By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay (PNA)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — A cacao processor based in this province underscored the importance of having a shared service facility (SSF) on cacao processing that they can use for value-adding their products.
Ramon Iwag, who is into tablea making, said in an interview on Thursday that he is very optimistic that the PHP2.9-million SSF for cacao processing would enable him and others in the industry to produce fine chocolate.
Arlene Galopo of the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) office in Antique said that by Sunday, the SSF would be delivered by the supplier to the municipality of Patnongon and the equipment would go on a trial run on Monday.
If their standards are met, the local government unit (LGU) would finalize the purchase of the equipment, she said.
“The local government of Patnongon will be the cooperator of the SSF for cacao processing,” Galopo said.
The equipment, composed of a cacao roaster, winnower, nibs grinder, chocolate conche and other components, would enable cacao planters to produce fine chocolate and other cacao-based products so they do not just sell cacao beans in the market.
“Cacao planters or farmers from other towns could also make use of the SSF in Patnongon,” Galopo noted.
She said that the SSF will be put up in Patnongon because it was the site chosen by cacao planters comprising the Antique Cacao Council.
“Patnongon has 87 cacao planters with 370 hectares of cacao-planted areas,” Galopo said.
She said that based on the data of the Office of the Provincial Agriculture, the town of Patnongon is next to Sibalom in having the largest area planted with cacao.
Iwag also said the SSF could triple or quadruple their efficiency in making tablea or native chocolate tablets.
“Tablea is now penetrating the markets in Visayas and Luzon. So if we could make more tablea, we could sell more,” he said.
Iwag noted that he needs 1.5 tons of cacao beans per month for his tablea business. “One roll of tablea costs PHP45 and it is composed of three tablets,” he said.
Tablea could be eaten as dark chocolate or melted as chocolate drink.
