Through the leadership of University President Dr. Edgar G. Cue, a high-level international delegation conducted a field validation at the MPSU-VSDRED-Montañosa Coffee Center in Baang, Bauko, Mountain Province. The assessment team focused on the university’s coffee plantation areas to evaluate its capacity as an accredited seedling provider and a strategic technology transfer partner for high-quality coffee production inline with DAR-VISTA Project.
VISTA (Value Chain Innovation for Sustainable Transformation in Agrarian Reform Communities) Project is a major initiative by the Department of Agrarian Reform and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) aimed at reducing rural poverty and building climate resilience. It focuses on enhancing agricultural value chains for commodities like coffee and cacao.
IFAD team, composed of Country Programme Officer Mags Catindig-Reyes, Agricultural Productivity Specialist Florante Villas, Regional Financial Management Officer Tendayi Makuyana, and Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist Tshering Choden, together with representatives from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Regional Office, Cordillera Administrative Region, DAR Region XII, DAR Central Office, and DAR Mountain Province, with Congressman Maximo Y. Dalog, Jr., Bauko Mayor Randolf “Randy” T. Awisan, Councilor Clefton B. Badecao, and representatives from Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization(ABROs) were warmly welcomed by MPSU Officials and Personnel.
Vice President for IRDPE Dr. Epiphania B. Magwilang briefed visitors regarding MPSU coffee journey where she quoted that “Mountain Province State University is the only state university in the province and is committed to helping improve the lives of the communities we serve through education, research, innovation, and extension.
Guided by our vision of becoming a unique highland coffee university, MPSU has developed facilities, expertise, and partnerships that support the coffee value chain—from seedling production and farmer capacity building to quality evaluation, research, and enterprise development.
Through these efforts, we aim to serve not only as a center for learning, but also as a partner in building a sustainable and competitive coffee industry in the highlands.”
Coffee cupping was also conducted by Mr. Rolando Tawanna, Jr. during the visit showcasing MPSU’s signature highland Arabica coffee.
This joint visit by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) under the VISTA Project to Mountain Province State University (MPSU) bridges international funding, state governance, and localized agricultural research.
