DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/ 24 May) — Cacao farmers and industry advocates are pushing for a city ordinance that will institutionalize Republic Act No. 11547, to strengthen support for cacao production amid “declining output and mounting challenges.”
RA 11547 is an Act Declaring the City of Davao as the Chocolate Capital of the Philippines and the Entire Davao Region As the Cacao Capital of the Philippines.
In a press conference Friday morning, Davao City Cacao Council (DCCC) chairperson Wit Holganza said national policy must be integrated into local governance to ensure continuity, budget allocation, and development programming for cacao growers.
“Local ordinance will help by way of advocating for regulatory policies to help our [cacao] farmers in overcoming challenges,” Holganza said.
She cited high fertilizer prices, farmers’ technical competencies, capacity building and training opportunities to farmers as among these challenges.
She said these resulted in a 30- to 50-percent drop in cacao production in Davao City, but added she did not have the exact figure.
Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that cacao yielded a total of 8,024.02 metric tons in 2023 for the whole Davao Region compared to 8,031.97 MT in 2022.
“Kung bagsak talaga ang Philippine production of cacao beans, ito ay dahil sa ang productivity ng ating mga puno affected na (If Philippine cacao beans production is really down, it is because the productivity of our trees is already affected), not just by climate change, not just by the rising cost of inputs, but also because of decreasing soil health,” Holganza said.
She said DCCC was formed as a collegial body composed of members from the public and private sectors involved in determining budget appropriations under the City Agriculturist’s Office, which means “a lot of initiatives about cacao are born out of CAO’s budget appropriations.”
If DCCC will be institutionalized, it will aim to have an independent office and a separate appropriation intended for the growth of the cacao industry, she said.
“It’s because the City Agriculturist’s Office is attending to several commodities, not just cacao,” she said.
The DCCC is planning to launch Kasadya sa Kulturang Kakaw (Cacao Culture Festival) as its yearly event, which is currently under Duaw Dabaw, the city’s festival every June.
As of now, Holganza said they are still drafting the ordinance and would introduce this to the incoming 21st city council. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
