“Our vision is for Davao to become the preferred source of premium chocolates in the world. Our chocolates are made from Tree to Bar through the efforts of many people. Especially the farmers who help us operate our farm. The entire process of sowing, tending, harvesting, fermenting, drying, sorting, roasting, and producing the chocolate is done right on our farm, giving our products a more distinctive and pronounced taste,” Mr. Rex Puentespina, proud farmer and chocolate maker, said when he introduced to the public the Malagos Heirloom Cacao Preservation. 

The journey of the Malagos Chocolate has been long and tedious. We started with the drive to help our local farmers, to educate more people of the richness of our local cacao, to pursue passion despite starting from scratch. Years later, with the help of so many people, we were able to make a name in the international cocoa industry. The Malagos chocolate was recently awarded with a silver award in the 2020 Academy of Chocolate Awards for the  Malagos Rhum, 2019 Heirloom Cacao Designation, a Bronze award in the 2019 Academy of Chocolate Awards for the 100% Malagos Pure Unsweetened Chocolate, and Great Taste One Star in the 2019 Academy of Chocolate Awards Commendation for the 65% Malagos Dark Chocolate. 

The Malagos Garden Resort Chocolate has also started to ship dried and fermented cacao beans to Canada to introduce the locally grown beans to the markets of North America. This is with the hope that more buyers will like the distinct taste that our local cocoa beans offer-- rich, creamy, and appeals to most of the senses. Despite all the efforts we make to be known internationally, we still go back to our roots: where we all started. 

The onset of the coronavirus affected most businesses but more significantly, our local farmers. Despite this, we continue to rise through adversities and innovate our way through this. The Malagos Chocolate has come a long way from where we started, we now have diverse choices of chocolates, each with a story to tell. Supporting local farmers has been our drive since we first budded and we will always go back to that. With this in mind, we are sharing a few reasons why supporting local and buying local are essentially important during these trying times (ones that keep us going too):

• Fresh and Quality Products

Local products are fresh products. Think about it: produce grown and cultivated in-City or in-province avoids the long journey from one place to another, perhaps frozen along the way, losing its freshness by the mile. Instead of sitting on a grocery store shelf for days, the homegrown products of locals are delivered the same day they are being sold. This is also true for any restos and market that supports local farmers. The freshness of ingredients they offer and use gives an extra earthy and fresh taste to any dish served to you. 

• Helping more locals to have a job.

The pandemic affected the entire world but in order to survive, we have to shift our focus to what is happening to our country. The only way we’ll get through this is through doing this together. With each other’s initiative to support and buy local, we not only give more chances for people to retain their jobs we are also contributing to our local economy.

• Protects local land.

When buying and eating locally, wildlife may be one of the last things on your mind. But consider this: when farmers don’t get enough support and their business struggles, they have to sell their farm. Typically, those farms, once sold, are redeveloped for commercial or industrial use, eliminating the wildlife living in that area. But when farmers are successful and can keep their land, those habitats remain intact. Every time you buy something local, you’re helping to protect important local land that makes your golf course so beautiful.

The Malagos Chocolate may be continuing to make its name in the international arena but it will never alter the fact that we will always return to our grassroots: the local setting. Let us help one another through this trying time and hold each other up. Shop at Malagos Homegrown Produce and indulge in local artisanal products, fresh produce and morel.  Let us all stay safe, stay homegrown, and more importantly stay supporting local!