Cacao is popularly linked with chocolates, these are often processed into a “tableya,” a traditional chocolate confection used in making desserts. Among the Asian countries, the Philippines has a competitive advantage for cacao production due to its strategic location, good climatic conditions, and favorable soil. However, despite its competitive advantage, cacao production in the country can still not meet the current requirements of the growing cacao-based industry due to several problems affecting the industry. Thus, it resorts to importing cacao beans from other producing countries.
