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Back in 2008, while still in college, Kert-Jan M. Tabaña was just another coffee drinker. He enjoyed the beverage but never gave much thought to its flavor complexities or the industry behind it.

‘I was a typical coffee shop consumer,’ he recalled, admitting he had little understanding of coffee beyond its caffeine kick.

That changed in 2017 during a visit to a café in Liloan, Cebu. He ordered an Americano and what he tasted surprised him. Notes of citrus, reminiscent of orange and lemon, danced on his palate.

‘It felt like a landslide,’ he said, describing the moment as a revelation that sparked his deep curiosity about coffee.

Despite holding a degree in Information Technology, Kert dove headfirst into the world of coffee. His love for learning and willingness to take risks fueled his journey. From 2017 to 2024, he worked in the BPO industry while juggling part-time roles in various coffee shops across Cebu.

‘Coffee kept me awake, but more than that, it kept me motivated,’ he shared. ‘It became the fuel that powered my nights and inspired innovation.’

During those years, Kert immersed himself in research and development, networking, teaching and collaborating with stakeholders in Cebu’s coffee scene. He now considers himself one of the region’s few specialty coffee educators.

‘I sleep well knowing I’ve done something productive for coffee,’ Kert said.

Among the cafés that shaped his learning, Dirty Puma Coffee Co. and The Good Cup Coffee Co. stand out. In 2019, Kert began exploring water chemistry in the coffee brewing process. He developed a mineral concentrate called Calibrate in collaboration with The Good Cup, aiming to improve the quality of manual brews for Cebu’s growing community of home brewers.

‘There was no readily available information at the time,’ he explained. ‘But I managed to partially solve the water issue.’

Realizing the need for a scientific approach in Cebu’s coffee community, Kert pushed forward. His locally produced water minerals helped elevate the specialty coffee scene and supported cafés in refining their products.

He continues to work with chemists to improve the formula. ‘It’s not perfect-but it’s a start,’ he said. In 2020, Calibrate was officially launched.

‘Every day is an opportunity to learn,’ he added, noting that he constantly reads and studies to expand his knowledge.

Despite his passion, not everyone was convinced. ‘One of the biggest challenges was being ignored. People didn’t listen until I proved myself,’ he said.

Kert did not back down. He conducted research, gave talks and joined competitions. His breakthrough came in 2023 when he placed fourth in the Philippine National Brewers Cup. The recognition validated his work and gave visibility to Cebu’s coffee community.

‘I knew I was on the right path,’ he said. ‘I started teaching brewing classes and sharing water science. Water is just as important as coffee.’

In 2023, Kert decided to venture into entrepreneurship by opening Tonic Hilongos in Leyte. A year later, on Oct. 5, 2024, he launched RISK Coffee Roastery-without large capital and with limited access to green coffee beans. True to its name, the roastery was born out of risk-taking, driven by his vision to support local farmers and elevate the Philippine coffee experience.

‘We sacrificed to practice roasting. We explored beyond industry norms. If we hadn’t tried, we wouldn’t have learned,’ he said.

Kert observed that many Cebu coffee enthusiasts favored imported beans, often overlooking local ones. He believes Philippine coffee deserves better representation and that roasters must improve their techniques to highlight its potential.

‘Philippine coffee has always been good. You just need to understand it deeply to brew it well,’ Kert said.

Opening Risk Roastery was a response to high expectations. Kert rose to the challenge, crediting Adrian Enriquez for teaching him the fundamentals of roasting. He continues to supplement his knowledge through reading and research.

Kert admits he had no formal education in coffee, no connections and no funding-only time and determination. He taught himself, took bold risks and committed to educating others.

‘In this industry, complacency is dangerous. Thinking you’re ahead means you’re already behind,’ he said.

He holds close a quote from coffee scientist Christopher Hendon: ‘What you know now is three to five years behind the industry.’ For Kert, it is a reminder to keep innovating.

‘I push myself and put my work out there. People may question it, but I prove that what we’re doing is right.’

Looking ahead, Kert aims to work with farmers to introduce non-invasive methods, improve production and better understand farm dynamics.

