MALAGOS Chocolates wins new international awards.
In a recent Drinking Chocolate Virtual Ceremony organized by International Chocolate Awards, Malagos Premium Unsweetened Chocolates bagged four gold awards for categories plain/origin dark drinking chocolate (made with water), growing country, chocolate maker, and direct-traded.
They bested against chocolate brands in Peru and France.
In a public post on Facebook, Charita Puentespina expressed her gratitude for the award, “What a wonderful, fantastic, remarkable news to wake up to this beautiful morning! Praise God!! Of course congratulations to Malagos Agriventures and Puentespina Farms Golden SunSet Cacao Farm!! [sic]”
The International Cacao Awards is a competition of chocolate brands all over the world primarily recognizing “excellence in fine chocolate making and in the products made with fine chocolate.” They aim to help companies produce fine chocolates, chocolatiers, and artisans working with fine chocolate.
Malagos Chocolate is a homegrown cacao and chocolate brand based here in Davao City. They have been recipients to international awards including the recent 2019 Heirloom Cacao Designation (#16) in the world for Puentespina Farm.
Just this year they also won the Silver Awards for Rhum Truffle chocolate from the Academy of Chocolate Awards.
Due to the recent accolades won by homegrown chocolate makers, Davao City has recently been dubbed as the Cacao Capital of the country.
Earlier, Deputy Speaker and Abono partylist Representative Conrado Estrella III filed House Bill No. 7460 "to recognize the achievements of Davao City in attaining high volumes of quality cacao production and in producing high-quality chocolate products that gained for the country international recognition."
He said the bill will "open a new frontier for higher trade and economic productivity in the country that can generate more employment, provide higher income, and improve the quality of life of our people especially in the countryside."
Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform also filed a similar measure through Senate Bill 1741, which seeks “to garner additional government support not only to maintain, promote and protect the country’s cacao industry, but most importantly, to ensure its sustainability for the benefit of farmers and other stakeholders.”
The Department of Agriculture also declared the city as "the Cacao Capital" of the country on September 7. (With reports from RGL)