Bin-i Opening Dec16th at CordiCoffee Baguio

Photo Exhibit gives tribute to upland farmers

By the time that the friendly barista of Cordillera Coffee hands over your order of freshly brewed coffee, you have just experienced a hundred pages of rich coffee history.

The Philippines, being a coffee-drinking nation, is one of those countries which undergo the full process of coffee drinking - from its arduous production to its satisfactory consumption. Cordillera Coffee being dedicated on this cause, will hold a photo exhibit featuring the faces responsible for that rich and intense cup of coffee- the coffee farmers themselves. The exhibit is entitled, “Bin-i: Stories Behind Coffee”.

Coffee AID (Assistance for Indigenous Development), founded by Cordillera Coffee Company, is a non-profit organization that helps our coffee farmers in the interesting and intricate culture of coffee harvesting. Cordillera Coffee boasts of coffee beans directly harvested from the mountains of Cordillera. They believe that it is time to give something in return to those farmers who meticulously harvest coffee beans for us to enjoy in every cup.

Bin-i will showcase the works of Bicol-native photographers, Dennis Rito and Buck Pago. The exhibit will commence on December 16, 2007 at the Cordillera Coffee shop in SM Baguio at 5.30 p.m. Bin-i will be opened by Presidential Assistant for Cordillera Tomas Kilip, and Cordilleraa-based documentary-photographer Tommy Hafalla.
The exhibit will highlight the people responsible for the best coffee in the Philippines, the coffee farmers, through the lens and artistic eyes of our very own celebrated photographers. Rito’s photographs are known for their candid quality while Pago’s (better known as the “nomadic” Buck) style borders more on political and human-nature themes. Both of the photographers are frequent participants in group exhibitions, national and international photo conferences with several commissioned works to boot. Rito is currently working on a photo essay and his previous works could be viewed at http://dsrito.multiply.com and Buck is incessantly working on his independent take on investigative photojournalism everywhere he goes. Samples of his works may be viewed at http://blackpago.blogspot.com.

The said event, among other socio-civic affairs conducted by Cordillera Coffee, aims to bring awareness to coffee-drinkers as to how coffee comes a stirringly long way before reaching our cups.

Bin-i: Stories Behind Coffee is also sponsored by Gallery 7 Digital Studio in partnership with Cordillera Coffee. It will run until January 18, 2008.

The wait is over! :-)

Cordillera Coffee, the Philippines' best mountain coffee is now brewing at UP Diliman, Vargas Museum! Kiosk is open daily from 7a.m. - 7p.m.

Cordillera Coffee soon at UP Vargas Museum!

The long wait will soon be over.
Watch out for a coffee kiosk opening soon at the porch area of the Vargas Museum, UP Diliman.

Celebrate World Poetry Day at Cordillera Coffee - Baguio

Coffee Connects You.

Sample the best of Philippine coffee at this year's coffee festival aptly dubbed, Coffee Connects You. There are simultaneous celebrations at Glorietta 4 lobby, Kape Isla store in Serendra, and the restaurants along Bonifacio High Street, from 12-28 October.

Cordillera Coffee stands to promote the finest mountain coffee in the country. Swing by and support local coffee companies! There's free-flowing coffee for everyone, but please buy the beans and support local coffee growers.

Habi Hulma at Hunyango

Cordillera Coffee presents Habi, Hulma at Hunyango - a group exhibition featuring works by First Year Fine Arts students of the University of the Phippines Baguio.

These are their last three plates where they experienced working with sawdust, plaster of paris and fabric. Under the tutelage of Katti Sta. Ana in their Materials Course, they were introduced to the properties and characteristics, possibilites and limitations of basic and alternative art materials for the production of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional artworks.
Opening ceremonies with invited guest of honour Bencab, will be held on Saturday, the 6th of October 7:00 p.m. at Cordillera Coffee in SM City Baguio.

Exhibit runs until 23rd of November.

