SM City Davao revives and expands its chocolate festival

The three-day event, which is being organized in collaboration with the Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao, Inc., the Department of Agriculture 11 (DA 11), the Department of Trade and Industry 11 (DTI 11), and the city government of Davao, will be held in all SM Supermalls in Mindanao and will highlight homegrown cacao and chocolate makers.

“Right now, since we missed out the two years without activating chocolate festival, we are not only activating this one in SM City Davao but also SM malls in Mindanao, which is not only for Davao cacao growers or chocolatiers but also for other regions to appreciate what we have done here in Davao Region,” said Engineer Jonathan Nick D. Santos, regional operations manager of SM Supermalls, during the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday.

In Davao City, the following exhibitors will be present: Rosario's, Freefood, El Rey's Chocolab, Puratos, Valori Food Chocolate, Antipas Chocolate, Auro Chocolate, and Malagos Chocolate.

Nutrarich, Dais Chocolate, MS3, COSCAO, Don Ricardo's Chocolate, Chocolate Capital, Malagos Chocolate, and Park Inn by Radisson Davao will take part in the activity at SM Lanang Premier.

“Right now, we have participants coming from Region 12, General Santos, Zamboanga City, Cagayan de Oro, and Butuan City. Most cacao growers in these regions are even more excited than dito sa atin because we have been doing this for a while, tayo ang nag-spearhead and we are very happy to support this endeavor,” Santos said.

The festival is a way for SM City Davao to support local cacao producers and processors, as well as entrepreneurs.

“When we started this chocolate festival in 2020, it was in support with CIDAMI. In the years to come we will continue this one,” Santos said.

The festival will also commemorate the first anniversary of the passage of Republic Act 11547, which designated Davao City as the Philippines' Chocolate Capital.

After Congress passed Republic Act No. 11547, or An Act Declaring The City of Davao as the Chocolate Capital of the Philippines and the entire Davao Region as the Cacao Capital of the Philippines, in May of last year, Davao City was officially declared the Philippines' Chocolate Capital.