Yadu Karu: Advocacy & Narratives

  Before becoming one of the pioneers of Mindanao’s specialty coffee scene, Renato "Rey" Sumania was once publicly dismissed in front of a crowded lecture hall as a speaker of little worth. In 2003, while delivering a coffee seminar for hotel and restaurant management students, a college professor openly criticized his credentials. Rather than walking away from the industry, Sumania turned the humiliation into the catalyst for a decadeslong movement that has reshaped technical education and youth empowerment in Northern Mindanao. Later that year, he established the Jamaican F&B Training Center in Cagayan de Oro City. "I was challenged," Sumania said. "It motivated me to learn more, refine my communication, and build a program that truly mattered." Sumania’s background in the food and beverage sector began in 1993, working in regional hotels and bars. In 1998, he moved to Manila to work as a barista and bartender at a Japanese specialty coffee shop. Wo...