Visiting the Baslay Highland Brew Coffee Project

During my trip to the Philippines, I stayed in Dauin, Negros Oriental for a few days. Being a well-known spot for its incredible marine life, i never thought to encounter this hidden gem.
One day, we went on a tour to the central highlands of the island, and part of the trip included visiting the Baslay Highland Brew Coffee project, where we enjoyed a quiet view and some organic coffee.

Background

One day, I heard that a top Diving Spot in the world was just a few hours away from where I was. So I thought to myself, why not? And I went to check out the place. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. The Marine Life of Dauin is incredible and almost untouched. You can enjoy a snorkeling day by the beach, start your Diving journey with one of the multiple schools, or, for those more adventurous, head to Apo Island, just a few minutes by boat.
But Dauin has so much more to offer. Unfortunately, it's overwhelmed by the beauty of its marine life and, of course, foreign investments making a profit from it.

The Baslay Highland Brew Coffee Project

The Baslay Highland Brew Coffee project is part of the Baslay Farmers Association.

Worldwide, coffee growers are considered among the most exploited as they receive only a small portion of the money we spend on coffee.

The Baslay project is one of those projects aimed at changing this and improve the lives of these highland farmers.

The farmers used to run environmentally unfriendly slash-and-burn practices but have since switched more environmentally friendly way of farming.

In this cooperative, the coffee sees a full cycle – from planting and harvesting to roasting and grinding. So, this shade-grown coffee can be described as single-origin coffee.

The farmers also grow other plants, such as fruits, to keep them going.

The farm has built a mini three-floor bamboo lookout and resting site. And I saw a group of farmers busy cleaning the raw coffee beans.

The plantation site also hosts a three-floor wooden lookout and resting site. As the name indicates, we could enjoy our coffee and snacks seated or just walk around enjoying a 360 view of the area.