Mr. Sendin joins the National Training of Trainers (TOT) on Cacao Fermentation, Drying and Bean Grading
   To fill the gap between supply and demand of cacao beans produced in the country, a training of trainers (TOT) on Cacao fermentation, drying and bean grading was conducted by the Philippine Cacao Industry Association, Incorporated (PCIA, Inc.) and the Philippine Cacao Industry Council (PCIC), both chaired by Consul Armi Lopez-Garcia, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI), DA – Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), DA – High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP), and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at the University of Southern Mindanao (USM), Kabacan Campus, North Cotabato on February 1 – 10, 2023. Mr. Francis S. Sendin, a faculty member of Iloilo Science and Technology University, Leon Campus joined the other 32 representatives from selected State Universities and Colleges nationwide.
   Mr. Steven DeVries, a global expert in chocolate making and owner of the famous DeVries Chocolate was the resource speaker and trainer during the conduct of TOT. A 10-day training was full-packed with various hands-on activities, backed-up with lectures and discussions of the underlying principles related to cacao bean fermentation processes and techniques, proper drying and bean grading up to chocolate making.Â
   Aside from the learning and experiences shared by Mr. DeVries, participants also learned a lot from the shared knowledge among the participants themselves, from officers of PCIA and PCIC who were also chocolate makers, from the experiences of USM as a Niche Center in the Region (NICER) in Cacao R & D and from the 2021 Gold Winner of Cocoa Excellence Award held in Rome, Italy, Mr. Chris Fadriga of Bago City, Negros Occidental.
   The TOT has equipped the pool of trainer-participants the necessary competence and skills related to cacao bean processing, particularly on fermentation, drying and grading that would be cascaded to the local cacao farmers in the countryside in order to produce quality fermented beans which would command higher selling price while setting quality standards of fermented cacao to scale-up, compete and enter the global market of chocolates.
   Other than the lecture series and actual activities during the TOT, a symbolic cacao tree planting, a visit to various farms, a tour to the research sites of the USM and a night of socialization were also part of the wholesome approach of the training to develop camaraderie and friendship among the participants, facilitators and organizers.
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