BAGUIO CITY (PIA) -- The development of the cacao industry in the Cordillera region is actively supported by a Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-assisted enterprise.  

Dulche Chocolates, owned by Eva Ritchelle Padua, is now assisting cacao farmers boost the cacao industry in the region through the Women-Helping-Women: Innovating Social Enterprises (WHWISE) program.

WHWise program is a grant of up to P5 million to support women social entrepreneurs who have a need to access technology, early-stage funding, and customized gender-focused support. It is funded by the DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD).

In 2022, Dulche Chocolates qualified for the WHWISE program, and it started the implementation of the P5-million project in March 2023.

Under the program, Padua's enterprise targeted training 200 cacao farmers, and developing at least 10 cacao processors.

"Ti target tayo kuma ket we will be able to train 200 cacao farmers but then as of the moment, adda ti 453 cacao farmers nga nasuruan tayo iti cacao farm management and 34 cacao farmers on post-harvest, and ti met nag-training from post-harvest to tablea and chocolate-making ket 42," Padua said.

[Our target was to train 200 cacao farmers but as of the moment, we were able to train 453 cacao farmers on cacao farm management, 34 cacao farmers on post-harvest, and 42 for post-harvest to table and chocolate-making.]

Padua said they have started to accept on-the-job trainees, and so far, accommodated nine Grade 12 students.

Padua shared that every time they discuss tablea processing, farmers often ask questions about the low productivity of their trees. So, from training cacao farmers in Benguet on proper cacao cultivation, Padua said they also expanded to other provinces.

“Maragsakan kami unay ta gapu iti daytoy a fund ti DOST-PCIEERD, haan laeng nga Benguet iti natulungan tayo ngem even iti other provinces. Iti amin a provinces iti Cordillera ket napanan tayo," Padua said.

[We are happy because with this fund from the DOST-PCIEERD, we were able to help cacao farmers, not only in Benguet but also in other provinces in the Cordillera.]

With the approval of the Agricultural Training Institute, Dulche Chocolates became the first learning site for chocolate-making in the Cordillera in September 2023.  

Padua is optimistic that cacao production in the region will further grow with the assistance from other agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Agrarian Reform, and the Office of Representative Eric Yap, among others.

"Gandat na nga tulungan dagiti firms or social enterprise nga idadauloan ti babbai. Tapnu mai-lift ti economic [status] ken matulungan dagiti babbai nga adda ti supsuportaran da a komunidad," Dionisio said.

[This aims to assist women-led firms or social enterprises to uplift their economic status, and help women who are supporting their communities.]

Qualified applicants for the WHWise program are women-led social enterprises that directly help a community, have a need for a specific technology, require research and development assistance, technical assistance in a specific area, or have expertise in a certain area, among others.

Dionisio said submission of proposals for 2024 and 2025 is now ongoing. Interested applicants may visit the nearest DOST office in their area. (JDP/DEG-PIA CAR)