Mount Apo, also known locally as Apo Sandawa, is the 24th highest peak of an island on Earth. With an elevation of 9,692 feet above sea level, it is the tallest mountain in the Philippines.
In the past, most farmers planted coffee in Balutakay, a barangay of Bansalan and situated in the foothills of Mount Apo. When the price of coffee in the market went down, some farmers resorted to planting high-value crops like carrots, cabbage, potato, green onions, sweet peppers, and lettuce.
However, there are still people who continue growing coffee in the area. One of them is Atty. Elmer G. Pedregosa, owner of Sir Ped’s Café Mount Apo, now one of Balutakay’s top tourist destinations. It is located at purok Neptune in barangay Managa.
During our recent visit, we had the opportunity of meeting Atty. Pedregosa himself. In our conversation, he talked about why he continued growing coffee and what were the reasons why he built the resort.
“We are known for our home-grown and farm-produced Arabica-based coffee drinks,” he said. “Our visitors get the rare and real ‘farm-to-cup’ coffee experience!”
