THE Davao City Chocolate Processor’s Association, a group of processors organized by the Davao City Agriculturist Office, opened its marketing center, the “Tableya Center at Pasalubong”, highlighting cacao, durian, and other local pasalubong products of the city on Tuesday, June 20 at Maya St. Ecoland.
Arnold Yllanes, the Vice President of the Davao City Chocolate Processor’s Association, said in an interview with the City Information Office, that the opening of the Tableya Center and Pasalubong benefits cacao farmers and processors as it serves as the marketing area for their local products.
“This is a very great help to our farmers because the Tableya Center at Pasalubong is the alternative marketing center for farmers highlighting their value-added products and at the same time, showcasing Davao as the Chocolate Capital of the Philippines and the Durian Capital in the Philippines,” he said.
“As this is tableya centered, 50 percent are chocolate and cacao-related products and we also have durian-related products and we also have assorted Davao-based products,” Yllanes added.
Yllanes said that about 20-30 farmers, including cooperatives and other processors, are involved and are displaying their products at the marketing center.
The hub, according to Llanes, provides another avenue to local farmers who are dependent on the Department of Trade and Industry and City Agriculturist Office exhibits to have sustainable space where they can display products all year round.
The center opens from 8 am to 6 pm from Monday to Saturday. Its shop also has a spacious parking space suitable for tourists who want to stop and shop.
Neil Q. Santillan, the President of the Davao City Chocolate Processor’s Association and the Chief Executive Director of MS3, said that the establishment of the Tableya Center is one of the ways their association “build up” lessons they learned after the pandemic.
“Na experience namo sa pandemic nga pait kaayo so kailangan nga mag-diversify. Nag collaborate mi para at least makapag establish kami ug marketing hub para sa local products (We had a hard time during the pandemic, so we realized we need to diversify. We collaborated to at least establish a marketing hub for our products),” he said.
Santillan added that as a producer of halal-certified chocolate, they share the technical process to make “halal-certified chocolates” with other clusters of their association.
“Among gi-implement sa ila is Halal na nga process para acceptable sa lahat kay ang halal man gud is not only for the Muslim but for everybody (Among the process that we are implementing with them is the Halal process so that it can be acceptable for everybody. Halal products are not only for Muslims but for everybody),” Santillan said, adding that as a chocolate processor here in the city, he could feel that cacao processing and the cacao industry have a huge potential. Cacao as a raw product, primarily cocoa butter, is also used in cosmetics and cocoa powder is used for baking.
“Sa pagkakaron daghan kaayo og international buyer nagabisita sa Davao kay nagustuhan nila ang quality sa cacao (As of the moment many international buyers visit Davao because they liked the quality of cacao here),” Santillan said.
Meanwhile, the City Agriculturist Office-Farm Institutional Division Head Fe Oguio said that hopefully, the establishment of the Tableya Center and the collaboration of various agencies such as the DTI can help farmers promote their products and gain incomeShe added that the City Agriculturist Office supervises the association and conducts meetings and monitoring with the help of the DTI.
“Amoa basically nagahatag mi ug assistance sa ilang group para ma ensure pud nato ang quality sa ilang produce (Basically, we provide assistance to their group to ensure that they can have quality produce),” she said.
The launching was attended by members and officials of the Davao City Chocolate Processor’s Association, staff of the City Agriculturist Office and DTI Davao Region Assistant Director Romeo L. Catañaga. (DAVAO CIO)