‘We need to see our coffee farms more clearly. We must engage with farmers, understand their struggles and support them,’ he said.

To Kert, specialty coffee is a double-edged sword. While it celebrates quality, it can sometimes overlook the labor behind it. True sustainability means ensuring farmers benefit from their hard work.

‘Many don’t realize how vital our farms are. What about those farmers who aren’t in the spotlight?’ he asked.

‘At Risk, we roast the best interpretation of each bean. We want to showcase the farmers’ work in its finest form. That’s how we help them shine.’

Kert envisions a Philippine coffee community filled with curious, conscious individuals.

‘Our goal is to raise awareness. We teach, we brew and we challenge norms. Learning never stops,’ he said.

‘Taste the coffee. Ask questions. Stay curious.’

Investigation on massive corruption should expand from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the Department of Health (DOH), Mayor Benjamin Magalong said on Friday.

‘Not only DPWH – what’s happening in DOH is getting close, too,’ Magalong said after corruption complaints were filed against Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and five other officials, specifically for misusing P44.6 million worth of government-bought psychiatric medicines, allegedly given to a private group.

‘Si Herboza, malapit na yan,’ he said in radio interview.

Lawmakers have also flagged DOH’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP).

Many health centers supposedly built under the program turned out to be unfinished or unusable, and some were even described as ‘ghost’ facilities.

Lack of staff has made many of them non-operational. Magalong is part of Mayors for Good Governance.

Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, however, questioned Magalong’s own record, citing his P110-million Baguio tennis and parking facility project linked to Discaya-owned St. Gerrard Construction.

Magalong, who resigned from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure on ‘conflict of interest’ concerns, may need to present more solid proof of corruption in the DOH, as he did in the case of the DPWH, according to his detractors.

Even before his shortlived stint as ICI adviser and investigator, he claimed to have already submitted documents and other pieces of evidence to President Marcos to back up his allegations against officials linked to anomalies in flood control projects.

The floods that swept through dozens of barangays in two provinces of the Bangsamoro region and its Special Geographic Area last month have subsided, but the regional government’s social services ministry continues to provide food rations to evacuees.

Local officials from various towns in Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte told reporters on Sunday, October 5, that personnel from the Ministry of Social Services and Development – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao continued providing food supplies to their displaced constituents until last Friday.

The MSSD-BARMM’s relief operations last week also covered parts of the SGA, which has eight newly created towns under the Bangsamoro government, but are in Cotabato province in Administrative Region 12.

Reports from local government units and the provincial offices of MSSD-BARMM in Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte indicate that the ministry facilitated the delivery of 10,950 food packs last week to Moro families affected by last month’s floods.

MSSD-BARMM field workers also distributed 3,204 hygiene, water, sleeping, and infant kits to villagers in the two provinces and the SGA last week.

Local executives in the eight newly created towns in the SGA separately told reporters on Sunday that they are grateful to officials of the MSSD-BARMM and the chief minister of the Bangsamoro region, Abdulrauf Macacua, for embarking on extensive relief works for barangays under their local government units that got inundated with floodwaters spawned by heavy rains in the mountain ranges around.

The 29 towns in Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte and in the SGA that got flooded last month, are near Central Mindanao’s 220,000-hectare Ligawasan Delta, a catch basin for more than a dozen rivers that spring from mountain ranges in highland areas in provinces nearby.

Clariss Guce and Dottie Ardina barely made a move on Moving Day, while Sam Bruce stumbled badly as Filipino bets faltered in the Epson Tour Championship in Indian Wells, California on Saturday (Sunday Manila time).

American rookie sensation Yana Wilson surged ahead, setting the pace heading into the final round and closer to a third career victory.

Guce, a two-time Epson Tour champion, struggled to find her rhythm through the first 11 holes, settling for pars before finally breaking through with a birdie on the par-4 12th. A bogey on the 14th, however, stymied any late momentum, though she salvaged her round with a birdie on 17 to card a 1-under 71. She stood tied for 44th at six-under 210, far off the pace set by Wilson.

Wilson fired a 66, offsetting an early bogey on No. 1 with seven birdies to reach 17-under 199 and grab a one-stroke lead over Sophia Schubert.

