Tsokolate Fiesta showcases Davao Region's cacao industry at Abreeza

Cacao farmers, chocolate makers and local entrepreneurs gathered at Ayala Malls Abreeza in Davao City for the Kasadya sa Kulturang Kakaw, or Tsokolate Fiesta, which opened on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and runs until Nov. 12, according to SunStar.

The festival features locally made chocolates, new cacao-based food creations, products made from cacao leaves and natural wellness items. Organisers said it gives small enterprises a chance to reach a wider market.

Wit Holganza of the Davao City Cacao Industry Development Council said during the opening program that the event aims to show how cacao can be turned into products beyond ordinary chocolate. She also encouraged visitors to learn the stories of the people behind the products.

Among the activities is Cacao Likha, an exhibit of digital artworks printed on canvas tote bags and paintings made with chocolate and linseed oil by students from a local school. Winners of the Cacao Culinaria Nilotlot Series, an initiative involving members of the Bagobo Tagabawa Indigenous community in Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, will also be recognised.

Zabdiel Zacarias, regional technical director for research and regulations of the Department of Agriculture in Region 11 (DA-11), said Davao-made chocolates are becoming more competitive locally and are meeting international quality standards. "Through this Tsokolate Fiesta, we are bridging the gap between the men and women who nurture the pods and the institutional buyers, supermarket owners, hoteliers, and culinary entrepreneurs who demand world-class quality," he said, speaking on behalf of Regional Executive Director Macario Gonzaga.

Zacarias said DA-11 will keep supporting the industry together with the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Science and Technology and local governments. "We want an inclusive one where the grassroots farmer feels the economic dividends of their labor," he said of the industry.

Philippine Statistics Authority data cited by DA-11 show the Davao Region remained the country's top cacao producer in 2024, harvesting 7,807 metric tons of dried beans, or about 72 percent of national output, from 19,969 hectares, about 60 percent of the country's harvested cacao area.

Davao del Sur led the provinces with 4,352 metric tons, followed by Davao del Norte with 1,520, Davao Occidental with 707, Davao de Oro with 676 and Davao Oriental with 552.