Tubungan mountain café serves up scenic views and local jobs

TUBUNGAN, Iloilo — A new tourism venture in Barangay Igpaho aims to turn the mountain scenery of Tubungan into an economic opportunity for local communities following the soft opening of Maguey Cafe on Sunday.

The community-based café offers food, refreshments, and scenic views. It was built with PHP 800,000 worth of physical structures from the Iloilo Provincial Government.

The café also provides livelihood opportunities for residents, including indigenous peoples and former rebels.

The establishment is part of the Tubong Turismo Program of Tubungan.

The program complements the provincial government’s Turista sa Barangay initiative, which seeks to develop tourism destinations outside established centers and bring economic opportunities closer to rural communities.

Provincial Administrator Raul Banias said Maguey Cafe puts the provincial government’s tourism program into action at the barangay level.

“Everything that Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. has mentioned as components of the Turista sang Barangay program is being implemented here. This is putting flesh and substance to the Turista sa Barangay program,” Banias said.

He added that the provincial government plans further improvements in the area, including solar power systems and upgrades to other trails, to make the site more attractive to visitors.

Igpaho Punong Barangay Jovita Berbidel said the café offers indigenous families and former rebels an opportunity to earn a living while taking part in community development.

Livelihood and skills development programs also supported the café’s establishment.

The Department of Labor and Employment provided assistance through its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers program, which offers short-term emergency employment to displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers, as well as livelihood assistance.

Baristas received training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, on-the-job training facilitated by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and mock service simulations conducted by the Iloilo Coffee Council.

The café is among the development initiatives in the area, which has also benefited from school construction and farm-to-market road projects supported by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. The task force was created in 2018 to coordinate the government’s campaign against communist insurgency.

The land is covered by a Community-Based Forest Management Agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, an arrangement that allows organized communities to manage and use forest land.

Maguey Cafe is located along the road leading to Sitio Maguey in Barangay Igpaho, about a 24-minute drive from Tubungan town proper and 2 kilometers from Baldan Viewing Deck, also known as the Tourist Rest Area.

The café is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.