Why Filipinos and Coffee will always mix

It is a wonder how, even on hot, humid days, coffee seems to be listed at the top of drinks

Filipinos enjoy to gulp. I mean, what is the significance of coffee in the daily lives of

Filipinos that even on a 30- degree Celsius summer day, a hot brew seems to brighten up

breakfast,

brunch , after lunch dessert, afternoon siestas, and even after 10 rounds of beer.

Filipinos (and me) and coffee can never be separated. Like a specific aroma attached to

every coffee bean. Politics, current events, reviewing for an exam or just simply having

siesta after a tiring day, it seems coffee, is always sticking its hot nose out in our lives.

So, why do Filipinos love coffee?

When life is at its hardest, Filipinos are best known to be as resilient as the coffee bean

itself. The more you roast it, the better it will smell and the higher its price is tagged.

Even when you grind it to its finest, you will just be enticed to savor its hidden character.

Alas, even upon boiling, pressing or making it look like mud, coffee (and Filipinos alike)

will just captivate you and pound your heart with excitement.

I grew up in a small town in Bulacan where coffee is always the first thing offered to

visitors. Though what we serve is instant coffee bought at the nearest tindahan at P1 per

sachet, coffee never left the menu for our guests. It was served with pan de sal if it is

morning, biscuits during mid-meal hours, after bananas in lunch, and well, after some of

the family friends have had enough liquor for the evening. It was mixed with ice when

kids can’t really bear the heat. Adults, well in my opinion, naturally want their coffee hot

and refreshing. I believe it is what keeps us relaxed, talking, and laughing. As I matured

and knew different trades in life, I always came back to the simplistic approach in my

home back in Bulacan- serve coffee to visitors even if they don’t drink it. It’s our own

way of saying, hey, when you visit us, we want to hear you out. So stay awhile, relax, and

drink a cup with us.

On birthdays, after a good slice of cake, coffee is there. On weddings, after all the wine

has been poured, it is served. On those sleepless nights cramming up for projects, it is a

wake up call. When graduation comes, when all the excitement needs to be calmed, it

serves its purpose. Even at the very last hour for our goodbyes to be heard, coffee makes

us want to savor every single word aired. I grew up thinking and living that life without

coffee is life incomplete. I believe that like a good cup of brew, even life’s darkness

could exhaust a very refreshing aroma in the end.

After all the hardships and pain, we can just always fall back, relax, and take it one small sip at a time. Maybe that’s why Filipinos (like me) love to drink coffee. Life might not make sense without it.