Tagbilaran City, Bohol — On September 8, 2025, the Nueva Vizcaya delegation, composed of cooperative leaders, organizational representatives, and higher education officials, continued their Trade Techno Mission – Benchmarking Activity with a visit to Dalareich Chocolate House, home of Bohol’s world-renowned artisanal chocolates.
Founded in 1994 as a small family business by Ricardo and Elsa Polot, Dalareich Food Products began with the humble production of tablea—traditional Filipino cacao tablets used to make hot chocolate drinks. What started with only five kilos of cacao beans and the determination of a tricycle driver and a street cleaner to provide for their family has since grown into a globally recognized brand.
The transformation of the business was largely driven by their daughter, Dalareich Polot, fondly known as the “Bohol Chocolate Princess.” After graduating from college in 2009, Dalareich pursued her dream of creating bean-to-bar chocolates. In 2014, she earned a scholarship to the prestigious Cacaolab of Ghent University in Belgium, where she trained under master chocolatiers. Upon her return, she launched Ginto Chocolates, a social enterprise producing fine chocolates from locally grown cacao sourced from smallholder farmers across Bohol.
In 2017, the family opened the Dalareich Chocolate House, a community-based enterprise that not only showcases the entire chocolate-making process to tourists but also provides workshops and livelihood opportunities for local women and students. The venture has since brought international acclaim, including a Gold Award at the London-based Academy of Chocolate Awards in 2019.
Beyond business success, Dalareich is deeply committed to empowering cacao farmers through her advocacy project, “Adopt a Cacao Tree and Preserve Bohol’s Cacao Heritage.” This initiative supports the rehabilitation of heirloom cacao trees while ensuring that farming families receive fair income. Farmers under her programs earn up to ₱120–₱160 per kilo of dried and fermented beans, significantly higher than the typical local rate of ₱35 for wet beans.
Dalareich’s achievements also extend to the global stage. A graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women program, she made history as the first Filipina to receive the Goldman Sachs & Fortune Global Women Leaders Award at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in California. On the same day, she was honored as the Grand Winner – InLife Young Shero of the Year at the Asia CEO Awards 2022. Despite her accolades, Dalareich continues to focus on community recovery projects, including post-Typhoon Odette rehabilitation efforts for women farmers in Bohol.
For the Nueva Vizcaya delegation, the visit to Dalareich Chocolate House provided valuable insights into how a grassroots family enterprise evolved into a globally competitive brand while maintaining strong community roots. It demonstrated the potential of combining entrepreneurship, innovation, and social responsibility to uplift rural livelihoods and preserve local heritage.
The benchmarking activity aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—particularly SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). The Dalareich story exemplifies how local enterprises can serve as engines of sustainable development by creating economic opportunities, promoting cultural pride, and supporting resilient communities.
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