From Pod to Purpose: The Good Store Team Visits Theo and Philo’s Cacao Farm in Davao

When you unwrap a Theo and Philo bar from The Good Store, you’re tasting more than chocolate—you’re tasting Davao soil, Mindanao sunshine, and years of farmer know-how. So our team flew south to see where it all began. 

Morning in Malabog

We met Theo and Philo founder Philo Chua at a partner farm community in Malabog, Davao City. This is where Theo and Philo sources the single-origin cacao that goes into bars like their 90% Dark and signature Tablea. The beans here thrive in Davao’s “fertile land and temperate climates,” which locals say produce some of the best cacao in the region.

Philo walked us through the trees—Theobroma cacao, literally “food of the gods.” Farmers split open golden pods to reveal beans covered in sweet white pulp. That’s day one. From there it’s fermentation, sun-drying on racks, sorting, then roasting—all done with post-harvest techniques that Theo and Philo shares with partner farmers. 

Why Davao Matters

Davao Region produces about 80% of the country’s cacao and is known as the Cacao Capital of the Philippines. It’s also becoming a farm tourism hub, with cacao plantations strengthened as key destinations so visitors can see the “pod to bar” process firsthand. 

For Theo and Philo, being bean-to-bar means transparency: they know the farmers, the soil, and the story behind every bean. The company also buys beans from farmers who meet their quality criteria, helping them earn better income. 

Tasting the Mission

Back at the drying area, we tried fresh tablea brewed the traditional way—just pure cocoa in hot water. Rich, earthy, slightly bitter, and 100% Davao. It’s the same cacao that ends up in Theo and Philo’s 70% Dark bars: “roasted to perfection” and “born from the finest of Davao’s cacao beans.” 

What We’re Bringing Home

1. Respect for the process – From tree to bar, it takes patience. Fermentation alone can make or break flavor.

2. Pride in Filipino craft – Theo and Philo started in 2010 as the first bean-to-bar chocolate company in the Philippines to showcase local cacao.

3. Better stories on our shelves – Every bar we stock at The Good Store now comes with faces, not just flavors. 

Davao isn’t just supplying chocolate. It’s building a movement where farmers, makers, and shops collaborate instead of compete. And that tastes good to us. That makes us all the more happy to partner with Theo and Philo.

Want to taste Davao’s fine chocolate? Check out Theo and Philo’s 90% Dark Chocolate, 70% Dark Chocolate, and Theo and Philo Tablea Malabog—all made with the glorious Davao cacao here at The Good Store.