IBRAHIM BALONO IS NOW MINDANAO 'S NO.1 PROFESSIONAL BARISTA!


Davao City, October 6, 2007.  Ibrahim Balono of Coffee For Peace won the highest award in the 7th Mindanao Culinary Festival, Mindanao Flavor Espresso Challenge—Professional Category, held at the NCCC Convention Center in Davao City .

Officially, he is now the number one professional barista, or espresso blend designer, in the whole of Mindanao .   A group of executive chefs served as judges in this biggest and most prestigious culinary competition in Southern Philippines .

Ibrahim has been working on an espresso blend called Cifra a la Mode for the past few months.  He practices kai zen—or, continuous improvement—through a series of comments and suggestions from a group of loyal clients made up of students, NGO workers, foreign missionaries, and local business people.  They served as his informal "focus group" as he sought excellence in the design of his espresso blends.

Cifra a la Mode is citrus-flavored frapuccino with fine chocolate flakes spread on top of thick froth. Cifra a la Mode is Ibrahim's winning entry and our current feature at the Coffee For Peace.

Ibrahim wore his tubao, the traditional Maguindanao Muslim head gear, during the awards ceremony.  He wants to encourage his fellow Maguindanaons to continually reach for excellence in whatever they do as they journey together in the realization of their right to self-determination as Bangsamoro people.  Ibrahim is a creative peacebuilder and is so committed to our dream: To be a community of peacebuilding teams in Mindanao who are committed to serve with the Bangsamoros, the Lumads, and the Migrants; together we hope towards harmony and lasting peace in our land.  


We, his tri-people team-mates at Peacebuilders Community and Coffee For Peace, are very proud of our Kaka Ibs!

Come and taste Cifra a la Mode, the best espresso blend in Mindanao , and meet the nice guy who designed it!  Visit Coffee For Peace at McArthur Highway (fronting McDonalds), Matina, Davao City.