Ardina, backed by ICTSI, fared slightly better, rebounding from a bogey on the first with three consecutive birdies from No. 3. She added another birdie on the 12th, but a bogey on No. 16 saw her sign for a 70. She tumbled to a share of 50th at 211.

Bruce, who began the third round in promising position after rounds of 68 and 70, saw her hopes unravel early. Two double bogeys and a lone birdie in the first six holes spelled disaster, although she showed grit with a string of pars and a birdie on No. 17 to rescue a 74. She fell to 56th at 212, a far cry from her earlier form.

Meanwhile, Schubert, the first-round leader, roared back into contention with a 67, putting her just one stroke behind Wilson at 200, while Anne Chen, the 36-hole frontrunner, remains in striking distance at 201 after a steady 69, setting the stage for a thrilling three-way battle among the Americans in the final round.

In LPGA action, South Korea’s Youmin Hwang produced a stunning finish to capture her maiden title at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii. Trailing for most of the final round, Hwang birdied the last four holes for a 67 and a 17-under 271 total, edging compatriot and major champion Hyo Joo Kim by a single stroke.

Kim, who shot a solid 68, finished at 272, while Japan’s Minami Katsu secured solo third at 273 with a 69.

Hwang’s title charge seemed unlikely after a sluggish front nine of even-par 36. But a birdie on the 13th lit a spark, and her clutch closing stretch sealed a come-from-behind victory in dramatic fashion as she joined the growing list of Korean winners in the world’s premier ladies circuit.

In July last year, the Philippine basketball world was shaken with one of the biggest and most controversial, transfers in college hoops’ recent history.

Mason Amos, who was a bright spot for Ateneo in his rookie season, flew out of the Eagles’ nest and landed on Taft Avenue to join the La Salle Green Archers.

Now, 15 months later, Amos played against his former team in a very emotional UAAP Season 88 contest Sunday, where the 6-foot-7 stretch forward was booed by the Blue Eagle crowd even before the game started.

Ateneo led by as much as 33 points before keeping La Salle’s furious rally in check to grab a 81-74 victory and remain unscathed in the tournament.

There, Amos struggled, scoring just six points while hauling down two rebounds and dishing out two assists in 25 minutes and 47 seconds of play.

After the game, Amos acknowledged that he had a bad game, but it had nothing to do with the hecklers from the crowd.

‘I mean, there’s really nothing to comment about it. You know, that’s how they feel. And I mean, that’s gonna be how they feel for the rest of the season. And I mean, I’m just gonna keep moving forward,’ he said.

Asked if he was rattled by the jeers from the crowd, he answered in the negative.

‘No, I’m good. I’m good. I mean, I had a bad game, but we all have bad games. And I’m just gonna keep improving from here,’ he stated.

‘I mean, just trying to be mentally tough. You know, just being there for my teammates because my team needs me also. So, I mean, just being myself and being true to myself.’

La Salle was suffocated by Ateneo’s tight defense, staring at at a 30-point disadvantage heading into the fourth quarter.

But the Green Archers erupted with a 22-0 run to chip the lead away.

However, the comeback attempt came a little too late as the closest La Salle got to was within five points with less than a minute remaining.

‘I’m just gonna be straight honest. We really played really bad. And it’s a bit obvious, you know, you guys saw what happened in the first half. Time wasn’t on our side even though we made a big run. But we can’t keep relying on that stuff to happen,’ Amos said.

‘And we take full responsibility for this, not the coaches, the players. We didn’t play how we usually play. And there’s no excuse for this game.’

Now at 2-2, La Salle will try to return to the win column as it takes on National University next Sunday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.

Ateneo continues to roll in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.

In front of 17,185 fans, the Blue Eagles thwarted a furious rally by archrivals La Salle Green Archers to grab a wire-to-wire, 81-74 victory in their first meeting of the season Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

La Salle sliced a 33-point lead to single digit late, but its fightback came a little too late against an Ateneo side that banked on defense to build a mountain of an upperhand.

