Philippine Coffee Quality Competition: 2026 Winners and Results

By Robin Salvador, co-founder, Caffeine Brothers
Last updated: November 6, 2026

Quick answer: The Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC) is the country’s national cupping contest for farmer-grown green coffee, run since 2018. In the 2026 results, Gloria Lagawan of Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, won Arabica with 86.41 points, and 10 of the 12 Arabica winners came from Mindanao. Sultan Kudarat farmers took all nine places in experimental Robusta, led by Ruel Acutan at 85.40, and Ilocos Sur farmers took all 12 places in natural Robusta.

This guide collects the published PCQC results for 2023 to 2026 in one place, explains what the scores mean, and sets the winners against PSA production data so you can see where quality and volume come from. For background on the main winning provinces, see our guides to Bukidnon coffee, Davao coffee and Sultan Kudarat coffee.

What is the Philippine Coffee Quality Competition?

The PCQC is a yearly contest where Filipino farmers submit green coffee that trained cuppers roast, brew and score on a 100-point scale. MindaNews reports that it began in 2018 to encourage farmers to improve their crops. The 2023 edition was its sixth year, according to the Philippine News Agency.

The organizers named in coverage have changed over time. MindaNews credits the 2026 edition to the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Agriculture and the Barista and Coffee Academy of Asia. Its 2024 report says the competition is supported by government, the private sector and donor-funded projects and follows Coffee Quality Institute grading protocols. In 2023, DTI regional offices in Northern Mindanao, Davao and the Ilocos Region released the results.

Results are usually announced at the Philippine Coffee Expo. The 2023 awarding was held at the World Trade Center in Pasay on June 4, 2023. The 2024 awarding was at SPACE, One Ayala in Makati on June 9, 2024. The 2026 awarding was in Makati during the expo, which Daily Tribune dates June 5 to 7, 2026 at One Ayala.

Who won the PCQC 2026 Arabica category?

Gloria Lagawan of the Inhandig Tribal Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, placed first with 86.41 points. MindaNews says her coffee is grown in the foothills of the Kitanglad range and that judges noted lychee, cranberry, apple, passion fruit and honey. Three Bansalan farmers made the list, which fits Bansalan’s record in earlier years.

Two names stand out across years. Lendilou Loon placed 12th in Arabica in 2023 and, as Lendilou Loon-Morris, 6th in 2026. The Garces family of Pangantucan won Arabica in 2023 (Manolito Garces, 86 points), placed third in 2024 and won the estate class in 2025, and Maynard Joseph Garces placed 9th in 2026. Samuel Mumar Ochea Jr. of Lanao del Sur moved from 7th in 2025 to 3rd in 2026, according to Daily Tribune.

Who won the Robusta categories in 2026?

MindaNews reports two Robusta lists for 2026. Ilocos Sur farmers took all top 12 places in the natural Robusta category, though the article does not list their names or scores. Sultan Kudarat farmers took all nine places in the experimental Robusta category, mostly from Senator Ninoy Aquino (also called Kulaman) and Kalamansig.

Ilocos Sur has a long run in Robusta. The Philippine News Agency reported in June 2023 that Ilocos Sur Robusta won 10 of the 12 top awards that year, the third straight year its growers swept the fine Robusta category, with farms in the upland towns of Gregorio del Pilar and Sigay. Sultan Kudarat’s Robusta growers have risen since: in 2024, Rey John Basco (86.45) and Roan Basco (86.43) of Senator Ninoy Aquino placed first and second.

How have the winners changed from 2023 to 2026?

The 2025 results we found are incomplete. A DA Region 10 article lists only Northern Mindanao Arabica winners and shows that 2025 split Arabica into an estate class (5.1 ha and above) and a smallholder class (1 to 5 ha). Manolito Garces of Finca de Garces won the estate class and Adeline Tarino of the Daraghuyan Ancestral Domain in Malaybalay placed second. Manila Bulletin reports that Rodiyo Tacdoy, a 22-year-old Benguet farmer, won first place in the smallholder class with a natural anaerobic lot. BusinessWorld gives his cupping score as 84.38.

What do PCQC scores mean?

PCQC results are reported on the 100-point cupping scale, the form the Specialty Coffee Association of America released in 2004. Chris Kornman of Royal Coffee, writing in March 2026, explains the usual bands on that form: below 70 is defective, 70 to 79.75 is commodity, and anything over 80 is specialty. Coffees below 84 tend to be used as blenders, 85 and up are usually sold as single origins, and 90 and up is rare.

By that measure, all 12 Arabica winners in 2026 and all nine experimental Robusta winners scored as specialty coffee, and four Arabica lots plus two Robusta lots reached 85 or more. Two caveats matter. Scores from different years come from different judging panels and coffees, so an 86 in 2023 and a 86.41 in 2026 are not directly comparable. And the Specialty Coffee Association’s newer Coffee Value Assessment form does not produce a single total score, so the 100-point number may change in future competitions.

Do winning provinces grow the most coffee?

Usually not. Competition lots are small, hand-sorted batches from single farms. PSA production data counts the whole province. Setting the two side by side shows that quality awards and volume come from different places.

Bukidnon placed four farmers in the Arabica top 12, yet PSA records only 20.83 t of Arabica green beans from the province in 2025, about 0.3% of the national 7,849.82 t. Ilocos Sur swept natural Robusta while producing 31.35 t of Robusta, about 0.1% of the national total. Sultan Kudarat is the exception: it is both the largest producer (15,689.08 t, 44.0% of all Philippine coffee) and the home of every experimental Robusta winner.

How much do PCQC winning lots sell for?

