World winning Laguna Liberica Coffee soon to be available at The Giving Café: UPLB!

Residents of Laguna along with tourists will soon get to taste Sta. Maria town’s Liberica Coffee that recently won the Silver award in Signature Coffee Award: Latte at the Global Coffee Championship in Korea. The global winning coffee of farmers from Santa Maria, Laguna will be available at The Giving Café (TGC) in UPLB that opened yesterday. The store is located at the UPLB’s Student Union’s Soda Fountain.

“The Giving Cafe, a Social Enterprise by Henry & Sons, aims to build a beautiful coffee future by helping coffee farmers through its advocacy arm, The Foundation for sustainable coffee excellence (FSCE),” shares Michael Harris Conlin, 2019 PH Barista Champion and President and CEO of Henry and Sons.

Proceeds of TGC: UPLB will support its adopted coffee community, Barangay Juan Santiago, Santa Maria in Laguna. Barangay Juan Santiago coffee farming community is home to 38 families with 85,000 Liberica and Excelsa trees, the largest concentration of Liberica and Excelsa in Laguna and possibly in the entire Calabarzon. The funds raised by TGC: UPLB will be used towards bio-dynamic farming practices, improving harvesting, processing, and the communities much needed coffee drying solutions.

Henry & Sons, in partnership with UPLB leadership, makes what's old new again by bringing back the Student Union's Soda Fountain cafeteria to life with mouthwatering home-cooked meals, ice cream, and coffee. Flank by TGC's iconic cozy antique furniture, lighting, and books, the space is designed to encourage students, faculty, and visitors to strengthen the community around them and encourage to indulge in giving.

The Giving Café, with over 80 food and beverage offerings, is a hybrid restaurant and coffee shop that aims to contribute to the betterment of the local coffee industry and be part of something beyond the business. A place for comfort, The Giving Café is designed to be a safe haven for people looking to indulge in coffee experiences served with both excellence and compassion. The Giving Cafe focuses on bridging the community around it with the farming communities it adopts.

Beyond the advocacy, The Giving Café also offers guests multi-sensory experiences highlighting Henry& Sons' F&B expertise. “We want to everyone to enjoy, eat well and indulge in giving by supporting laguna coffee farmers with every cup of coffee you purchase,” Conlin, adds.

TGC will also be featuring its popular Bloom Coffee collection, which is a unique line of coffees created by Henry & Sons to generate funds that will support the following purposes:

• BEANS FOR THE LITTLE ONES – access to basic health necessities
• BEANS WITHIN REACH – access to programs promoting traceability and accessibility
• COFFEE FOR GREAT MINDS – access to education
• CUP TO SEED – access to livelihood and harvest implements
• THE GIVING WELL – access to clean and potable water.

For more information, visit www.henryandsons.ph and www.thevault.ph.

Wordless Wednesday #138 | Way Back When.

Found my husband's old wallet while rummaging through the drawers.
Inside were a few dollars, an expired credit card, my 2002 UPLB grad photo,
our studio pics from 2003, and old love letters. How cheesy! :)

Foodie Goodie | Mer-Nel's Chocolate Cake.

Best. 

Chocolate cake. 

Ever.

If you're  from Los Banos, or a UPLB (University of the Philippines Los Banos) student/alumni, or a resident of Laguna, I'm pretty sure you're familiar with this heart-shaped cake. I know, too, that my claim of Mer-Nel's being the best chocolate ever would go uncontested.

What began in 1996 as a small business to support their family's needs has flourished to become a household name and a very popular brand of cakes and pastries. From a humble little bakeshop, this business of Ms. Merle and Mr. Nelson Balicao (guess where the name Mer-Nel's came from, haha) has grown big, and continues to grow bigger.

Aside from the original store along Lopez St., in Los Banos, Mer-Nel's now has a restaurant and function hall located along South Superhighway, and a branch at SM City Calamba.

Mer-Nel's Place
#65 National Highway, Brgy. Maahas, Los Banos, Laguna. 
+63495361145 +63495364544
mernelsplace@gmail.com

Shared with Food Friday, Food Trip Friday, Heavenly Treats, Yummy Sunday, i Heart macro, Pink Saturday, Blue Monday. 

UP Los Banos | Bring Back the Peace to my Sweet Home eLBi!

I practically grew up in Los Banos. I studied there for eight years - four years of secondary school in UP Rural High School and four years of college at the University of the Philippines - making eLBi (a colloquial term for Los Banos) my second home.

Panoramic view of the UPLB campus.
Photo credit: Gari23

Whenever I hear the words 'UP Los Banos', 'UPLB', 'eLBi', or 'Los Banos', a wave of nostalgia always hits me. eLBi has stood witness to a lot of momentous events in my life. This is where I've forged lifelong friendships, met my first love, had my first kiss, encountered my first heartbreak, made solid alliances, built my dreams.

Facade of the old UP Rural High School.
Photo credit: Kat Sulit.

This place holds a special spot in my heart. It always has, and always will.

The UP Oblation.
Photo credit: Kat Sulit

Those nippy mornings when I practically had to drag myself to class (because the weather was not conducive for learning or I was still nursing a nasty hangover), those lazy afternoons when my girl friends and I (I call them my evil sisters) would be the first ones to buy pan de sal from Jericho's Bakery, those late nights spent cramming for an exam, working on a group project, meeting with orgmates, enjoying a concert, strolling around the campus...

My turf - the UPLB College of Development Communication building.

I have nothing but fond and happy memories of this wonderful, little town. Of what once was a quiet and peaceful town.

I said once, because it's no longer the serene hometown that it used to be. A string of heinous crimes over the past few months (the latest of which was last Saturday) has caused unrest among students, teachers, eLBi locals, and even alumni like me.

I am saddened that innocent kids died meaningless deaths, enraged that good-for-nothing evil doers took away their dreams. As a mom, I worry for the safety of the present Isko's and Iska's (that's Iskolar ng Bayan, a term for UP students), and I empathize with their parents who are even more worried for them. I am dumbfounded by the kind of security the UP Police and Los Banos Police provide to the community. And I am flabbergasted and disgusted with the town's present administration, and the physical absence thereof.

It breaks my heart knowing that my haven away from home is now shrouded by fear and gripped with indignation. I demand justice for Ray Bernard, Rochel, Given Grace, and all the other victims of these ruthless crimes. I pray for the grounds of the UP campus and the streets of Los Banos to be safe again. That the peace and tranquility be restored to my sweet home eLBi.

Keep eLBi safe!