BAGuio: A Celebration

The 1st of September was greeted with the opening of a new art exhibition featuring the Baguio Arts Guild. Visit Cordillera Coffee- Baguio and view their stunning works.

Click on the image to view full poster image.

COFFEE. CINEMA. CONCERT.

You are invited to jam with us at UP Film Institute's Friday Film Bar Nights!

Baguio Arts Guild at CordiCoffee Baguio

After a successful Artists' Night on 29th of June, Cordillera Coffee now brings an art exhibition featuring the Baguio Arts Guild. The exhibit opens tomorrow, Saturday, 28th July 7:00 pm at CordiCoffee in SM Baguio.

Guests of honour are Atty. & Mrs. Bangaoet, featuring special performances by local acts.

You are all invited to the opening night tomorrow.

This Friday

What we did on Friday

We gave 20 of these away.

A cup of this exotic brew is priced at Php 300.

What's new at CordiCoffee Riverbanks

Visit for the coffee or for the painting

Below is an article by Ms Leonor San Agustin, Baguio-Mountain Provinces Musuem curator, in her column The Catalyst III in Midland Courier.

Last Saturday, May 19, the Three Witches were invited to grace the opening of the Cordillera Coffee, the newest café in the SM ground floor, owned by Mary Grace Arboleda. This café is one of those sit down-drink god coffee-and relax variety of coffee shops that are proliferating not only at SM malls but all over Baguio. This abundance of coffee shops just for de-stressing one’s busy schedule is a sign that Baguio is becoming a city of stress – the consequence of crowds going in and out of SM even on rainy afternoons, taxis that crowd its front gardens and roads, the whistles of security guards, and the general ambience of peace and quiet that our city was famous for if we had not lost it when the city allowed SM to build a mall where once the Pines Hotel was, then we are losing it. It is a good thing Cordillera Coffee shop is located way out to the right side of the building so you can see the stand of pine trees, the flowers, and the sunlight shining through the expanse of landscape across the road.

What makes the Cordillera Coffee different is not only the coffee which gives the strong flavor of the “barako” beans – but the paintings on its walls.

At first, I did not notice the paintings because when ushered in, we were asked to sit on a chair against the wall, but when we came in from the opening ceremonies, I saw it and stopped. The painting was flat against the wall framed like a door that opens to something, from the floor o way up where the ceiling meets the wall. The arresting figure f a Kalinga beauty in full splendor of her ‘kain’ and its native bead accessories caught my attention.

The provocative stance of the whole figure is based on the painter’s S-curve. Its sweeping line enhance the sexy tilt of her hips and the downward curve of her torso as she looks down to see if her skirt’s waistline was low enough to bare her belly button and define enough of the cleavage of her invisible breasts.

Rishab used this technique very often in most of his paintings of nudes and parts thereof, so that instead of looking directly at the object one uses his imagination to see what is camouflaged by his use of focused lighting. Aside from this technique, he uses sweeping lines to denote the sensuous movement of the total figure thus becoming in the eyes of the beholder paeans of beauty in color and light. His background is muted deep red and brown, which blends with the Kalinga colors of red, yellow, and white. But during the day, the figure does not come out very well and looks rather drab unlike the striking glow of the figure in the focused lighting at night.

The face of Rishab’s Kalinga beauty does not look very Kalinga – the aquiline nose is rather too broad for the high cheekbones if the Kalingas who have fine Indo-Chinese noses with their dark brown complexion. The painter has made the eyes of his Kalinga beauty more of Chinese ancestry than of the lowland Ilocanos. Her neck is filled with beads of all kinds and colors with the two strands of “winayway” as the focus of her attention. The Kalinga woman wears a whole set of jewelry but Rishab highlights only the “winayway” and three other sets of jewelry – the two strings of black and white “addogan” beads worn form the shoulders across the chest to the hipline, this meeting in the middle of the chest like an X sign; the “ballong” -- a band of fine-stringed “carnelian” and “maradao” beads flat around her neck as a choker, and the “rinali” , a narrow or wide armband of very fine black glass worn on the wrist up to the shoulders if the woman is very rich. The touch of pearly white string of beads show beautiful glimmer but in the Kalinga collection of native jewelry, that does not belong there.