The troika Kymani Ladi, Dom Escobar and Shawn Tuano had 15 markers apiece for Ateneo. Joshua Lazaro chipped in nine points.

The Green Archers trailed by as big as 33 points, 68-35, after a pair of free throws by Ian Espinosa toward the end of the third period.

But a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Doy Dungo made it a 30 point deficit, 38-68, heading to the fourth quarter.

This sparked the Taft-based squad, who slowly nipped the disadvantage to 11, 57-68, after a split from the line by Vhoris Marasigan.

An and-one play by Shawn Tuano, though, snapped the run and push Ateneo’s lead to 14, 71-57.

However, La Salle already had more pep in their step, as they inched to within single digits, 66-75, with 1:43 to go following a pair of free throws by Mike Phillips.

A Phillips putback made it a five point game, 72-77, with 30.4 seconds remaining.

But finishing touches by Tuano and Andrew Bongo iced the game.

Leading by just three at the end of the first quarter, 14-11, Ateneo soared over the Taft-based squad with a 22-8 second frame to grab a 36-19 lead.

The onslaught did not stop there, as Blue Eagles took a lead as big as 33 points, before La Salle’s searing run.

Mike Phillips stood tall for the Green Archers with 17 points, 20 rebounds and six assists. Kean Baclaan produced his best game for La Salle thus far with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Jacob Cortez had 10.

Ateneo thus remained unbeaten through four games this season. It has equaled its win total from last season, when it with a 4-10 win-loss record.

La Salle dropped to 2-2, tied with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons.

LA Tenorio’s head coaching era has started off triumphantly.

The Magnolia Hotshots welcomed Tenorio and the 50th season of the PBA with a bang after fending off Barangay Ginebra in a wire-to-wire affair, 80-73, in the Philippine Cup opener Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Zavier Lucero powered the Hotshots with 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. Jerom Lastimosa and the comebacking Javi Gomez-de Liano chipped in 14 markers apiece.

‘It was really hard, first of all, emotionally. I have to battle and really challenge my mind that it’s not about me and Coach Tim [Cone], it’s about Magnolia versus Ginebra. But, I just want to thank the players and my coaching staff. I really want to credit them, because they really guided me,’ Tenorio told reporters after the game.

‘Alam nila na mahirap especially in this kind of atmosphere. For the players, they were really ready going to this game, I really appreciate their effort, their fight, their focus coming to this game,’ he added.

The Hotshots erected a 15-point advantage, 63-48, with 10:10 remaining after a James Laput jumper.

But a 9-0 run, built by a layup by Japeth Aguilar, a 4-pointer by Jeremiah Gray and a 3-pointer by newly crowned Rookie of the Year RJ Abarrientos, sliced the deficit to six, 57-63, with 8:38 left.

However, huge shots by Lucero, Gomez-de Liano, Mark Barroca and Jerom Lastimosa kept the Gin Kings at bay.

The game was still within reach after a jumper by Stephen Holt that put them within striking distance, 69-78. Misses and turnovers by Ginebra, however, made it difficult for them as the clock melted.

Magnolia started the game waxing hot with 10 unanswered points, pumping the advantage to 14, 21-7, after a layup by Lucero.

But Ginebra was able to tow itself to within two points, 24-26, but could not tie or take the lead.

Rome dela Rosa chipped in 12 points for the Hotshots.

Holt had an all-around game for Ginebra, finishing with 16 points, 17 rebounds, four assists and a steal. Gray added 13 markers, while Troy Rosario and Abarrientos tallied 12 and 11, respectively.

Miguel Tabuena rattled off five straight birdies on the back nine to shoot a sizzling 65 and salvage a share of 11th place in the Jakarta International Championship, won by Australian Wade Ormsby in a sudden-death playoff on Sunday in Indonesia.

Tabuena, who dropped to a tie for 51st after back-to-back 71s at the par-70 Damai Indah Golf PIK course, struggled early despite opening with a birdie on the par-5 first. He settled for a string of pars and dropped a shot on the par-3 seventh for a 35.

