‘Chocolate capital’ title for Davao City pushed in Senate
DAVAO CITY — The Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao (CIDAMI) has asked Senator Cynthia A. Villar, who chairs the Senate committee on agriculture and food, to sponsor a resolution to declare Davao City the chocolate capital of the Philippines.
Ms. Villar, who toured the farm of cacao producer and chocolatemaker Malagos over the weekend, committed to pursue the resolution in 2018.
“In January we will file a resolution to make Davao City the chocolate capital of the Philippines because most of the biggest producers of chocolates and farms are in Davao City,” Ms. Villar told the media during the farm tour.
Ms. Villar said the declaration is expected to encourage more farmers to venture into cacao production and help develop the industry.
She said she will back the establishment of farm schools “to teach farmers how to plant cacao in the proper way so that we will produce good quality cacao and chocolates.”
The senator’s visit to Malagos followed the Kakao Konek 2017 conference in Davao City on Dec. 5 and 6, which launched the “Chocolate Tour Overload” farm tourism program.
“Farm tourism in the country has thrived on the best practices and growth of the cocoa industry,” said Ms. Villar, author of Republic Act 10816, or the Farm Tourism Development Act, that mandates the promotion of tourism at agricultural destinations through partnership with private stakeholders.
The tour of Malagos, also known as Puentespina Farm after the family that owns and manages it, includes stops at the cacao plantation, fermentation and sorting areas, dryer, and the interactive chocolate museum.
Puentespina Farm beans have been recognized as some of the Best 50 in the World at the 2017 Edition of the Cocoa Excellence Programme in France. Malagos Chocolates have also been bringing home various international recognitions over the last couple of years.
Davao City, for its part, recently opened Cacao City in the downtown area, a cafe/showroom for the industry.
“Accounting for 90% of the local cacao production, the spotlight is now on Mindanao, with Davao as the country’s chocolate capital, even as the farmers face the challenge to meet the growing demand for Philippine cacao, indicating international recognition of its quality,” Davao Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said during the Kakao Konek 2017.
“I am full of optimism that our micro and macro farmers and entrepreneurs will gain more insights in optimizing their productivity and in giving them an upper hand in the market,” Ms. Carpio added. —