Anatista Perez
For Anatista Perez, returning home to the Philippines after years of working overseas did not mean slowing down, it meant building something new.
After years of working abroad in the Turks and Caicos Islands, where she balanced multiple jobs while raising her children, Ms. Perez and her family decided to return home to Claveria, Misamis Oriental, where their coffee farm awaited them.
Looking at the harvest from their farm, she asked herself a simple question: "What else can I make out of my farm's produce?"
From that question, Don Narciso Cafe was born.
Today, the cafe stands as a testament to Ms. Perez’s passion and perseverance. A respected entrepreneur, Licensed Arabica Q-Grader, mother, and community leader, she transformed her family farm into a thriving enterprise serving locally sourced coffee amid the breathtaking mountain landscapes of Claveria.
With Ms. Perez at the helm of the enterprise, Don Narciso Cafe later became an Anchor Firm of the RAPID Growth Project in Region 10, where it now supports more than 12 farmer organizations and 1,024 smallholder farmers across Central Mindanao, strengthening the region’s coffee value chain. With assistance from the project, Don Narciso Cafe acquired a 15-kilogram coffee roaster, an investment that significantly increased their capacity to produce high-quality roasted beans for both their cafe and the wider market.
Under the leadership of Ms. Perez, the enterprise grew and evolved into an important training hub for local coffee farmers, providing guidance on bean grading, quality improvement, and better coffee farming practices.
Today, the cafe is recognized not only for its excellent coffee but also for its significant contribution to the coffee industry of Region 10 and the livelihoods of local farmers.
And at the heart of it all is Anatista Perez, whose leadership, commitment to community development, and dedication to quality have earned her recognition as one of the pillars of the Misamis Oriental Coffee Industry Council.
This National Women’s Month, her journey stands as a powerful reminder of how women leaders are transforming rural industries. Through enterprises like Don Narciso Cafe, and with the support of the DTI RAPID Growth Project, women entrepreneurs continue to strengthen agricultural value chains and create new opportunities for farmers across Mindanao.
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