Philippine chocolate maker Cacao Culture is marking its 10th year with the launch of the 8.8 Chocolate Festival, a month-long celebration designed to boost consumer interest in locally made chocolate while giving cacao growers and chocolate makers a wider platform.

Founded in 2016 by husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Kenneth and Shiela Reyes-Lao, Cacao Culture started as a cacao seedling nursery after the couple moved from Manila to Davao City, located in the Davao Region, which is the Philippines' largest cacao-producing area and accounts for the bulk of the country's national output. The business later expanded into cacao growing, post-harvest processing, chocolate making, and product development.

The company will hold its first 8.8 Chocolate Festival on August 8, with activities and promotions running throughout August. In-store offers will include freebies and complimentary hot chocolate for the first 88 customers at each branch. Nationwide promotions, including online and in-store discounts, will run from August 7 to 9.

The festival will showcase Cacao Culture's own products alongside offerings from other Philippine chocolate makers, including Auro Chocolate, Malagos Chocolate, Nutrarich, Cacao De Celo, Coscao Chocolate, and 1919 Chocolate — several of which have earned recognition at international chocolate competitions, helping raise the profile of Philippine cacao on the global stage.

Cacao Culture said its role in the local chocolate industry has evolved over the years from cacao grower and chocolate maker to curator and platform for other Philippine chocolate brands.

“For the past 10 years, our mission has been to spread love for Philippine chocolates,” Cacao Culture co-founder and chief chocolate maker Shiela Reyes-Lao said in a statement.

“The 8.8 Chocolate Festival gives us the opportunity to invite more people by telling them about Philippine chocolate and providing the platforms for them to taste and experience Philippine chocolates,” she said.

Cacao Culture began selling online in 2018, which allowed it to reach customers outside Davao. Its online platforms also became a channel for other local chocolate makers during the pandemic, eventually expanding its selection to more than 20 Philippine chocolate brands.

“Along the way, we realized that spreading love for Philippine chocolate was not something we had to do alone,” Cacao Culture co-founder Kenneth Reyes-Lao said.

“By working with other chocolate makers, we could offer customers a selection of Philippine chocolate and create more opportunities for the industry to grow together,” he said.

The company opened its first physical chocolate shop and cafe in 2023, broadening its consumer offerings beyond packaged products. Customers can experience Philippine chocolate through beverages, pastries, confections, desserts, meals, and guided tasting activities.

The festival promotions will be available through Cacao Culture's website and official Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop channels, with specific offers varying by location and platform.

Through the annual festival, Cacao Culture aims to establish August 8 as a recurring occasion for consumers to discover Philippine chocolate products and makers.

The company said it plans to expand its chocolate cafe network, reach more consumers, work with more cacao farmers and chocolate makers, and create additional livelihood opportunities as it seeks to increase the visibility of Philippine chocolate in local and international markets. — Kaizzer Angela Marie V. Manuba