While Rishab did not paint all the regulatory native jewelry, which the Kalinga woman wears to show wealth and prestige, his high lighting effects on the three sets show very skillful use of few but rare pieces. Even knotting the ends of the skirt over the left hip to highlight sexy thighs do not come out as it should because of the muted combination of the red, yellow and white lines over the embroidered joineries of complementary green, red, or yellow yarn are not shown in detail in Rishab’s painting. Kalinga skirts attract attention because of the meticulous work of embroidery over weaving in the most stringent color combinations – that is why they are called “dinoble” meaning woven, sewn, embroidered, and finally hanged with the “witawit” (mother of pearl triangular or rhombohedral pieces).

The lack of decorative details and the use of muted colors even with the “tinali” in Rishab’s painting makes it not authentic enough, but certainly, the sexual casualness of her stances, the effectiveness of camouflaged lighting, and the projected beauty and verve is worth seeing at the cost of "barako" coffee!

Of course by "barako" Ma'am San Agustin meant brewed coffee. But Cordillera Coffee takes pride in serving 100% Cordillera Arabica. See the full image of the painting and try a cup of our brew by visiting Cordillera Coffee at the Upper Ground Floor, UP Wing, SM City Baguio.

The Brew comes Home

Baguio-Mt. Provinces Musuem Curator Leonor San Agustin and former Baguio Mayor Viriginia De Guia, with owners Mary Grace Arboleda and Frank Young, unravel the tapis for the Cordillera Coffee opening at SM Baguio. With them are SM Mall Asst. Managers Amy Gonzales and Marc Janssen-Pe. Photo by Redjie of PIA.

It will be a month now after the much awaited grand opening of Cordillera Coffee in Baguio City, our first store in the Cordillera! From its small beginnings in 2003, Cordillera Coffee Company has been actively seeking new investment opportunities to spread the word about the best mountain coffee in the country! Last year we opened a shop in the River City, promoting arts and culture through various exhibitions, workshops, and talks.

What better way to expand and enlarge territories than going back to where our coffee belongs? The Cordillera region is home to a rich culture, a diverse people full of pride for their motherland. The region is of course home to the Cordillera Arabica, its shady mountains giving just the right climate and elevation for growing coffee beans.

19th of May marked the inauguration of the Cordillera Coffee shop in Baguio City. It has been a challenge and a worthy endeavour putting the place together -- recruiting and training a new CordiCoffee team, selecting pieces for the shop, enjoining artists for the art exhibition, the list goes on...

We say thank you to those who have been part of the opening night. For your presence and support, we cannot thank you enough. To those who were unable to attend because of geographical distance and other circumstances, we understand. We know you were there with us in spirit.

Tawid ti Cordillera leads the celebration

Ruel Bimuyag with friends

Tommy Hafalla with friends

Our guests of honour, Coffee AID Farmers

On exhibit are works by Joe Abawag, Lowell Aromin, Donahue Calderon,
Sultan Mang-osan, Dexter Simsim, Joey Simsim, Ruel Bimuyag, and Tommy Hafalla

Cozy corner for bookworms and writers

Coffee Tribute: A Toast to Cordillera Women Farmers

This March

...Cordillera Coffee takes you on a diverse cultural experience.

Northern and southern rhythms from the Philippine islands fuse in the music of Sruvaleh, a dynamic worldbeat group composed of Royce, Adlai, Karlo, Dong, and Jayson. Soothe your senses to their vibrant sounds! Check them out every 2nd Friday of the Month, 8:30PM at Cordillera Coffee Riverbanks, Marikina.

