BAGUIO CITY – In an industry where business secrets are closely guarded, local chocolate maker Eva Ritchelle Padua takes a different approach—by sharing her expertise, she’s scaling a homegrown brand into a globally recognized enterprise.
Since launching her premium 70% dark chocolate line in 2019 under the brand “Dulche Chocolate,” Padua has faced the challenge of raw material shortages. The brand uses locally grown cacao, but supply constraints hindered its ability to meet increasing market demands.
To address this bottleneck, Padua turned to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), specifically its Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD). Through the council’s Women-Helping-Women: Innovating Social Enterprises (WHWise) initiative, she received ₱4.75 million in funding for a one-year project called “SWEET PH.”
This program, running from 2023 to 2024, focuses on the standardization and enhancement of highland cacao production—from farm cultivation to post-harvest and chocolate crafting techniques. The initiative’s goal is to elevate the quality of Cordillera-produced cacao and help local farmers compete on a larger scale.
Training Future Chocolatiers
With guidance from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Mindanao State University, Padua gained specialized knowledge in cacao farming and chocolate-making processes. Armed with this expertise, she now mentors women cacao growers in Benguet and Apayao.
“Our collaboration empowers women with skills, ensures consistent supply for my business, and opens up new income streams for local farmers,” Padua shared in a recent interview.
Initial regional assessments identified approximately 400,000 cacao trees and 1,900 growers. By providing structured training, Padua is helping consolidate production, ensuring cacao quality, and developing a stable supply chain. This initiative has transformed participating farmers from individual producers into key contributors to a thriving local industry.
Partnerships Fuel Progress
In cooperation with other agricultural advocates—including former Benguet governor Crescensio Pacalso—Padua helped craft the official “Cacao Protocol in the Cordillera Administrative Region.” The protocol has since been adopted into the Department of Agriculture’s “School-on-the-Air” radio program, which provides accessible training for cacao growers across the region.
Currently, Padua sources high-quality cacao beans from farms in Tuba, Atok, Sablan, and Apayao. With a dependable raw material network in place, her brand now fulfills international orders, including a recurring shipment of at least 11,000 chocolate bars to New Zealand.
Dulche Chocolate’s reach continues to expand, with smaller export volumes now reaching customers in Hong Kong, the U.S., South Korea, and Canada.
Expanding Product Lines and Markets
Padua’s handcrafted chocolates come in several variants: classic 70% dark, chili-infused, strawberry, and mint. She is also developing a new product—“Kaka-revive,” a chocolate capsule supplement aimed at wellness-conscious consumers. Plans are underway to seek additional DOST funding for its development and commercialization.
Locally, her bite-sized “chocobites” are becoming buffet staples in high-end Baguio hotels, signaling strong regional acceptance.
A Vision Fueled by Empowerment
Dr. Nancy Bantog, regional director of DOST-CAR, praised the SWEET PH project during a recent forum, noting how it not only boosts cacao production but also secures a reliable market for local farmers. “When growers know their products are in demand, they are more motivated to produce—and Dulche provides that stable demand,” she said.
Padua emphasized the importance of collective effort: “With the support of local farmers and the government, we’re creating a chocolate legacy crafted by Igorot hands.”
Thanks to a growing pool of trained farmers and consistent raw material supply, the business is thriving both in terms of production volume and economic impact. While she declined to disclose exact figures, Padua acknowledged that exports to New Zealand alone amount to millions in pesos annually.
As DOST continues to invite project proposals that drive innovation and livelihood creation, Padua’s story serves as a powerful model for transforming small enterprises into impactful social ventures.