On Day 4 of the Implementation Support Mission 2026, the mission team travelled to the foothills of Mt. Apo for a meaningful engagement with the farmers and community members of the Tibolo Integrated Farm Workers Association (TIFWA), a farmer organization built by the Bagobo Tagabawa people in Barangay Tibolo, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur.

Managing 150 hectares of Robusta coffee farms at elevations of 800 to 1,100 meters above sea level, TIFWA benefits from a landscape well-suited for high-value agriculture. Alongside coffee, the community cultivates corn, durian, honey, abaca, and various vegetables to diversify their sources of income while making the most of their land.

Also present during the visit was Paramount Coffee, a green coffee bean buyer linked to TIFWA through the RAPID Growth Project’s market assistance initiatives. They expressed strong satisfaction with both the quality and volume of beans supplied by the organization—an encouraging sign of a growing and reliable partnership.

TIFWA shared how support from the RAPID Growth Project enabled them to expand their farms, complemented by rehabilitation training, provision of tools, and capacity-building activities on good agricultural practices. These interventions have not only improved productivity and crop quality but also allowed the community to continue honoring their culture and traditions.

The visit concluded with a walk through a member’s coffee farm, where consultants from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) observed firsthand how TIFWA nurtures and maintains their coffee trees. Practical insights were shared on how the farmers can further strengthen their practices—closing the mission on a note of learning, exchange, and shared purpose.