Silingan Coffee: This Cubao Expo Café Remembers Lives Lost

Silingan Coffee: A Café with a Cause

Silingan Coffee in Cubao Expo invites passersby for some drinks and remembering.

Behind the counter, the café’s kitchen is stocked with essentials—coffee machines, syrups, and the tools of the trade.

Coffee shops connect people by providing a gathering place for friends, colleagues, and even strangers. It is usual to observe individuals conversing over a cup of coffee, debating current events, or simply catching up on each other’s lives. This sense of community promotes partnerships and social connections, which are critical for overall well-being.

Silingan Coffee embodies this role in a more profound way: it stands as a tribute to the victims of the war on drugs, a campaign that reshaped the Philippines in ways both visible and invisible. Here, clippings of news articles on the drug war line the walls—not as statistics, but as individuals whose stories hang in the air and are a part of the café itself.

As a reminder that these lives were not far away tragedies, the name “Silingan” means “neighbor” in Bisaya. These victims were people who lived on the same streets, shopped in the same stores, and took the same jeepneys. And yet, as history unfolds once more with the architect of the campaign now facing accountability, Silingan remains as a refuge. A place where those left behind can gather and remember.

Serving More Than Coffee: Empowering the Families Left Behind

A cup of coffee sits beside a manual on ICC procedures, the coffee shop’s nod to the pursuit of justice.

Shelves of books are available for free reading, including Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista.

But being more than just a memorial, Silingan also provides a source of livelihood. Many of the café’s employees are relatives of extrajudicial killing victims, people who lost not just loved ones but also their primary breadwinners.

Silingan Coffee owner Ciriaco “Jun” Santiago, a Redemptorist missionary and photojournalist, initially provided relief goods (ayuda) to the families of drug war victims, personally driving across Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Batangas. However, when the aid distribution stopped, families, especially mothers of EJK victims, continued to seek help. During the lockdown, they struggled without assistance. Eventually, one of the victims’ children asked Santiago for work, saying they just needed at least two days of employment per week to ensure they had food.

Seeing the need for sustainable support, Santiago found an opportunity to open a café in Cubao Expo, specifically at a stall previously occupied by friends who used the space for art exhibits and performances. “I asked my friends if I could use the first floor of their space,” he recalled in an interview by Spot.ph, referring to the first floor of the small shop. The second story remains a venue for exhibits, talks, and gatherings, though customers can also dine there.

Furthermore, a portion of the café’s profits goes toward helping the victims’ relatives pay their bills, ensuring that the aftermath of loss is not compounded by financial hardship. Thus, purchasing a cup of coffee here is an act of support, a tangible way to help those left behind rebuild their lives.

The mood in the shop is quiet –not sad but thoughtful – and cozy. On the menu, there are simple but carefully made coffee items with beans sourced from nearby farms. Prices are reasonable, with drinks starting at PHP 100 and meals at PHP 150. The house specialty, the Silingan Blend, is smooth with a strong finish.

A Quiet Act of Resistance in Cubao Expo

News clippings on the drug war cover the wall, alongside a shirt that reminds visitors of the humanity of drug users.

Stairs to the shop’s second floor shows David Ramirez’s quote condemning the drug war as a massacre of the poor.

Aside from drinks, the café is also a place where people can meet and talk. The shop is open to everyone, including activists, students, families of victims, and people just looking for a quiet place to think. They also serve cheap pastries and light meals.

There are readings of poems and talks about human rights and social justice here. It’s an important place in a time when people are actively challenging conversations about issues, past and present.

Because of current political events, we are once again putting history to the test. The shift in the air is undeniable as a reckoning of past actions that once seemed untouchable, of things that seemed invincible, are now being held accountable.

At first glance, Silingan Coffee might seem like just another coffee shop in Cubao Expo, a hub known for its indie businesses and art spaces. But inside, it becomes a venue of resistance. To grieve. To remember. To hope that the future will be different.

The Tourist Gaze