DAVAO de Oro is putting cacao at the center of its investment strategy, leveraging the Davao Region’s dominance in the country’s cacao industry while seeking investments in processing, post-harvest facilities, and other parts of the value chain.
Davao de Oro is doubling down on cacao as its flagship investment story, aligning its provincial development roadmap with the Davao Region’s position as the country’s cacao capital as it courts investors.
Janice Boiser, investment and tourism head of the Provincial Local Government Unit, told SunStar Davao in an interview on the sidelines of the Asean Innovation Summit on Sept. 18, 2026, that the province is placing cacao at the heart of its growth strategy, banking on strong domestic demand and the region’s reputation for high-quality beans.
Leveraging Davao’s cacao dominance
The push builds on the Davao Region’s status as the country’s cacao hub, accounting for about 70 to 80 percent of national output and earning recognition as the Philippines’ cacao capital, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Industry data also shows a wide gap between domestic production and annual demand, creating opportunities for expansion and new investments.
Boiser said Davao de Oro wants to help close that gap by increasing production and attracting investments in processing facilities and post-harvest infrastructure.
“We have the capacity to produce, but we need to strengthen facilities and the value chain,” she said, noting that the province is actively seeking partners for cacao processing and post-harvest infrastructure.
Roadmap anchors investment pitch
The province is anchoring its investment push on its Sustainable Cacao Development Roadmap for 2025-2030, which outlines strategies to expand production, improve farmers’ access to resources and strengthen market linkages.
The roadmap seeks to build an inclusive and sustainable value chain for smallholder farmers while creating an environment conducive to private investment.
Developed with national government agencies, academe, and private-sector stakeholders, the roadmap aims to position Davao de Oro as a leading cacao producer in the region.
“This is not just about farming. It’s about building an entire ecosystem — from production to processing to market,” Boiser said.
From beans to value-added products
At the summit, the province showcased cacao-based products such as tablea alongside other agricultural products, highlighting its push toward value-added production.
The strategy aligns with national efforts to move the cacao industry further up the value chain through processing, branding, and export development instead of relying mainly on raw bean production.
Industry players in Davao have also been expanding markets for locally produced chocolate as demand grows and product quality improves.
For Davao de Oro, expanding processing capacity could allow farmers and businesses to capture more value from cacao before products reach consumers.
Tourism, MSMEs widen investment pitch
Beyond agriculture, Davao de Oro is bundling tourism and micro, small and medium enterprises into its investment pitch.
Boiser said tourism assets such as Lubi Plantation Island, Maragusan’s “sea of clouds,” and coastal destinations in Pantukan and Mabini are being promoted alongside local products to attract investors.
The province is also rolling out support programs for MSMEs, including equipment distribution and startup assistance, to widen economic participation.
“Tourism and agriculture create jobs, but MSMEs make growth inclusive,” she said.
Climate resilience part of strategy
The cacao roadmap also incorporates climate resilience measures as the province faces risks from El Niño and forest fires.
Davao de Oro is working with partners such as Alinea International to develop mitigation and adaptation strategies, including applying lessons from international best practices.
The province sees climate resilience as essential to protecting agricultural production and sustaining the investments it hopes to attract.
Closing the investment gap
Despite its potential, the province recognizes gaps in infrastructure, processing facilities and data — areas where it hopes private-sector participation can make a difference.
With demand for cacao continuing to grow and the Davao Region already recognized for its quality beans, Davao de Oro is betting that targeted investments can help transform the province into a stronger player in the country’s chocolate value chain.
“The opportunity is already there,” Boiser said. “What we need now is investment to unlock it.”
Davao remains ‘cacao capital’
The Department of Agriculture-Davao Region reported that in early 2026, the region reaffirmed its position as the country’s cacao capital, producing 7,807 metric tons and accounting for 72 percent of national output.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed the region also ranked first in cacao-harvested area in 2024, with 19,969 hectares, or 60 percent of the national total.
Among the provinces, Davao del Sur led production with 4,352 metric tons, followed by Davao del Norte with 1,520 metric tons, Davao Oriental with 552 metric tons, Davao Occidental with 707 metric tons, and Davao de Oro with 676 metric tons.
The region also accounted for 80 percent of the country’s total cacao production in 2022 and 2023, producing 8,031.97 and 8,024.02 metric tons, respectively.
“This is a testament to the hard work of our farmers and the strength of our cacao sector,” DA-Davao said in a news release.
The Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Investment Portfolio of the Philippine Rural Development Project envisions the Davao Region retaining its position as the country’s cacao capital at least until 2030.
The plan aims to ensure 80 percent of cacao production undergoes traceable, high-quality fermentation protocols and is processed into premium value-added products for local and export markets.
Investments target production bottlenecks
The report, however, identified several constraints facing the industry, including limited access to quality inputs and planting materials, low cacao bean supply, farm management gaps, labor shortages, and inadequate post-harvest capacity.
Priority investments include a regional cacao development hub, farmers’ knowledge center, and trading center.
Proposed support projects include a community cacao nursery network, farmer field schools on cacao farm management, cacao farm rehabilitation and cluster expansion, community-managed fermentation and drying centers, cacao value-chain enterprise development and skills training for industry workers.
For Davao de Oro, the investment pitch is ultimately about moving cacao beyond the farm — and building the infrastructure, businesses and skills needed to turn the province’s production strength into greater value for farmers and investors. RGL WITH REPORTS FROM PNA
