Advocafe: Brewing Coffee for a Cause

Are you a caffeine junkie? 

How would you like to drink coffee and help the Indigenous People of the Philippines at the same time? Well now you can with Advocafe. :)

Last week, when I posted about Noriter Cafe, my Ninong Alwin tweeted me about another cafe, Advocafe. It is a non-profit and social enterprise in support to the Indigenous Peoples efforts for sustainable living. 


It is owned by the famous Benjamin Abadiano, the first Filipino to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2004 for his steadfast commitment to the Indigenous People (IP). He's also one of the Board Members of Cartwheel Foundation. 


I was so excited when I learned of Advocafe that I went there the very next day despite having little directions. Truly food and a good advocary are good motivators! 

According to the Advocafe site, it is located in Ramon Magsaysay Commercial Center. Kiwee and I had no idea where that is since it's completely un-google-able. So we just went to Ramon Magsaysay Center along Roxas Boulevard in Malate, hoping that Advocafe is somewhere in the area. 


After asking the guard, we later found Advocafe behind Ramon Magsaysay Center. Upon hearing the ethnic music playing in the background, we knew we have found the cafe.

The cafe is heavily adorned with posters and native handicrafts in celebration of the rich culture of our IP brothers and sisters. 


I'm not too sure if the cafe is this jazzed up all year long or if it was just for the recent celebration of the 10th year anniversary of the Indigenous People's Month. I hope it's like this all the time so customers can always enjoy a cozy yet enriching and inspiring ambiance. 

Aside from serving as displays, you may also purchase products of indigenous people's creativity in the cafe. The cafe markets organically processed food/juices, forest products, ceramics, basketry, textiles, papers and handmade weaving. Now you may take home the product of their hard work without going all the way to the provinces. :)

Top: Biya Meal - Php59; Bottom: Cafe Latte - Php50, Chocolate Cake - Php55

As for me and Kiwee, we decided to support the IP programs by consuming Advocafe's rice meals, desserts and coffee drinks. Now isn't that a yummy way of being helpful? I love this advocacy!


Kiwee ordered a slice of Moist Chocolate Cake to go along with her comfortingly warm cup of Cafe Latte. Kiwee's eyes suddenly widened like an anime character as she exclaimed, "Masarap!" (Translation: "It's delicious") after one bite of the chocolate cake. My fork dived into cake and within seconds, my eyes were happily shut as I savored the most moist chocolate cake I've ever had. Chocolate lovers definitely should try this cake!


Her flavorful Cafe Latte melodiously accompanied the cake. I didn't get to take a sip of this but Kiwee loved her coffee. 


I also jumped for joy with my salty fish friend, Biya, that came along with a cheery sunny side up egg and garlic fried rice. My favorite part of the meal was the spiced up vinegar that heightened the natural flavors of Biya. I love adding chili pepper to my sauces so this was a delightful touch. :)

Top: Mocha Ice Blended - Php79; Bottom: Rhumball - Php15)

To end my meal, I ordered a glass of Mocha Ice Blended to try out their cold mixed drinks and a piece of their Rhumball. With such colorful food before me, I felt like I was a 5 year old in a candy shop. 

In terms of taste, both of them were just okay. The Rhumball was rich in chocolate but it fell flat in terms of the rhum. It needs to be spiked a bit more. I'm not sure how to improve the Mocha Ice Blended but it needed a little more creativity in flavor. 

Though I'm not a caffeine junkie, I also ordered a cup of their brewed coffee right before leaving (see the 1st photo of this entry). 

Their impressive range of coffee sparked my interest in comparing different coffees. I wanted to try Robusta coffee in comparison to Arabica Coffee. However, I later learned that you can only order whatever was brewed for the day. During our visit, they brewed a mix of Arabica and Corn Coffee, if I remember correctly. It could have tasted great but I think it little more coffee powder since mine was watery. This was a surprise since Kiwee's Cafe Latte had a perfect blend. 

In general, Advocafe serves great tasting food at a very cheap price. A Php59 rice meal in a cafe - wow! 

Though some of their products can be further improved, the overall experience in Advocafe is  something that I would personally recommend. 

Advocafe definitely has a lot more to offer than your regular cup of coffee. Whenever you consume their products, 100% of its proceeds go to IP empowerment programs: 

• Partnership and Capability Building for Farmers
• Sustainable Livelihood
• Education for Children and Youth
• Environment: Climate Change Adaptation

Now that gives me more reason to eat here! Hahaha. 

Furthermore, this cafe is a great entry point for people to become more aware of the life, culture and rights of the indigenous peoples in the Philippines. After spending an hour there, I already wish Advocafe can create another channel for those who want to deepen their engagement in this advocacy. :) Also, I wish I could have attended the IP Night held last October 28 there. 

So, if you're looking for a yummy way to promote a good cause, Advocafe is the cafe for you.

More Info on Advocafe:
Address: GF Ramon Magsaysay Commercial Complex, Dr. F. Quintos St., Malate, Manila 
Landmark: Behind Ramon Magsaysay Center of Roxas Boulevard, across the tall green Landbank building and beside Mini Stop
Commuting Instructions: Take the LRT1 train to Quirino station then take a tricycle ride from there to Ramon Magsaysay Complex along Roxas boulevard. Behind that is the Ramon Magsaysay Commercial Complex. 
Brochure: Click Here
Budget: Php100-150/person
Operating Hours: Mon-Sat 6:00 AM - 11:00 PM
                          Sun 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Other Branches: Pamulaan Center in Davao 


Related Coffee Shop Posts:

• The Cute Korean Mystery Shop Unveiled!
• The Mystery Coffee Shop: Cup in the Name of Love
• Blugre Coffee: Davao, You Stole My Heart with Durian in My Coffee
• Tsoko.Nut: Peanuts in my Coffee, Sounds Good to Me
• Derf's: New Pizza, Pasta, Coffee Restaurant in Katipunan for People on a Budget

~It's the little sweet notes everyday that matter. :)~