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LIPA CITY: Kapeng Barako Historical Background

Kapeng Barako

Kapeng Barako: The Lipa City Tourism Culture and Arts Council is now preparing for the 2017 week long celebration of the Kapeng Barako Festival which is set to happen on October 16-21, 2017.  Kicking off the festival is the city’s attempt to have a Guinness Book World Record for the longest line of people simultaneously drinking coffee.

But before that let us turn back the hands of time and uncover the history of “liberica coffee” in Lipa, which is popularly known as “Kapeng Barako”. 

KAPENG BARAKO  HISTORICAL BACKGROUND…

In 1740, a Franciscan friar crossed the expanse of the Pacific on board one of the galleons and brought with him either three coffee trees or three cans of coffee beans.  These he had planted outside a convent somewhere either in Laguna or Lipa.  Early in the nineteenth century, Don Gallo de Los Reyes, the gobernadorcillo or town mayor of Lipa, probably having heard of the great demand for coffee around the world, made it mandatory for all inhabitants of Lipa to plant coffee trees.

Early in the nineteenth century, Don Gallo de Los Reyes, the gobernadorcillo or town mayor of Lipa, probably having heard of the great demand for coffee around the world, made it mandatory for all inhabitants of Lipa to plant coffee trees.



By 1859, as much as ⅔ of Lipa’s total land area was planted to coffee; and this was a time when Malvar and Mataas na kahoy were still part of the town.  Its coffee production was so high that it made the Philippines the fourth largest coffee producer in the world at the time.

In recognition of Lipa’s “industry and virtue,” Maria Cristina, Regent Queen of Spain, bestowed upon the town the honor of being called “Villa de Lipa” on October 21, 1887.  This elevated Lipa from being a municipality into a city.

At this time land owners and hacienderos amassed a great amount of fortune that can last for generations.

Quoting Teodoro M. Kalaw in his book Aide de Camp to Freedom.

“There was in those days, very much money. It was also lavishly spent. Calle Real (now CM Recto Avenue), where we live, was crowded with shops, stores, and bazaars, just as Manila is today. In the afternoon, when the sons of the wealthy promenaded around the town, they were accompanied or rather, escorted by a host of servants who opened the way for them and protected them from the jostle of the populace.  The poor and we of the middle class contented ourselves with just watching from the sidewalks.”

Lipa City was then coined as “Paris of the Orient”. Regrettably, a fungus infestation beset coffee plantations around Lipa in the latter half of the nineteenth century, leading to a decline in production.  The city status would subsequently be revoked and Lipa would revert to being a town.

The years 1859 to 1892 were the golden coffee years of Lipa.

However, the palatial mansions that were built during this time were unfortunately razed to the ground during the World War II, Lipa being the second most devastated City in the Philippines.

To remind the Lipeños of its rich historical heritage, a city ordinance declaring the month of October of each year as the celebration of the coffee festival in the city was enacted on November 7, 2005.

Since then, the Lipa Tourism Culture and Arts Council has been tasked to organize a series of activities that will disseminate to the public on how coffee played an important role in the heritage of the Lipeños.(Source: Lipa City Tourism Culture and Arts Council)

Read more: KAPENG BARAKO FESTIVAL

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Barako PH is a Batangas-based digital marketing platform under Boomer Events and Production. The brand was created to promote and support local businesses in the Philippines through online marketing tools and services. Barako PH offers a wide range of services including website design and development, SEO, social media marketing, and online advertising. The company also provides a platform for businesses to connect with their customers and promote their products and services. Barako PH is committed to providing the best possible service to its clients and helping them grow their businesses.

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Written by Barako PH Writers

Barako PH is a Batangas-based digital marketing platform under Boomer Events and Production. The brand was created to promote and support local businesses in the Philippines through online marketing tools and services. Barako PH offers a wide range of services including website design and development, SEO, social media marketing, and online advertising. The company also provides a platform for businesses to connect with their customers and promote their products and services. Barako PH is committed to providing the best possible service to its clients and helping them grow their businesses.

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