Chokolate de San Isidro, Inc. (CSI) is a community-based social enterprise located in the Municipality of San Isidro, Davao del Norte, principally operating as an exporter and manufacturer of cacao products. It is one of the pioneers in cacao exporting, trading the commodity to international markets since 2009. Its operations covers almost all the nodes in the cacao value chain, having varied activities from nursery/seedlings production; cacao beans consolidation, which includes fermentation and drying, onto trading; and producer of value-added products, such as cacao nibs and cocoa liquor (or ‘tablea’ in Filipino). Chokolate de San Isidro was conceptualized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as an inclusive business or social enterprise where all stakeholders in the value chain can participate, promoted through the One-Town-One-Product (OTOP) program in 2006. Said initiative was prompted by the existence of 4,000 hectares of cacao as a crop of small farm holders, grown in the area since the 1960s. Consequently, cottage-level cocoa liquor or ‘tablea’ making forms part of the town’s tradition. In 2007, a small ‘tablea’ factory was constructed and started off with 10 kilos of the product for market testing, launching the "SIKWATE!" Brand, which means Dark Chocolate drink in the Visayan vernacular. The product was launched during the 2007 Davao Agri Trade Expo and at the same time was introduced to institutional buyers in Manila.
