My chocolate obsession started early, straight from my dad’s balikbayan boxes. As an overseas Filipino worker in Dubai, he never came home without a suitcase stuffed with sweets, giving me some of my best memories (and a permanent spot in the dentist’s chair). But for all the childhood sugar highs I racked up over the years, nothing prepared me for the full-on cacao immersion I experienced on Cebu Pacific and the Department of Tourism (DOT) - Regional Office XI’s Coffee and Cacao Tour in Davao, held from July 22 to 25, 2025.
After the caffeine-fueled chaos of our coffee crawl, we hit the road once more but this time for the cacao leg of the journey. We were in great company with our ever-energetic DOT tour guide Bryan Luceño and our trusty tour escort Floreces Tadla of CES Travel and Tours. In the chocolate capital of the Philippines, it’s impossible not to leave with sugar in your veins and deep gratitude in your heart for the farmers who make it all happen.
Belviz Farm
Location: Barangay Calinan‑Wangan, Calinan District, Davao City
Our first stop was Belviz Farm, where Emmanuel “Nel” Belviz and Mary Grace “Eyeth” Belviz grow more than just cacao and durian — they cultivate a life rooted in love and land. At one point, Eyeth brought out a folder of old photos: a young Nel standing beside his father, already learning the ropes of farming.
Cradled by cacao trees, I was handed a cup of sikwate and a serving of suman wrapped in jackfruit leaves. It tasted like Cebu mornings with my grandmother, only richer somehow, being right where the cacao was grown.
We toured the farm, sampled their chocolate bars, and tried durian and jackfruit dragees. I realized just now that it’s Maltesers but with a tropical twist. Then came the jackfruit harvesting demo. We wore gloves and hard hats in case a flying fruit decided to make a surprising landing.
We wrapped up our visit with a durian tasting at Belviz Farm, where five distinct varieties were served: Kob, Puyat, Duyaya, Kimbangan, and Arancillio. We scored them based on smell, texture, and taste. My favorite was Puyat. I was fascinated (and slightly horrified) when my burp started to smell like alcohol. Eyeth just laughed and said, “That’s natural!” I asked her how much durian is too much durian. She said once, someone ate 11 kilos in one sitting.
Malagos Garden Resort: Tree to Chocolate Bar experience
Location: Barangay Malagos, Baguio District, Davao City
Next up was at the Malagos Garden Resort. I’d been excited for this one, I’d seen Erwan Heussaff’s FEATR vlog about the place and knew we were in for something special. I tried to channel the same energy when we finally arrived.
Lunch came first, and so did the crunch. The Chicken Cordon Bleu was golden, cheesy, and totally on-brand for a place that also makes cheese. Then it was off to the chocolate lab, where we channeled our inner Willy Wonka and molded our own bars. Toppings ranged from almonds and pistachios to chili flakes (tempting, but I stuck with the basics, I wanted to taste the Malagos chocolate in its purest form).
Agri technician Edgemar Ortiz walked us through the cacao life cycle. Fun fact: Malagos trained with Mars (yes, that international chocolate brand, Mars) and learned tricks like “cacao sleeving,” which helps keep bugs away from the pods. From baby seedling to sun-dried bean, we got to see it all. We even cracked open a pod and slurped the pulp inside. The flavor was somewhere between guyabano, lychee and citrus. Basically, summer in your mouth.
The Chocolate Museum
Location: Inside Malagos Garden Resort
Our next stop was the Philippines’ first Chocolate Museum, which opened in 2017 right inside Malagos. Packed with AVPs, interactive displays and enough infographics to fill a semester of science class, it made me think “Wait, was this ever taught in school?”
I only wished we had more time inside. The museum is the kind of place you could get lost in, equal parts education and Instagram snaps. Still, we got a sweet ending, a tasting flight of Malagos chocolate from 62, 72 and 85 percent dark.
Here’s the thing: the Philippines technically isn’t part of the “cacao belt” — the equatorial zone where most of the world’s cacao is grown (usually between 20 degrees north and south of the equator). But thanks to Davao’s climate, altitude and passionate farmers, we’re staking our claim anyway. With farms like Malagos leading the way, the Philippines is inching closer to being recognized as a global cacao player.
Cacao City
Location: Palma Gil Street, within the DCIPC Building, Davao City
Totoy Muyco greeted us at Cacao City with the calm confidence of someone who’s seen chocolate change lives. As the marketing officer for the Davao Region Cacao Industry Council, he lives and breathes local cacao. I tasted cold sikwate here for the first time. It may have been chilled, but it still hit with the same intensity, all thanks to the “batirol” (wooden whisk) that gave it froth and soul. Only two Cebuanos joined this tour, Xavier Solis and I, and yes, we both went back for a second pour. “It’s healthier than you think,” Totoy added with a grin. “More calcium than milk.”
We took that as permission to have another chocolate bottle, this time as a gift from Cacao de Davao. Sweet, smooth and made to travel.
Poblacion Market — Cacao culture
Location: Poblacion District, Davao City
At Poblacion Market, I discovered a standout local snack: Cacao Culture’s chocolate cone tips. Made with real cacao, they’re a richer take on the familiar Cornetto ending. Though their chocolate spreads were also worth sampling, the cone tips stole the show.
Founded by Kenneth and Shiela Reyes-Lao, Cacao Culture began in 2016 after the couple left their corporate tech careers in Manila to pursue cacao farming in Davao. Today, it’s a social enterprise that supports farming communities and champions quality local chocolate.
Balik Bukid
Location: Sandawa Park Quimpo Boulevard, Davao City
We ended our adventure at Balik Bukid Farm & Kitchen. From the outside, it looked simple. Inside, we were greeted by student folk dancers who welcomed us with music and smiles.
Dinner was a feast: sinuglaw, grilled panga, ginataang kalabasa, and a platter of warm bread with creamy kesong puti. It felt like coming home. We shared stories, laughter, and voted on our favorite stops (though honestly, everything was top-tier).
With just one night and a few hours left before our flight home, we were grateful to be hosted by Park Inn by Radisson Davao, conveniently located just across SM Lanang. Some of us squeezed in a gym session, while I made a beeline for their pool right after breakfast because what’s a vacation without a final swim?
Two days and countless cups of coffee and cacao later, I’m heading home with a newfound love for Davao like a perfectly wrapped chocolate bar, both sweet and best shared with others.