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Fadriga elected Negros Cacao Council Chairman
Tag: sikwate
Cacao Industry as a whole before & after the Gold Award in Cocoa of Excellence 2021, Paris France.
Chris Fadriga guests on CNN PHILIPPINES
CNN PHILIPPINES RICO HIZON on the The Final Word. June 3, 2022
Segment: Pinoy Pride << click to watch
Fadriga featured in BASTA PROMDI, LODI!
Manong Chris got featured in a RMN show “BASTA PROMDI, LODI!” hosted by Ces Drilon and Jude Bacalso.
Here is the segment which may also be viewed in its entirety in Youtube.
Criollo Harvest: Beyond Average
One of our members from the Cordillera region proudly showed to us their soon to harvest Criollo Filipino Aromatico pods! At an average, the pods, from this rare cacao variety, yields 50 per tree. Happy to share that this golden tree is yielding 110 pods + is flowering + has cherels. Congratulations!!! #parasabayan #FilipinoAromatico™ #goldenbabies
A Day with Cacao Icons, Guests and Cacao Farming
Last night, our Cacao Icons had some guests at Cebu City Marriott Hotel. They were so thrilled and excited to do cacao farming and a possible funding as well. Our Cacao Icons took pride in showing the Search for Criollo video and were surprised to have a received an applause and good reviews about it.
It was a series of meetings which started in the morning with saying hello to Ms. Emma Ramas, PDS BOD Secretary at SM Seaside.
Afterwards, they headed off to a nearby cacao plantation owned by Mr. Ernie Laurel. Where our guest inspected the cacao trees and pods. He was even shown the proper ways to do top grafting!
The following morning was Tagbilaran Bohol. Who could not visit the Philippines without seeing the Chocolate Hills? The guest of our Cacao Icons was toured at the cacao nurseries funded by Brownseeds PTE LTD.
The welcome drink. Hot chocolate! in the Philippines, we call our chocolate liquor as SIKWATE. The word SIKWATE is derived from a Visayan term meaning Cacao chocolate drink. Pair it with PUTO. To put it in layman’s terms, PUTO is a type of steamed rice cake usually served as snack or as accompaniment to mouthwatering hot beverages such as hot chocolate.
Plantacion de Sikwate President Mr. Christopher Fadriga, together with Ms. Cecilia De Leon showed PDS’ guest around their farm. Healthy and aromatic smelling cacao pods were displayed to be inspected and drooled upon.
Back to the Buena Venturada Farm, where owner Mr. Duke Miñoza, showed his W10 seedlings growing in the nursery.
Soon after, our cacao troopers went back to Cebu for a good dinner over a cup of hot sikwate before calling it a day.
(Events) PDS Members to join PDS on October 12-13, 2016 at MMCC, Pasay
Plantacion de Sikwate Cacao Producers Association Inc. was invited by the Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce (FPACC) through the help of one of our Founding Members, Honorary Ambassador of California, Dr. Yolanda Ortega-Stern, who has been appointed Honorary Investment and Trade representative by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as well as representative of Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry Incorporated (PCCI).
(Layout by Ms. Cacao)
Join us on October 12-13,2016 at the Manila-Marriott Convention Center, Pasay City. We are in Booth #35. NO REGISTRATION FEE. Just come in from 8am to 5PM!
Update:
PDS Members who are co-exhibiting on Oct 12-13, 2016 are:
Cacao de Davao Chocolocco Gourmet of Chocolate
Benefits of Going Dark
Not only is cacao a tasty indulgence, its health benefits are also impressive. It has the ability to lower blood pressure, helps weight loss, prevents cavities, regulates blood sugar which lowers the risk for diabetes and lowers bad cholesterol to name a few.
The excellent levels of antioxidants in this flavonoid rich cocoa has been clinically proven to dissolve plague built up in the arteries, which helps in reversing heart disease and benefits the entire cardiovascular system. Cacao is one of the highest whole food source of magnesium, which also happens to be one of the most deficient mineral in the diet of modern cultures. The higher the cacao content, the healthier the chocolate will be for us.
1. The antioxidant concentration in hot cocoa is almost twice as strong as red wine and about 2 to 3 times more than in green tea, and 4 to 5 times greater than the number for black tea. (Cornell University)
2. The “hot” in “hot chocolate” is important as well. More antioxidants are released when it’s heated up. ( Professor Chang Yong Lee, the leader of the Cornell study, added)
3. A cup of hot cocoa contains antioxidant gallic acid used to treat internal hemorrhages, albuminuria (the presence of albumin in the urine, which can indicate kidney disease) and diabetes.
4. Although a regular bar of chocolate has strong antioxidant activity, the health benefits may be outweighed because of the saturated fats present; cocoa generally has much less fat per serving compared to a standard chocolate bar.
5. The flavonoids help your body process nitric oxide, which is why hot cocoa can improve blood flow, help lower your blood pressure and improve heart health.
6. The flavonoids in hot chocolate also help prevent platelets in your blood from mingling together and forming clots.
7. Drinking hot chocolate can help you think better too. The flavonoids increase the blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Since dementia is caused by a reduced flow of blood to the brain, researchers think it could be treated with cocoa. (American Association for the Advancement of Science).
Sikwate by: Balay Tablea