The 4 Pillars

Dr. Raul conceptualized the business holistically. He considered how the business could make a positive impact on the farmers and the community. Thus, he established four pillars that support and serve as a pedestal to his chocolate business. Dr. Raul’s caring heart for the community gave him the idea of establishing Cacao Lavezares Farms and Cacao Lavezares Educational Foundation for Children
of Farmers. Its primary objective is to empower cacao farmers in the province by providing them with technical expertise in cacao production.

“We want to advocate best practices in cacao farming by bringing in the latest technologies on post-harvest and processing. We provide technical assistance even as early as raw materials development,” he stressed.

The second pillar which is the Cacao Lavezares Farm adheres to best farming practices for cacao. The farming team are hands-on in training the local farmers and providing knowledge on how to best monitor and cultivate the cacao plantation. Cacao Lavezares built a training center in the heart of Brgy. Urdaneta, Lavezares Northern Samar with the best view of the island cove and the Pacific Ocean. The training program is continually updated and will be regularly provided to the farmers of northern Samar and beyond. The educational foundation, on the other hand, aims to provide educational scholarship to cacao farmers’ children in the province who want to take up agri-related courses. The educational support is to be provided to the children of cacao farmers since the company believes that the best emancipation strategy from the cycle of poverty is through education. Children of farmers who wish to pursue an agri-related college degree will be given support by the company. The company strongly support the idea that when a child ends up to be a degree in agriculture, such knowledge can be brought into the homes of farming families allowing integration of best knowledge and practices in farming technique in the hope that this will generate greater land productivity of the farmer’s parcel of land thereby improving family income and increasing capacity for self-sufficiency.

“We feel that the best way to give back to our farmers is to give their children educational support but not on a monetary basis,” Dr. Raul uttered.

He also shared that with this kind of initiative, farmers will be able to improve their lives and pull themselves out of the cycle of poverty and that the province will have a community of knowledgeable and empowered individuals. The third pillar is the establishment of the Chocolate Academy- Cacao Lavezares School for Chocolates in Marikina City. This program is designed to increase awareness and expertise in chocolate making process in the Philippines. The school aims to produce the future’s best and brightest in artisanal chocolate making. Top graduates on this program will be tapped by the company to take the lead on designing artisanal chocolates to the future branches of the Cacao Lavezares Confiserie in the Philippines and perhaps internationally. Finally, the fourth pillar – Cacao Lavezares Confiserie- a chocolate shop that sells the best chocolate treats using Samarenos’ cacao. The confiserie will be the “art gallery” for the artistry in chocolate making. The company aims to showcase innovative products utilizing the best flavors coming from the archipelago to match the cacao of Samarenos. Its initial staging ground is located in the Marikina City and soon to two other confiseries will be opened within the year.