Learn more about traditional Cordillera music in a workshop with Ruel Bimuyag, exhibiting cultural worker and artist for Immortal Beauty -- a showcase of photographs from Cordillera, on Friday 16 March, 7PM onwards. This is the third instalment of workshops for Dap-ayan -- our series of free workshops on art, culture, literature, and other ways to express our love for country.

Renowned Cordillera artist Roland Bay-an exhibits his works on Cordillera women and coffee on Saturday, 17 March, 7PM.

Be mesmerized with indigenous music and dance ensemble Kontra-Gapi as they colour the night with choice musical compositions from different parts of the Philippines. Happens 23 March at 8:30PM.

Listen easy and spend a night of laid-back music on the 30th of March with veteran musician Gabby Adil. Sway to familiar tunes and revisit Pinoy music from the 70's to present, with jazz and other contemporary pieces. Jam starts 8:30PM.

For registration, reservation and inquiries, call Cordillera Coffee-Riverbanks at (02)4822515, text 09226702205 or email cordilleracoffee@gmail.com.

Cordillera Coffee at the Kape Isla Store

Cordillera Coffee is an active member of the Philippine Coffee Board, the organization which put up the Kape Isla Coffee Shop in its efforts to promote the best and finest Philippine coffee and to sustain the growing industry.

Below is an invitation from the Philippine Coffee Board to celebrate the coming together of diverse Philippine coffee brands, to further the cause for awareness and appreciation for the best Philippine coffee!

**
Our year-round, full-time opportunity to tell people about Philippine coffee – the Kape Isla Coffee Shop – is now open at the G/F Serendra (across Market! Market!), Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. The store's grand launch is on Thursday, 1 March at 5:30 p.m.

Kape Isla showcases the finest coffee from the Philippine islands. Available all year-round would be over a dozen varieties of Philippine coffee beans, blends and brews. The coffee shop is an experience in itself, serving delicious hot and cold coffee concoctions including barako lattes, cappuccinos, and mochas plus refreshing ice cold coffee choco-nut, cookies and cream, barako milk shakes and coffee mantecado ice cream shakes. Philippine Robusta, Excelsa, Arabica and Liberica coffee beans from all over the country – from Benguet and the Cordilleras to Cavite, Batangas, Panay, Negros, all the way to Bukidnon and Sultan Kudarat.

The choice of beans are rotated every two weeks as the featured Coffee of the Week. Every visit to Kape Isla is a whole new coffee experiencw! Even better, you get to support the Philippine coffee industry at the same time. As a social enterprise, Kape Isla’s profits are given back to programs and projects of the Philippine Coffee Board designed to sustain the coffee industry.

Designed by the country’s premiere architectural team of Leandron V. Locsin and Partners, Kape Isla carries the theme of modern, global Pinoy meets traditional Filipino. To the best extent possible, the coffee shop proudly shows off Filipino design in its architecture and interior design, down to its furniture, accessories, art, background music, and even coffee mugs and merchandise. At the same time, it provides patrons with all the amenities of modern cafes– complete with wireless internet connections.

To complement the delicious cups of Philippine coffee, Kape Isla also serves light breakfast, lunch, dinner and traditional Filipino merienda fare. Such items include kakanins, rice cakes, pan de sal, Pinoy pastas, savories and pastries– again from different parts of the country to show off the diversity of Filipino food which can go with equally diverse coffees.

A warm cup of Cordillera Coffee

The Coffee AID gathering took place in Atok, Benguet, where the temperature almost dropped to 5 degrees during the evenings. A cup of freshly-brewed Cordillera Coffee was perfect for keeping warm. Nana Melita Tayao couldn't agree more.

A warm, joyful, and lovely Valentine's day to you all, from your Cordillera Coffee family!

