In the highlands of Balutakay in Bansalan, Davao del Sur—where the cool air sweeps down from the slopes of Mt. Apo and the volcanic soil nurtures some of the country’s finest coffee — one woman stands at the center of a quiet revolution in coffee farming. Her name is Janet E. Escalera, and her Arabica coffee was recently recognized as one of the finest entries in the Southeast Asia (SEA) Green Coffee Competition, a distinction that places her among the region’s most promising specialty coffee producers.
But Escalera’s story is not merely about producing award-winning beans. It is a story about women’s labor, patience, and the often-unseen work that transforms raw cherries into exceptional coffee.
A Woman’s Work in Coffee
“Many male farmers prioritize quick cash,” Escalera says, speaking in Bisaya as she recalls her early years in the industry. “This is why they often opt for cash crops. Immediately after harvesting, they can take their produce to the market for immediate sales.”
Her observation reflects a long-standing reality in many farming communities: men often dominate the planting and harvesting of crops, while women take charge of the meticulous, time-consuming tasks that follow. In coffee, this means processing—the delicate and labor-intensive stage that determines the quality, flavor, and value of the final product.
“Before coffee can be sold, it must undergo processing,” she explains. “The process of coffee processing is time-consuming. It requires meticulous attention, and typically, men lack the necessary patience. However, we women possess that quality.”
From Trader to Farmer
Escalera did not begin as a farmer. For two decades, she worked as a coffee trader, buying beans from farmers who passed by her family’s sari-sari store along the highway to Balutakay. She sold these beans to traders who visited her store, becoming a familiar figure in the local coffee economy.
Her interest deepened when she learned about the Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC)—the country’s premier green coffee competition. But as a trader, she was not eligible to join.
That limitation became her turning point.
With the support of her loving husband, Luis, she purchased a two-hectare coffee farm in Balutakay already planted with Arabica. Over time, she expanded her operations, managing a total of eight hectares of coffee farms across different locations, some of which are leased to her.
At first, she visited the farms every weekend. Today, she goes only once a month due to the steep terrain and distance. Her visits are purposeful: checking the health of the trees, assessing whether they need fertilizer, and ensuring the workers have what they need.
“I depend on them,” she says of her four farm workers. “I have informed them that without a successful harvest, we will not generate sufficient income to sustain our farming operations.”
Learning the Craft
Arabica coffee typically begins bearing fruit after four to five years. On her farms, the older trees are now six years old, while the younger ones are four.
“We harvest coffee cherries thirty days after flowering commences,” she explains. “We often harvest as soon as the coffee beans start to ripen or mature.”
But farming was not easy at the start.
“I had no knowledge of farming, let alone the cultivation of coffee,” she admits. “I resorted to conducting my own research. I sought advice from coffee traders who came to purchase coffee from our location whenever I faced challenges.”
Her learning journey eventually led her to Marivic Dubria, the celebrated “Coffee Queen of Davao,” who won first place in the 2019 PCQC and represented the Philippines in global coffee expos. Dubria introduced her to advanced processing techniques, including anaerobic natural fermentation, which produces fruity, syrupy flavor profiles prized in specialty coffee circles.
The Patience of Processing
Coffee processing is where Escalera’s expertise—and patience—shines.
The process begins with selecting only ripe red cherries. These are washed, cleaned, and sorted by density: defective cherries float, while healthy ones sink. After removing the defective and green cherries, the red cherries are placed in plastic bags and submerged in water for fermentation.
Once fermentation is complete, the cherries are pulped, leaving behind the sticky mucilage that envelops the seeds. This mucilage is crucial for flavor development, so it is retained during air-drying for three days, followed by sun-drying for another three days.
When sunlight is unavailable, drying can take much longer.
“Air drying can take between one week to twenty days when sunlight is not available for drying,” she says.
After drying, the parchment is removed, and the beans undergo sorting—a painstaking process that ensures uniform roasting and prevents defects from ruining an entire batch.
Empowering Women and Students
Sorting is labor-intensive, and Escalera cannot do it alone. Instead, she turns it into an opportunity for her community.
She invites housewives and students to help sort beans. Each sorter receives around 100 kilograms of beans and earns ₱20 per kilogram. They take the beans home, sorting them during their free time or at night.
“They are pleased with this venture,” she says. “For students, it provides them with an allowance. For housewives, it offers an additional source of income for the family.”
This simple initiative has created a micro-economy around her coffee operations—one that uplifts women and young people while ensuring high-quality output.
Growing La Escalera Café
For roasting, Escalera collaborates with BACOFA (Balutakay Coffee Farmers Association), a respected group of smallholder farmers known for producing specialty-grade Arabica.
Today, her brand, La Escalera Café, is recognized not only in Bansalan but across the Davao Region. She receives orders from other provinces, and demand sometimes exceeds supply.
“In some instances, we run out of coffee beans for our customers,” she says with a smile.
Her success is a testament to persistence, curiosity, and the quiet strength of women who work behind the scenes.
While growing coffee and overseeing the farm may traditionally be viewed as a man’s job, the processing of coffee is regarded as a woman’s duty. This perspective is held by Janet E. Escalera, whose patience, precision, and dedication have elevated her Arabica coffee to award-winning status. Her story affirms a truth often overlooked in agriculture: behind every exceptional cup of coffee is a woman whose labor shapes its quality, character, and soul.
