In September 2023, The Dream Coffee Mill in partnership with Bo's Coffee broke ground. Bo’s Coffee was founded by its CEO Steve Benitez in 1996, fueled by a dedication to the sustainability of Philippine coffee and local coffee businesses. Now the largest homegrown coffee brand in the country, Bo’s continues to give community-powered startups like The Dream Coffee a platform to grow.
Breaking ground in September 2023
Our collaboration gave rise to The Dream Coffee's first mill in T’Boli, which became operational in November 2023. The mill was created to be a central processing area for coffees coming from T'Boli and Lake Sebu, as well as neighboring provinces like Sultan Kudarat.
Included in the mill's infrastructure are a drying house, additional outdoor drying beds, a processing area, a pulper, a storage area, a bathroom, and additional rooms.
During the 2023/2024 harvest season, the mill became a key intervention for increasing our production. We saw a 275% increase in yield, with coffees coming from a private estate in Sultan Kudarat and 50 smallholder farmers from five communities in T’Boli and one in Lake Sebu.
The mill's location in T'Boli has a potential impact of at least 290 households. For community livelihood, the mill employed 12 local workers during the construction stages, 28 seasonal coffee processors, and two regular mill workers.
