National Greening Program (NGP) by DENR, Palawan with intentions to plant de-nude areas as identified by DENR through People’s Organization and Indigenous People’s (IP) organization not only to bring back trees into the idle open areas but directly giving future livelihood income to the community. Nursery were set-up and seedlings prepared for this project, with priority to re-forest the Mt. Mantaligahan Bio-diversity Protected Area.
January 19, 2017, ERSAO, J. Center mall, Mandaue, Cebu —
PDS Vice-Chairman Mr. Mel Santos together with PDS Bonafide Member Mr. Nestor Saludo had a small gathering of cacao enthusiasts this evening.
Just like our previous CACAO CHRONICLES, a PDS Cacao adventure doesn’t need a stadium-full of people — just interested ones willing to learn and put their learning into action.
Thank you our future cacao movers from Capiz, Cebu and Davao for spending time and lending your ears to us.
Our all white seed Criollo seedlings are waking up to meet the sunlight together with the UF 18 seeds intended to become rootstocks for W10 and Criollo for this year planting season. ? rise and shine, it’s a brand new day!
Traveling to Mindanao gives us good memories with dear friends. I was with Kennemer’s Peter Cruz. Over a mug of hot sikwate, we shared with him about the PDS Criollo Search (which is gaining a lot of attention since we launched it) and he was amazed at how white these beans were.
Together with me was our PDS Strategic Adviser for Mindanao, Etol Laurente. We brought home some tablea (chocolate tablets) from Peter.
I’ll update this post once I get back to Cebu for the BOD Meeting on Sunday. Thanks Peter for the gift and we hope the seeds of happiness and prosperity grow abundantly in Davao.
PDS CACAO went to enchanting LANAO.
The recently concluded PDS LANAO DEL SUR Cacao Techno-Forum was a successful one indeed. It was a chance to share and teach our Muslim cacao farmers that PDS is welcoming them to come join in the Cacao Adventure. Special thanks to Sittie Suba of Yassin Company.
Jazakum Allah Khayran.
There are times when a cacao pod shows a unique appearance. Cebu City knows this kind which at first they thought was watermelon. More of these where it came from! Here’s another white bean to our cap.
As the world begin to unwind the 2017 year before us, my fondest wishes for our Sikwate farmers is that they begin to appreciate the uniqueness and distinctiveness of our Criollos and build up our chocolate industry by optimizing these special cacaos that the whole world pine for.
I wish we begin to have chocolate academies all over, that our artisan chocolatiers and manufacturing industry shall take off for the Philippines.
We aim to have for ourselves one major industry rising, developing demand locally and internationally, and allowing the wonderful cacao pods to create a distinct lifestyle for our farmers that will be the envy of other foreign farmers.
I hope that our chocolatiers earn more accolades as they continue to develop, earn, and become the pillars of our nascient chocolate industry. God is good for the Philippines, we just need to see the resources and assets that He has provided us, so we can avail of His graces big time. Cheers!
Rene Pamintuan
Honorary Founding Member
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We welcome 2017 with great expectations! The membership of Plantacion de Sikwate has grown tremendously well last year and we are poised to grow more cacao trees this year.
We are thankful for the overwhelming support from all the farmers. All the simple FB posts count a lot in spreading the vision of PDS to make the Philippines a major source of cacao in region.
As I’ve mentioned in the June Summit in Cebu, we need the rally behind making this high value crop a major growth economic driver.
All we need to do now until 2020 is to inter-crop 50% of the current coconut plantation with cacao trees, that’s 1.8 million hectares compared to where we are today.
In the most simple equation, my personal vision is…
Let’s bring back the glory of the cacao industry to our country! We did it before, we can do it again! Looking forward to a brighter and more abundant year for cacao!
Basil Bolinao
PDS -VP Luzon
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For 2017, I hope that through the advocacy of BALAY TABLEA and Plantacion de Sikwate, which is to help farmers and the people’s livelihood, be uplifted. We hope for the sustainability of the production, availability of quality raw materials and service to the market here in Cabatuan and the rest of the country.
Catherine Villalobos-Taleon
Proprietress, Balay Tablea
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AGROPOWER PHILIPPINES CORP will be helping PDS meet their target this 2017 by helping all Filipino farmers have a better life. Also, we will be promoting Organic Cacao Farming with the advocacy of the Plantacion De Sikwate Cacao Producers Association, Inc.
Manuel A. Carpio Jr.
Business Manager
Agropower Philippines Corporation
UG35, Royal Mansion Condo. Wack wack Road,
Mandaluyong City (0917-791-8336)