The Philippine Cacao Industry Council (PCIC) and the Philippine Cacao Industry Association (PCIA) are consolidating data to better monitor cacao production across the country.
Consul Armi Lopez Garcia, chairperson of PCIC and president of PCIA, said monitoring cacao production will help identify areas with low output, allowing the council to provide targeted assistance.
She explained that through consolidated data, the council can determine which areas need to expand cacao planting and where expansion may not be necessary.
Garcia added that small-scale cacao farmers seeking to track their production can coordinate with their municipal agricultural officers.
Christopher H. Lindo, vice president for Mindanao of PCIC and board director of PCIA, said the council is working to collect data into a single database to ensure information is available in every region. He added that through collaboration among all sectors, the initiative can be achieved.
Boosting cacao production
Garcia said that with the increasing global demand for cacao, the world is looking to the Philippines as a potential source of supply.
She noted that aside from international buyers, local chocolatiers are also contributing to the growing demand for cacao.
Garcia emphasized that the country needs to meet this demand by expanding cacao production. However, she clarified that expansion should not only focus on increasing volume but also on producing high-quality cacao beans.
She said producing high-quality beans would benefit farmers because they could command better prices. Garcia warned that if the country expands production without maintaining quality, the Philippines would remain merely a commodity market on the international stage. Maintaining consistent bean quality, she added, would also help stabilize prices.
“If farmers earn more, then we would be enticing the younger generation to engage in farming,” she told SunStar Davao on March 6, 2026, at the Apo View Hotel in Davao City.
Roadmap for sustainable cacao growth
The roadmap was crafted as a unified strategic framework aligned with government agencies, local government units, the private sector, farmers and development partners.
The framework will guide investments in area expansion, yield improvement, farm clustering and market development while promoting climate-resilient and sustainable cacao production.
Lindo said the roadmap would help cacao farmers increase their income. He explained that farmers could also undergo fermentation processes to increase the value of their cacao.
On a local scale, Lizabel “With” Holganza, a Davao-based agri-entrepreneur and owner of Gran Verde Farm, said the roadmap could help small-scale farmers mirror national strategies at the local level. However, she noted that the lack of sufficient data could pose a challenge since data gathering is not typically the responsibility of farmers.
Holganza emphasized that farmers cannot survive on their own, highlighting the need for stronger collaboration with local government units and other sectors.
“Gusto ko sana makita sa road map na [I want the roadmap to be] very intentional,” she said, explaining that practices implemented in small-scale farming can also be applied to large-scale operations.
According to current estimates in the roadmap as of 2025, Luzon has an estimated cacao area of 2,000 hectares producing about 1,000 to 1,200 metric tons (MT). The Visayas has an estimated land area of 1,500 hectares with production of 800 to 1,000 MT, while Mindanao has around 20,000 hectares producing 10,300 to 11,200 MT.
In total, the Philippines has an estimated cacao area of 25,500 hectares with production ranging from 10,300 to 11,200 MT annually. RGP