Coffee AID: A growing family

The meeting at the Coffee AID Centre in Atok, Benguet

51 new farmers are signing up for Coffee A.I.D. (Assistance for Indigenous Development). Through membership, the growers are enabled to receive regular income, which come from monthly contributions from donors/investors.

Join us in promoting fair trade and helping the farmers improve their livelihood by being part of Coffee AID.

Interested volunteers and donors may contact us through phone numbers (02)4330634 and (02)4360324.

Mga Tanaga

Mga tula mula sa Unang Halik sa Panitik poetry workshop:

Hangarin

Isang punpun ng walis,
Dumi sa king paligid
Sa lupang nagnanais,
Kalinisa’y makamit.
- Eula Moso

Kalikasan
Lupang tuyo at hapis
Puno, halama’t batis
Sa pag-agos ng tubig
Pag-asa’y makakamit.
- Eula Moso

Pag-asa
Sa pagmulat ng mata
Hirap at pagdurusa
Sa langit makikita
Panibagong pag-asa.
- Eula Moso

Luha
Sa pagpatak ng luha
Iyong ipinadama
Lungkot sa aking mata
Sa tuwina’y nadarama.
- Eula Moso

Ambisyon
Bitbit ko gitara ko
Tinig mo’y kailangan ko
Dala nito’y awit mo
Hatid nito’y batid ko.
- Jennifer Caspillo

Hinagpis
Sa hirap at gutom
Sa pawis at pasakit
Buhay ko’y nagnanais
Pagdurusa’y maalis.
- Jennifer Caspillo

Pamilya

Sa ‘king pag-iisa
Lungkot ay nadarama
Dalangin sa tuwina
Pamilya’y makasama.
- Ricky Espaldon

Ang iba pang mga tula ay makikita sa Dagdag Dunong blog. Abangan ang mga susunod pang Dap-ayan workshops sa mga susunod na buwan.

Music Jam with Sruvaleh tomorrow!

They will be back! For those of you who missed the music jam with Sruvaleh, do not fret! Catch them tomorrow and listen to the vibrant music. North meets south in this dynamic music ensemble.

Make Cordillera Coffee your hang-out place for live music and good coffee!

Jamming with Sruvaleh starts a little after dinner, (7:30 p.m.) tomorrow. For questions, contact us through 4360324 or 4822515 or text 09226702205. See you all!

Coffee of the Month: Caramel Coffee Slush

Visit Cordillera Coffee and get 10% discount on our featured concoction.

Caramel-flavoured coffee topped with delectable caramel syrup. A must-try.

Jammin' with Sruvaleh

Aside from the best coffee, there is one more reason to be at Cordillera Coffee every Friday night. Music jam.

On Friday we tapped our feet and danced to Sruvaleh's vibrant and soothing sounds.



Catch them again at Cordillera Coffee Marikina on the 9th of February.

Sruvaleh Live at Cordillera Coffee

From the vibrant rhythms of the north
and the ethnic grooves of the south
comes the group
Sruvaleh
( " srrroo - va - lehh " )

Soothe your senses
with the music
of this up and coming
worldbeat and percussion group!

Friday 26 January 2007
7:30 PM

Admission is free.
FREE COFFEE in celebration of Coffee AID!

Invite your family and friends.


Do check these guys out at:

http://www.sruvaleh.tk/
http://www.soundclick.com/sruvaleh
http://www.myspace.com/sruvaleh
http://sruvalehworldmusic.multiply.com/

Immortal Beauty: Photos from the photo exhibit

Tattooing has been regarded by the natives
as 'the highest form of beautification,' - an art which transcends
the physical world and goes on to the afterlife.
The natives believed that after death,
their souls would still bear the tattoos -
indeed a trace of eternal grandeur.

Cultural worker Ruel Bimuyag has been to most parts of the Cordillera,
met natives and has been tirelessly documenting their life and times

Kidlat Tahimik with Isa Lorenzo of Silverlens Gallery

Cultural worker Ruel Bimuyag with Frank Young

Kidlat Tahimik, almost in a trance - preparing coffee from the highlands
using his native coffee press.

