Atty. Jordan M. Pizarras, a lawyer and a cacao advocate, urged the Boholanos to support the development of cacao farming in the province.
He made this call after visiting the Cecee Organic Farm and Cacao Nursery in Liboron, Calape, where he witnessed the different varieties of cacao.
One of the varieties he saw was the Criollo cacao, which is the most in-demand variety in the world because of its sweet taste and high content of flavonoids and flavonols. These are antioxidants that have health benefits for the consumers.
However, in Bohol, the demand for cacao exceeds the supply, which drives up the price in the market.
This creates an opportunity for the farmers to earn more income from cacao production.
One of the pioneers of cacao farming in Calape is Cecilia De Leon, a senior citizen and a balikbayan (a Filipino who returned to the Philippines after living abroad).
She established an organic farm and a cacao tree nursery in 2014, while also creating a training center for cacao farmers.
She also taught the science of cacao farming to the farmers, and encouraged them to try the fermented tablea, which is said to be the most aromatic.
Tablea is a traditional Filipino chocolate product made from roasted and ground cacao beans.
She added that a farmer can earn up to P100,000 per year if they have three productive cacao trees.
Pizarras was joined by Dalareich Polot, also known as the “Chocolate Princess”, who is a renowned chocolatier and a cacao champion. They plan to expand the cacao farming in Bohol by using QR codes to trace the origin and lineage of the cacao.
They also vowed to support the conduct of more seminars for the cacao farmers in the countryside.