SIX entries of Davao-based chocolates won in different categories of the 2018 Academy of Chocolate International Awards.

Malagos Agri-Ventures Corporation 72 percent and 85 percent Dark Chocolates won Bronze in the Tree-to-Bar category. On the other hand, for the plain milk-based drink category, the Malagos 85 percent Dark Chocolate won Silver while the Malagos Unsweetened Chocolate and the Malagos 72 percent Dark Chocolate both Bronze in the same category. With these awards, Malagos Chocolate is already on their 15th international recognition to date.

MS3 Agri-Ventures, maker of Halal chocolates, on the other hand had just been in the industry for about a year. However, they have also garnered the Bronze award for the Drinking Chocolate (Plain, for water emulsion) category.

“This is really unexpected. We are still very new in the business. We’re still here for about a year. We tried joining in the competition and fortunately we won. We are grateful for everyone’s support,” said Neil Santillan, CEO and managing director of MS3 Agri-Ventures.

December of last year, the enterprise had also won in the 2017 Asia Halal Brand Awards as the Philippines’ Best Cacao Tablet. The awarding was done in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Other Philippine brands that made it to the 2018 Academy of Chocolate International Awards are Auro Chocolate 70 percent Saloy Reserve (Bronze – Tree to Bar category). The Auro Chocolate 32 percent Roasted White Chocolate Cashew also won the bronze award for the Flavoured White Chocolate category.

Theo & Philo Artisan Chocolate Milk Adobo won the Silver award for Flavoured Milk Category. Their Theo & Philo Artisan Milk Choco Turon and Theo & Philo Artisan Milk w/ Pili Nut and Pinipig both won the Bronze award for the same category. For the category Flavoured Dark, the Bronze award was given to three flavors of Theo &Philo Artisan Dark Chocolate (Black Sesame & Nuts, Calamansi, and Labuyo). For the overall packaging category, Theo & Philo won the Bronze award.

Out of the 5 categories – Bars, Drinking Chocolate, Filled Chocolate, Spreads, and Packaging – three categories had winners from the Philippines.