Support Local Cacao Farmers Through These Filipino-Made Premium Chocolate Brands

Chocolates know no occasions. Whether it’s for your cheat day, a pick-me-up after a bad day, or a pat-on-the-back for a job well done, a nice chocolate bar can be had without any why’s. In the local mainstream market, quality chocolates are often exclusive to imported bars. We rummage through balikbayan boxes or scan the aisles at S&R or Duty Free to score these imported sweet treats. But thanks to several brands supporting local cacao farmers, this colonial mentality is being shattered to make space for homegrown bean-to-bar labels.

Here are Filipino-made premium chocolate brands that won’t disappoint!

Tigre y Oliva

The brainchild of Italian craft chocolatier Simone Mastrota, Tigre y Oliva uses cacao directly sourced from local farmers, putting emphasis on craftsmanship and sustainability in every bar. In partnership with social entrepreneur Rob Crisostomo, this Filipino-made premium chocolate brand helps educate farmers about best practices in agriculture and follows fair ethical sourcing “from seed to table.” It now has a chocolate factory in Mandala Park in Mandaluyong, where it experiments with different concoctions. Aside from their nicely packaged chocolate bars, Tigre y Oliva offers other sweet treats like cakes and cookies.

Malagos

Even if you have little to no knowledge of locally made premium chocolates, chances are you’ve heard about Malagos. It is the recipient of several awards recognizing the world’s best in premium chocolates; most recently, Puentespina Farm, which produces the ingredients for Malagos, has been given the prestigious HEIRLOOM by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund, the first brand to have been given that status in the Philippines.

Malagos chocolates are made from single-origin beans grown in Davao.

Theo and Philo

One thing that will catch your eye when you see Theo and Philo is its packaging: wrappers printed with illustrations of the country’s flora and fauna, punctuated by the brand’s logo—the iconic kalesa.

This Filipino-made premium chocolate brand’s packaging is just as good as what’s inside it. Their bars are made from single- origin beans and are classified into two: dark and milk. They vary depending on what additional ingredients they have—among the interesting ones are labuyo chili, turon, and adobo—and how much cocoa each bar contains.

A 45-gram chocolate bar is priced at P115. Theo and Philo also sells chocolate drinks and spread.

Auro

This bean-to-bar chocolate brand was founded by Kelly Go and Mark Ocampo, both of whom have no conventional background in chocolate making but are extremely passionate about anything chocolate. They went to Germany to study chocolate production before moving back home to form Auro. Their brand also organizes introductory classes to chocolate making as part of their efforts to help solidify the local cacao market. Auro is Halal-certified and is available online and in select stores nationwide.

Dalareich Chocolate House

This bean-to-bar premium chocolate brand in the Philippines sources their ingredients from the farms in Bohol. A family-run business, Dalareich started with only five kilos of cacao beans in 1994 before transforming into a brand that has received recognitions both locally and abroad. Dalareich was named after the owners’ daughter, who went to Belgium to study chocolate making. At present, this brand offers single origin bars, unsweetened chocolate, and cacao nibs.

Dekada

Dekada offers chocolate bars at P100 apiece, with cacao level options of 50%, 60%, and 70%. We recommend their chocolate triangles perfect for sharing or snacking by yourself (we won’t judge). They also have tableya rounds so you can make your own tsokolate drink that suits the cold weather.

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