On a recent trip home to Davao, I was lucky to find time to escape commitments in the city and have some brief R&R with friends. We drove to Baguio district, where I met Mang Sandro Gaitano. He apparently brews some of the best coffee in this part of town

Mang Sandro organically grows his own Robusta and Arabica beans. He then handpicks, de-pulps, roasts, and grinds them, resulting in some delightful coffee that probably tastes better than your favorite coffee shop brew. I had a chance to chat with him a bit, and I’ve since reflected on his story.

Mang Sandro’s coffee

Mang Sandro sells a freshly brewed cup for only ten pesos. You can enjoy this with a breathtaking view of Davao City from his porch where you’ll occasionally feel a cool breeze pass through.

Aside from this cozy environment, your coffee can go with free bananas from Mang Sandro’s garden, depending on availability. There are also guavas from his yard and wild berries surrounding his house, and you can pick them yourselves.

If you loved Mang Sandro’s coffee (and surely you will), you can take home a small pack for 100 pesos or one kilo for 350 pesos.

Mang Sandro’s turning point

Together with his monkey Nicolas Cage (who derives his name from being cooped up in a cage), Mang Sandro enjoys a simple and pleasant life that’s far from what he was living more than two decades ago.

Mang Sandro actually once suffered from drug addiction. His family almost gave up on him after his countless promises of changing, which remained unfulfilled for a long time.

The turning point for Mang Sandro came when he faced a life-threatening illness. With newfound motivation and a stronger resolve for a drug-free life, Mang Sandro went back to the land left to him by his parents. There, he worked on rehabilitating himself and starting anew.

Mang Sandro has been clean for more than 20 years now.

These days, he spends most of his time tending to his garden, planting bananas, cacao trees, and durian. He also attends gardening and coffee processing seminars to further expand his knowledge.

He’s also been recognized for his organic gardening efforts. With the earnings from his own garden and the few guests who visit his house for coffee, he is able to earn a living and support himself.

Hats off to you, Mang Sandro. And thank you for sharing your story with me. You are a true testament that we can turn our lives around even in simple ways, like finding joy in our daily harvest.