DAVAO'S chocolates are more than just a regional pride, they are a source of national honor. Yet behind the world-renowned flavor of Davao chocolate lies a cacao industry facing mounting challenges. Climate change, pests, and declining farm resources threaten production, and many people remain unaware, or worse, indifferent, to these issues.
To address this gap, a three-day youth-focused fellowship titled “Cacao Futures: A Youth Co-Creation Fellowship” was held in Davao City. Organized by young director Breech Asher Harani, the initiative brought together young creatives, storytellers, journalists, and community members to co-create narratives around Davao cacao, sustainability, culture, and future livelihoods.
The fellowship, which ran from January 23 to January 25, 2026, was supported by Pulitzer Center’s Impact Initiative.
“We decided to create this initiative so that we can not only utilize the skills and talents of these young fellows but also showcase what they have done and what they will be doing in this fellowship to other countries. This is another avenue so that the people will know that the cacao and chocolate industry in Davao is thriving and that there is great potential for it for the whole world to know about it,” Harani said.
The documentary on cacao industry
The fellowship opened with the screening of Chocolates Melting Away, a short documentary directed by Harani himself. The film highlights the fight to save Filipino chocolate while tracing the history and significance of cacao in Davao.
Included in his documentary is tracing cacao's deep roots in the region. Introduced during the Spanish era through the galleon trade, it found an ideal home in Davao’s rich soil and humid climate. By 2024, Davao City had earned the title of Chocolate Capital of the Philippines, with nearly 80,000 farmers relying on cacao for their livelihood. Mindanao accounts for 90 percent of the country’s cacao production, with 78 percent coming specifically from the Davao region.
Despite its success, the industry faces serious challenges. Climate change has made water availability unpredictable, resulting in cycles of drought and intense rainfall. Heavy rains during harvest season disrupt drying processes, causing cacao beans to become moldy. High humidity also encourages diseases such as pod rot and pests like the cacao pod borer, considered the primary enemy of local farmers. As production declines, farmers earn less and are forced to prioritize basic needs over farm inputs, leaving cacao trees even more vulnerable.
Still, sustainable solutions are emerging. Cacao trees serve as carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide and helping mitigate climate change. Agroforestry and diversified farming systems allow cacao to grow alongside other crops, promoting ecological balance.
The documentary also highlighted the role of AMIA program, or the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture. The program is the Department of Agriculture (DA) flagship program, established to enhance climate resilience among farmers and fisherfolk. Through the AMIA program, farmers now receive climate-based information and farming calendars to prepare for extreme weather. Some farms have also shifted entirely to organic practices, replacing herbicides with biofertilizers made from fermented biological waste collected across Davao City.
Innovative techniques are further strengthening the industry. Farmers use pyrolysis, a process that burns material without oxygen, to convert cacao pods into biochar—improving soil fertility while storing carbon. Banana pseudo-stems are used to attract midges, the natural pollinators of cacao. During droughts, drip-line irrigation systems—sometimes made from repurposed plastic bottles—ensure plants receive enough water.
These efforts contribute to the quality and future of Davao chocolate. Known for its premium flavor profile, Davao cacao carries fruity, nutty, and floral notes. The industry is guided by the belief that “rising tides lift all boats,” emphasizing that progress must benefit everyone in the value chain, from farmers to retailers. Sustainability, knowledge-sharing, and the protection of high-quality cacao genetics remain essential to its long-term success.
Preserving the industry through storytelling
Harani stressed the importance of storytelling in preserving the industry.
“Yes, there is [impact]. Because every time we screen the film Chocolates Melting Away, people from other countries have no idea that there is a chocolate and cacao industry here in the Philippines. So since Davao is the cacao capital of the Philippines, I think it’s great to start here and promote what is in here. So that’s the message to the youth,” he said.
He added that the fellows were divided into five teams to co-create creative outputs and campaigns promoting the cacao and chocolate industry in Davao City. These outputs will later be amplified through various platforms to show how creativity plays a crucial role in advocacy.
Harani is a 2019 Young Creatives Awardee of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences during the 47th International Emmy Awards. He is the only Filipino artist listed in Forbes Asia’s “30 Under 30” for Arts (2020) and a recipient of the Rockefeller Foundation’s CNN Academy: Climate Storytelling Program (2023). He also received the New Scientist Editor’s Award from the Royal Geographical Society.
Another highlight of the fellowship was a panel discussion featuring cacao industry experts.
Wit Holganza, CEO of Lilamaya Inc., a Philippine enterprise producing cacao nibs, chocolate bars, and granola, shared that Davao chocolates are widely known across Europe—yet often misunderstood.
“But they never really are able to appreciate the value of that product because they don’t know the story of where it came from, the story of origin. So when we are able to shift the focus from commodity, we now bring it to cultural identity—saan galing, ano yung pamumuhay sa lugar na kung saan tinanim at hinarvest siya (where it came from, and the livelihoods of the people who planted and harvested it),” Holganza, who is also the president of Cacao City, said.
She emphasized that cacao should be viewed not merely as a commodity but as a cultural identity rooted in the stories of the people who grow it.
“Even if it did not come from us originally—it came from South America—we’ve been growing it for the last 300 years. We have the right to claim it as part of our culture, right?” she added.
Holganza also highlighted the importance of a circular economy, noting that not all cacao growers aspire to become exporters. She recalled selling cacao to a Japanese buyer who consolidated products and sold them back to Filipinos as value-added goods like green tea chocolate.
“Can you imagine the number of miles and the carbon footprint of that process? So therefore, keeping it local, and to appreciate why you should take cultural pride in our cacao, (and) the only way to do that is to really come and experience cacao farming,” she said.
She expressed optimism that many stakeholders are now embracing sustainable practices that nourish not only the plants but also the soil itself.
“There’s a billion life forms underneath us, but we never care to get to know them. And just like us, they need food, shelter, and nutrition,” Holganza said.
Orlando Samson Jr., a nurse and advocate of regenerative farming, shared that Davao’s geography and climate make it ideal for cacao cultivation.
“We’re converting into organic, sustainable cacao farming—hindi mabilisan—because we don’t only want to be recognized as a cacao producer, but also for the way we grow our cacao, to be exhibited to the whole world, and not only in Davao,” said Samson, who is also a cacao farm manager at Cacao Culture.
During the fellowship, he shared environmentally friendly, cost-efficient farm hacks that have earned the farm national recognition.
“We are promoting low-input but high-output, sustainable and regenerative farming, which I think should be the way to do it,” Samson said, noting that his initiative has won a climate-focused farming award.
Other speakers include Fe Oguio, Davao City Agriculturist Office representative, who shared that the local government unit is ready to give technical support, like training and seminars, to cacao farmers.
While the speakers agreed that sustainable cacao farming helps protect nature and address climate change, they also acknowledged that much more needs to be done to secure the future of the cacao and chocolate industry in Davao. CEA