shared her hardships during the Ammuentayo radio program and said that the path she had to take was not as enticing as a warm cup of brewed Robusta coffee.
 
She expressed her joy in brief words, “Nagpapasalamat ako, at masaya ako sa pagkapanalo ko sa PCQC.”

“Kahit matrabaho itong pagsali ko sa PCQC, mahabang pasensya at malaking sakripisyo, nagawa kong maging Top 1. Hindi lang ito para sa sarili ko kundi para rin sa barangay namin, sa bayan ng Gregorio del Pilar, at para sa probinsya ng Ilocos Sur,” she added.
 
Watching her adoringly as she wiped her tears after speaking, Department of Trade and Industry Region 1 Director Grace Falgui Baluyan commended the hard work of the coffee farmers in the province.
 
She said, “We congratulate our coffee farmers who really work hard to grow specialty coffee.”
 
The DTI director said that she believes there is a better prospect for Ilocos Sur coffee in the province having several coffee-growing towns and a “blessed and healthy land where sea breezes linger”.

She shared this must be the reason for the exceptional Robusta coffee in the province.
 
She also expressed her hopes that more municipalities and their citizens engage in growing coffee and that the industry continues to prosper in Ilocos Sur. (JCR/AMB/ATV, PIA Ilocos Sur)