Winners can be offered at an auction after the competition, according to DA Region 10. The best documented sale is Rodiyo Tacdoy’s 2025 lot. Manila Bulletin (Aug 1, 2025) reports that he brought 120 kg, used 3 kg for cupping and sold 117 kg at ₱9,000 per kg, which it calls the highest price paid for local beans to date. BusinessWorld reports the final bid as ₱9,900 per kg, placed by CURVE Coffee Collaborators, and calls it the highest bid in PCQC history.

We could not confirm which figure is correct. At 117 kg, ₱9,000 per kg is ₱1,053,000 and ₱9,900 per kg is ₱1,158,300, so both reports agree the lot passed ₱1 million. For scale, our own Benguet Arabica sells for ₱1,068 per kg roasted on Nov 6, 2026. That is a retail price for roasted beans, so it is a rough reference point and not a like-for-like comparison with green beans sold at auction.

How is the PCQC different from the SEA Green Coffee Competition?

They are separate contests that often involve the same farmers. The Southeast Asia Green Coffee Competition is a regional event. Its 2025 edition ran October 5 to 9, 2025 at the Sultan Kudarat Convention Center in Tacurong City, with delegates from ten countries, according to NewsLine Philippines. The Philippines sent 20 finalists (10 Arabica, 10 Robusta) chosen in a national selection that ended July 25, 2025, SunStar reported. Roan Basco of Senator Ninoy Aquino placed first in Robusta, with Orlando Bayudan 6th, Rey John Basco 9th and Denz Bert Deramos 12th. Thailand won Arabica and Vietnam won Liberica.

The 2026 Philippine national round was held May 29 to 31, 2026 in Valencia City, Bukidnon, alongside the Bukidnon Coffee Festival. Daily Tribune counted 100 entries: 55 Arabica, 34 Robusta and 11 Liberica or Excelsa. DA Region 10 says winning samples go on to cupping sessions abroad through the SEA Green World Tour.

How to use PCQC results when buying coffee

These steps are our suggestions for café owners and home brewers who want to buy from award-winning farms.

1. Check the category and year. A win in experimental Robusta and a win in natural Robusta are different results, and the 2025 Arabica list was split into estate and smallholder classes.
2. Read the processing method. Washed, natural, honey and anaerobic lots taste different, and a farm’s regular harvest may not use the same process as its competition lot.
3. Ask about volume. Competition lots are often only 100 kg or so, as Tacdoy’s 117 kg lot shows. Ask the farm or cooperative what is left after the auction.
4. Contact the cooperative. Many winners belong to groups such as the Inhandig Tribal Multi-Purpose Cooperative or the farmers’ associations named in the results. DA Region 10 says it supports participating growers through programs such as HVCDP, PRDP, MIADP and AMAD, so regional offices are a good place to ask.
5. Taste before you commit. A score is one panel’s judgment on one sample. Cup a sample yourself with the brew method you plan to use.

Where Caffeine Brothers fits

We are a roaster, not a competition entrant, and we do not sell PCQC lots. Our Arabica beans are grown in Benguet and roasted medium (₱292 for 200 g, ₱1,068 per kg on Nov 6, 2026). Our Robusta and Kapeng Barako come from Batangas and are roasted dark. For more on the province behind our Arabica, read our Benguet coffee guide.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Mindanao farmers dominate coffee quality competition. Bobby Timonera, MindaNews, June 8, 2026. PCQC 2026 Arabica and experimental Robusta winners, scores, organizers, 2018 start
2. Mindanao leads PHL coffee revival. Cheng Ordoñez, Daily Tribune, June 13, 2026. SEA Green national round entries, Philippine Coffee Expo dates, Ochea and Rabaca
3. Agri-10 takes part in SEA Green Coffee Competition 2026. Department of Agriculture Region 10. 2026 national round dates and venue, SEA Green World Tour
4. NorMin coffee growers prevail in 2025 Phl coffee quality competition. Department of Agriculture Region 10, 2025 (undated). Estate and smallholder classes, Northern Mindanao winners, auction
5. Mindanao coffee farmers dominate in PCQC 2024. Genory Vanz S. Alfasain, MindaNews, June 17, 2024. 2024 winners, CQI protocols, venue
6. Mindanao coffee farmers sweep PCQC 2023. MindaNews, June 5, 2023. 2023 Arabica and Robusta top 12
7. Ilocos Sur’s robusta coffee hailed as ‘best’ in PH. Philippine News Agency, June 5, 2023. Sixth year, third straight Robusta sweep, towns
8. Benguet farmer breaks national record for coffee sold at auction. Manila Bulletin, Aug 1, 2025. Tacdoy lot, 117 kg, ₱9,000 per kg
9. A bid that made a young coffee farmer a millionaire. BusinessWorld, 2025. ₱9,900 per kg bid by CURVE, 84.38 score
10. Mindanao coffee farmers bound for SEA showdown. Rojean Grace G. Patumbon, SunStar Davao, Aug 4, 2025. 20 Philippine finalists, national selection
11. Sultan Kudarat emerges as Asia’s coffee powerhouse. Daisy Canarias, NewsLine Philippines, Oct 22, 2025. SEA Green Coffee Competition 2025 results
12. Scoring specialty coffee: what do the numbers mean?. Chris Kornman, Royal Coffee, March 10, 2026. Score bands, CVA form, CQI and SCA
13. Non-Food and Industrial Crops: Volume of Production by Region and Province. Philippine Statistics Authority OpenSTAT, updated Aug 28, 2026. 2025 green coffee bean production by province

Want Philippine coffee you can order today? Try our Benguet Arabica beans or browse the shop. Cafés can buy 10 kg boxes through our wholesale program. Questions? Contact us.