RDC XI Issues Resolution: Institutionalizing DSSC Coffee Innovation Center as Regional RDI Hub in Davao Region
The Regional Development Council XI (RDC XI) has officially issued Resolution No. 27, Series of 2025, enjoining academic institutions and local government units across the Davao Region to support the institutionalization of the Coffee Innovation Center of Davao del Sur State College (DSSC) as a Regional Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) Hub. The resolution marks a significant policy milestone that strengthens the strategic positioning of the Regional Coffee Innovation Center (RCIC) as a key driver of science-based, sustainability-oriented coffee development in Mindanao.
The RDC XI recognized that the RCIC initiative aims to enhance coffee research, education, innovation, and industry linkages by integrating coffee science into the curriculum of agriculture, agribusiness, food technology, agroforestry programs and other allied programs, while fostering strong partnerships among academic institutions, government agencies, and industry stakeholders. The resolution highlights the importance of convergence, bringing together industry, academia, government, media, and civil society organizations, to build an integrated framework for sustainable coffee development in the region.
Among the policy directions identified in the resolution are the institutionalization of the Coffee Innovation Center as a regional RDI hub, support for public–private–academic convergence through research consortia and funding mechanisms, integration of technology transfer initiatives across State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), allocation of research and development resources, and the establishment of a monitoring system to ensure long-term sustainability. The Council likewise emphasized the importance of collaborative networks among researchers, scientists, engineers, and artists agriculturists, and encouraged partnerships with national and international institutions to accelerate innovation and knowledge exchange.
The resolution further underscores that coffee production must be aligned with sustainability principles, including compliance with existing land-use policies and the integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approaches to strengthen environmental stewardship, particularly in the context of export markets that require high sustainability standards across the value chain.
By embedding sustainability and innovation at the core of coffee development, the initiative directly contributes to the Davao Regional Development Plan (2023–2028), specifically Chapter 10 on Advancing Research and Development, Technology, and Innovation.
Issued on June 19, 2025, in Davao City, the resolution signals a unified regional commitment to elevating the coffee sector through science, technology, and collaborative governance.
With RDC XI’s endorsement, the Coffee Innovation Center of DSSC stands positioned to serve as a catalyst for research-driven growth, value addition, capacity-building, and global competitiveness—advancing a sustainable and innovation-driven coffee ecosystem for the Davao Region and beyond.