Surigao del Sur has given itself a new title, and Bislig City has formally backed it. Two resolutions of the Bislig Sangguniang Panlungsod, adopted a month apart this year, tie the city to a province-wide effort to grow the coffee industry.

The 'Coffee Capital of Caraga' declaration

On July 7, 2026, during its 51st regular session, the council adopted Resolution No. 2026-558, authored by Councilor Romeo F. Cacayan. It adopts Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No. 1148-26, which declares the Province of Surigao del Sur "the Coffee Capital of CARAGA Region."

The resolution lays out the numbers behind the claim. Citing Philippine Statistics Authority data as reported by the Philippine Information Agency in 2022, it says Surigao del Sur produces about 85% of the total coffee output in Caraga, with 5,000 hectares devoted to coffee, yielding 853 metric tons a year at a farm gate price of P152 per kilo.

A Department of Agriculture Caraga article reporting the same PSA figures also put the province's share of regional coffee output at 85%.

The resolution singles out coffee from Indigenous Manobo communities in areas such as the municipalities of San Miguel and Tagbina, saying it shows "strong potential for branding, agri-tourism, expanded investment, job creation, and increased government support." The council said the title will help "strengthen [the province's] identity, boost market demand, attract investors to highland ancestral domains suitable for coffee cultivation, and drive local economic development."

Bislig joins a coffee convergence agreement

A month later, on August 4, 2026, at its 55th regular session, the council adopted Resolution No. 2026-629. It authorizes Mayor Florencio C. Garay to sign a Memorandum of Agreement for the Inter-Agency Convergence to institutionalize support for coffee production in Surigao del Sur. The other parties are described as "identified government agencies, local government units, and private sector partners."

The resolution was sponsored by Councilors Apolio C. Alvar and Jonas A. Cacayan, Indigenous Peoples Representative Florio S. Josafat Jr., SK Federation President Ana Mae M. Agusa, and Vice Mayor Conrad C. Cejoco.

It places the agreement under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) of the Department of Agriculture, which promotes partnerships to raise the productivity of priority commodities. Coffee is one of the priority commodities in the Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP) of Surigao del Sur, the resolution says. The MOA aims to "harmonize programs, resources, and technical support" so that coffee production in the province can be sustained.

The resolution does not list the agencies that signed, the funding involved, or specific projects for Bislig.

What it means for Bislig

Bislig is not one of the towns the provincial resolution names as a coffee center. That distinction goes to towns like neighboring Tagbina and San Miguel. The city's role in the agreement is as one of the local government partners in a province-wide plan.

For Bislig farmers and small businesses, the value is in being at the table. The PRDP works through commodity plans like the province's PCIP, and as a signatory to the convergence agreement, the city has a formal channel to bring coffee programs to its own growers, processors and coffee shops.

Farmers in Bislig who grow coffee, or want to, can ask the City Agriculture Office at City Hall about the agreement and any upcoming PRDP or DA coffee programs.

Both resolutions are posted on the City Government of Bislig's website under its 2026 resolutions.