Pahimis Festival

September 27, 2017

PAHIMIS is the Amadeo word for “pasasalamat” (thanksgiving) in the olden times. As a tradition, coffee farmers gave away his last can of harvest as a sign of thanksgiving, believing that by doing so, luck and abundance would come on the next harvest season. An eat-together gathering with neighbors will serve as the Pahimis before the start of business venture or relatives and friends were sent part or harvest of food as Pahimis.
To give semblance to the tradition, a coffee festival named after this cultural practice will be held annually for thanksgiving and good luck. The yearly affair seeks to boost the Amadeo’s thriving coffee industry and to position the municipality as one of the promising havens of investment in terms of agri-business and eco-tourism.
The festival hopes to revive a good tradition of gratefulness for those who do good for themselves and their fellowmen.
How it started
From the seed to the brew…then… PAHIMIS!
With a vast 4508 hectares of its land planted to coffee, Amadeo has the largest land area devoted to coffee farming in the entire of upland Cavite – the biggest coffee producer in the province.
The decline of the coffee bean price in recent years, prompted the coffee farmers to cut coffee trees and consider other means of livelihood.
Governor Ayong Maliksi, through his economic recovery program, came to the rescue of the coffee farming towns suffering from the sad condition of the industry. The governor called up for support of all sectors, particularly the private sector, to help uplift the status of the farmers in the industry.
Likhang Kabitenyo Development Cooperative Foundation (LKDCF), Cavite Exporters Association and the Municipality of Amadeo responded to the call made by the governor. LKDCF devised strategies to raise the income of coffee farmers. While doing so, a unique festival was in the brew to make noise and to herald a new dawn in the coffee industry.
The Municipality of Amadeo headed by Mayor Albert “OJ” G. Ambagan was tasked to lead promotion of the coffee industry. The Provincial Coffee Development Board supported the move. The preparation of what could be the country’s biggest coffee thanksgiving tradition – The Pahimis 2002 – went in full swing.
A board was created by Mayor Ambagan to oversee the preparations Vice Mayor Elpidio Bawalan took charge of Internal Affairs. Mr.Richard Lumandas concentrated on the activities and correspondents, SB Rene TOngson worked on external affairs while AWCI school head Ms. Corazon Salcedo served as over all coordinator. Later on, the town fiesta activites merged with those of coffee festival, hence, Engr. Augusto Bebe, Jr. and Dr. Teodoro Garcia, of the annual patron feast, joined the board.
During the preparations, various concerns and programs about the coffee industry and the forthcoming coffee festival were in the news. These further motivated the people of Amadeo to do and give their best for the festival. It was bayanihan spirit all over in the midst of festive atmosphere.
Coffee Trade Fair, street dancing, beauty contest, art competitions, photography contest, community parades, concerts and series of symposia on farm management and organic farming filled the 2 day festivities with no less than Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo and other top leaders of the land and nearby cities and municipalities joining the grand toast to promote the country’s coffee industry.
The annual Pahimis Coffee Festival aims to promote Cavite coffee for domestic and worldwide consumption. The festival will try to revive farmers’ interest in coffee farming, enhance coffee yields, and attain a competitive coffee price in the world market.
The success of the very first Pahimis did not end there. At present, the initiative is taking its course in the industry and Amadeo has moved forward.
Pahimis is now a national phenomenon. It is being celebrated annually to enjoy, to behold, to retell, to anticipate on, and to continue calling on for support until its blend and aroma reach the global players in the industry and eventually hit the much coveted bull’s eye.