DAVAO agricultural pioneer and Malagos Chocolate co-founder Charita “Chari” Palmares Puentespina, who helped transform a family farm into an internationally recognized Filipino chocolate brand, died Sunday, August 16, 2026, at the age of 86.
Her family confirmed her passing in a statement but did not divulge the cause of death.
Born on December 19, 1939, Puentespina was remembered not only as the matriarch of the Puentespina family but also as a farmer whose decades-long work helped transform a family agricultural venture into a diversified enterprise known for cacao, chocolate, artisan cheese, flowers, plants, and agri-ecotourism.
The family described her as a mother, grandmother, farmer, and visionary whose legacy was deeply rooted in the land.
“She who turned the land itself into a legacy - advocating for the Waling-Waling and Philippine native flora, and growing a small farm into what would become the Malagos brand.”
But beyond her business achievements, the family said Puentespina would be remembered for her courage, hard work, and love for her family, farmers, community, and nature.
From a backyard garden to a farming legacy
Puentespina's connection to agriculture began early in life. In a 2013 interview published in a national media outlet, she recalled raising vegetables and pigs as a teenager, selling donuts and hand-embroidered pillowcases, and developing a lasting appreciation for plants from her family's tradition of maintaining gardens in Passi, Iloilo.
After marrying Roberto “Bert” Puentespina, the couple established their first farm in Davao City in 1963, at the foothills of Mt. Talomo. The family later identified this as the beginning of their agricultural journey.
At the farm, Puentespina cultivated fruit trees, coconuts, coffee, and bananas, and also maintained a small piggery. The family's agricultural operations eventually expanded into other ventures.
Her interest in orchids also became an important part of her entrepreneurial journey. She started her orchid business in 1977, inspired by the orchid industry in Bangkok, and later expanded into a larger farm that included bananas, durian, and livestock. Her work with tissue culture eventually helped her successfully propagate the Philippine waling-waling orchid.
Her advocacy for the waling-waling and other Philippine flora became closely associated with her name and the Puentespina family's agricultural enterprises.
Her cacao journey
Puentespina's most internationally recognized agricultural legacy, however, came from cacao.
Her venture into cacao began in 2003, when she and her family leased a farm in Malagos, Baguio District, Davao City, with existing cacao trees. Rather than simply selling raw beans, she envisioned producing premium Philippine chocolate and creating greater value from locally grown cacao.
The Malagos Chocolate heritage account said Puentespina wanted to revive the Philippine cacao sector while creating opportunities for farmers and workers.
Over the following years, the family improved cacao-growing and post-harvest practices, established processing facilities, and refined its chocolate-making processes. In 2012, the family established Malagos Agri-Ventures Corporation, while Malagos Chocolate was commercially launched in June 2013 as a Philippine-made, single-origin, tree-to-bar chocolate.
The venture eventually helped put Davao cacao and Philippine chocolate on the international map.
In 2015, Malagos Chocolate began receiving international recognition, including awards from global chocolate competitions. Its products subsequently earned numerous awards in international competitions, helping elevate the profile of Philippine cacao and locally made chocolate.
In 2017, Puentespina's cacao beans were also selected among the world's top 50 entries at an international cacao competition, marking the first Philippine participation in the Salon du Chocolat event, according to the Department of Trade and Industry.
In 2021, she reached a remarkable milestone in the global chocolate industry, earning the prestigious Gold Award for “Best Drinking Chocolate in the World” at the International Chocolate Awards in Hanover, Germany—an achievement that underscored the exceptional quality and craftsmanship of her chocolate-making.
Champion of cacao farmers
Puentespina's contribution extended beyond her own farm and products.
She actively advocated for cacao to become a priority agricultural crop and sought support from organizations that could provide technical assistance to farmers and strengthen the cacao and coconut sectors.
In August 2011, she played a key role in establishing the Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao (Cidami), a value-chain organization bringing together farmers, cooperatives, nursery operators, traders, processors, input suppliers, and members of the academy. She served as its head for two years.
Her philosophy was anchored on increasing the value of Philippine agricultural products while creating opportunities for farmers.
Puentespina was recognized for her work with several awards, including the 2017 Outstanding Asean Woman Entrepreneur, the 2017 Leaders and Achievers of Davao (Lead) Award, and the 2017-2018 Gawad Saka Award for Outstanding Agricultural Entrepreneur from the Department of Agriculture.
In 2019, Puentespina Farms became the first farm in the Philippines to receive the Heirloom Cacao designation from the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund, in partnership with the Fine Chocolate Industry Association and the US Department of Agriculture. The farm was the 16th cacao producer in the world to receive the designation at the time.
Beyond chocolate
The Puentespina family's agricultural portfolio grew beyond cacao and chocolate.
The family's Malagos operations included goat raising for artisan cheese, cut flowers and foliage, potted plants and an agri-ecotourism resort. The Malagos Garden Resort traces its roots to the family's agricultural beginnings and opened to visitors in 1994.
Puentespina also became closely associated with Malagos Farmhouse, where dairy goats and cows were raised alongside the family's agricultural operations. The farm's cheese-making venture eventually became another signature of the Malagos brand.
In 2026, Malagos Garden Resort continued to recognize Puentespina as a key figure behind its environmental and nature-centered initiatives, describing her as the matriarch whose support helped nurture the resort's conservation efforts.
A legacy rooted in the land
For the Puentespina family, Charita's legacy was ultimately larger than the products and companies that carried the Malagos name.
It was built through decades of working the soil, cultivating plants, nurturing farmers, and turning agricultural resources into products that could reach markets beyond Davao and the Philippines.
Her family's statement said Puentespina is survived by her children Angel and Arlene, Ed and Lies, Olive, Rex and Jen, and Charisse, as well as 13 grandchildren.
Puentespina’s Memorial Service will be held at Waling-Waling Hall, Cosmopolitan Memorial Chapels, along J.P. Cabaguio Avenue, Davao City.
Meanwhile, the Funeral Mass will be celebrated on August 21, at 1:30 p.m. at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Church in Bo. Obrero, Davao City.
The Interment Rites will follow at 3:00 p.m. on August 21 at Davao Memorial Park along Gen. Douglas McArthur Highway, Matina, Davao City.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Church.
Meanwhile, the Malagos Farmhouse team paid tribute to Puentespina, describing her as a farmer and visionary whose belief in farming helped turn an idea that began with just three goats into the Malagos Farmhouse.
The team said her resourcefulness and trust in the land helped create the foundation for the artisans who would later produce the brand's cheeses.
“Charita had a dream of the bounty of the farm highlighted by Philippine talent.”
The Malagos group said it would honor her by continuing that mission.
For Davao's agricultural and business community, Puentespina leaves behind a legacy measured not only in awards and enterprises, but in the farmers, products, livelihoods, and industries that grew from her belief that the land could be both a source of sustenance and a foundation for a distinctly Filipino enterprise. DEF