But the two-time Philippine Open champion mounted a spirited comeback in the last nine holes, his birdie on No. 10 igniting a five-hole tear that vaulted him up the leaderboard. He closed with four straight pars to post a 30 and a five-under round, ending with a total of eight-under 272 – for a share of 11th alongside seven others.

That was just four strokes off the winning mark of 268 set by Ormsby and Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, who both carded closing 69s. Ormsby eventually clinched the title with a routine par on the first playoff hole – the par-4 18th – where Vincent faltered after finding water on his approach.

Tabuena’s strong finish is expected to boost his confidence ahead of the upcoming Asian Tour event in Macau in two weeks.

Meanwhile, fellow Filipino Sean Ramos, who climbed to joint 14th after a gritty third-round 68, couldn’t maintain his momentum. Despite carding four birdies, he offset them with four bogeys for an even-par 70, dropping him to a tie for 19th at 273 – still a commendable showing in this International Series event.

Justin Quiban closed with a 69 to finish tied for 66th at 281.

Ormsby and Vincent, tied with India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar after 54 holes, battled neck-and-neck all day. Ormsby took an early edge with birdies on the second and fourth, while Vincent responded with a birdie at the seventh after birdying the first hole. Both bogeyed the ninth and made the turn with matching 34s.

Vincent pulled ahead with a birdie on 13, but bogeyed the 16th after missing the green, opening the door for a playoff.

Bhullar, who had birdied the first hole, stumbled with three bogeys on the front nine. He fought back with birdies on the 11th and 14th, but his round unraveled late with two double bogeys in the last four holes, finishing with a 74 and a tie for 19th alongside Ramos.

The mayor of Cotabato City has offered a P500,000 bounty for the gunmen behind the fatal ambush of a Sangguniang Kabataan chairman and his brother in a busy commercial hub on Saturday, October 4.

Mayor Bruce Matabalao, chairman of the Cotabato City Peace and Order Council, confirmed on Sunday, October 5, that he has allocated a P500,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the gunmen behind the ambush that killed Mohaz Salvador Matanog, SK chairman of Barangay Poblacion 5, and his brother Muamar.

Matanog, an engineering student at Cotabato City State University, died instantly from multiple gunshot wounds. His brother, who was severely wounded, died hours later at the Cotabato Regional Medical Center in the uptown area of Cotabato City.

The Matanog siblings were in a red Toyota Raize on their way somewhere when gunmen attacked them at the intersection of Jose Lim Sr. Street and Sinsuat Avenue, near Cotabato City Police Precinct 1.

Their assailants had also shot and wounded an on-duty policeman who responded to the incident, Patrolman Norsaiden Laguiali, before they escaped using getaway motorcycles.

Matabalao and Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, separately condemned the incident, which triggered panic as gunshots echoed through the area where the Matanogs were ambushed, surrounded by commercial establishments and banks.

De Guzman told reporters that Col. Jibin Bongcayao, director of the Cotabato City Police Office, is personally overseeing the investigation into the atrocity, with support from Matabalao’s office and local barangay leaders.

Pope Leo XIV has appointed a new bishop in the Diocese of Boac in Marinduque, the Vatican said on Saturday, October 4 (Manila time).

The pontiff has appointed Edwin Oracion Panergo, a priest from the Diocese of Lucena, as the new prelate of the Marinduque-based diocese, who has been in ‘sede vacante’ since November 2024.

He replaces Bishop Marcelino Maralit Jr., who was installed as the Bishop of the Diocese of San Pablo in Laguna in November last year, following his appointment as the prelate of San Pablo in September 2024.

While the position remained vacant, the Boac diocese was overseen by Diocesan Administrator Elino Esplana.

Who is Panergo? Panergo, a native of Lucena City, currently serves as the rector of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Seminary in Sariaya, Quezon and directs the Diocese of Lucena’s Commission on Vocation.

His academic background includes philosophy studies at St. Francis de Sales Major Seminary in Lipa City and theology at St. Alphonsus School of Theology in Lucena.

Ordained a priest at Lucena Cathedral on Sept. 8, 1997, he further specialized with a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from St. Louis University in Baguio City and a licentiate in sacred theology from Notre Dame de Vie in Venasque, France.