The event became a spontaneous exchange
among filmmakers, photographers, and culture advocates.

Tatay Kidlat's Samorice, Ruel Bimuyag and Tommy Hafalla's Sedey,
and Ruel Lozendo's Simula were showcased that night
- turning the simple event into a mini film festival-of-sorts.

Immortal Beauty runs until 15 March 2007 at Cordillera Coffee Riverbanks Centre, Marikina. The shop is open Monday-Saturday 7am-3am (yes, the next morning) and Sundays 10am-10pm.

For inquiries, call CordiCoffee Marikina store at 4822515 or CordiCoffee Office at 4330634, or email cordilleracoffee@gmail.com.

Immortal Beauty: A photo exhibit

an exhibit of photographs by Ruel Bimuyag

opens on friday 19 january 2007 at sunset
followed by the screening
of Banal na Kahoy by Kidlat Tahimik

Exhibit runs until 15 March 2007
Cordillera Coffee Riverbanks Center, Marikina

for inquiries call 4330634 or 4822515

Dap-ayan II: Unang Halik sa Panitik

Salamat sa mga nagpuntang makata sa poetry workshop na handog ng Dagdag Dunong Project at Cordillera Coffee! Kitang-kita naman ang tuwa sa mga kabataang nagsidalo. Salamat kay Ate Bebang na matiyagang nagturo, kay Kuya Russ, ang punong abala ng Dagdag Dunong Project, sa Kontra-Gapi para sa musika.

Magpakilala muna tayo!

Karamihan ng mga dumalo ay mga out-of-school youth galing pang Navotas, Malabon, at Tondo.

Si Ate Bebang ay masayang nagbahagi patungkol sa sukat at tugma.

Ang aming suki sa tugtugan, kapuso sa hangarin - Kontra-Gapi.

Ang mga tula mula sa workshop ay makikita rito sa mga susunod na araw. Kita-kita tayo sa susunod na Dap-ayan: Cordillera Music Workshop kasama si Ruel Bimuyag.

Iti Cordillera Exhibit

We are inviting all art collectors, art lovers and art critics to come and view the latest works by Baguio-based brothers and artists Joey and Dexter Simsim. Amply dubbed Iti Cordillera, their works depict the richness and beauty of the Cordillera people.

Cordillera Coffee Riverbanks Center is open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 a.m. the following morning. The exhibit is on its last week at the Marikina store and will move to the Xavierville shop on 19th January.

Dap-ayan Workshop II: Unang Halik sa Panitik

gusto mong matutong tumula?
gusto mong matutong tumula at tumulong sa kapwa?
gusto mong matutong tumula at tumulong sa kapwa habang
sumisimsim ng kape mula sa Cordillera?

aba'y magregister na sa:

Unang Halik sa Panitik: TULA

Kailan: 12 Enero 2007, ika-6 ng gabi
Saan: Cordillera Coffee - Riverbanks Center, Marikina City
Mga dapat isama/bitbitin: pad paper, panulat at isang estudyante mula sa public high school or state university/college (except University of the Philippines) OR out of school youth

THIS POETRY LECTURE/WORKSHOP is Free. :-)

Handog ito ng Cordillera Coffee at Dagdag Dunong Project sa lahat ng nilalang na interesadong kumatha ng tula.

Para magrehistro at sa ibang mga katanungan,

tumawag sa Cordillera Coffee: (02)4330634

o magtext sa 09193175708 (bebang) o 09226702205 (iona)

o mag-email sa Cordillera Coffee - cordilleracoffee@gmail.com

at Dagdag Dunong Project - russell_gabriel@yahoo.com/ bebang_ej@yahoo.com

para sa panitikan, para sa bayan.

www.panitikan.com.ph
www.dagdagdunong.blogspot.com

http://dagdagdunong.multiply.com