ALBAY, Philippines – More than just sweet delights, these perfect Valentine’s Day chocolate treats have been supporting children’s education in a remote rural community in Albay since 2015.
Producing cocoa beans at the foothills of Mayon Volcano, the Muravah Foundation provides locals from marginalized sectors with better access to livelihood opportunities and stable incomes. Its cacao processing factory and chocolate laboratory have consistently helped more than 500 farmers, single mothers, and even those without prior full-time employment.
Among them is Evelyn Abayon, a mother of three whose two siblings also depend on her and live with her family. Racked with sobs, she recalled how difficult life was before she worked in the chocolate factory, especially after her husband left them with nothing.
“We were living in extreme poverty to the point that I don’t know where to get food for my children after my husband left us in Cavite without anything. We went back to Bicol, and I used to work as a nanny and wasn’t able to take care of my own children,” a teary-eyed Abayon said.
The foundation’s mission, through its chocolate factory brand Mayon Gold, has completely changed Abayon’s life, not only giving her a higher-paying job but also helping her send her children to school with financial assistance that covers their transportation expenses.
“The foundation completely changed our lives. Now, I have more time for my children, and I am also able to help even my siblings. The factory’s management also closely monitors how we are doing, ensuring that we are living well and comfortably. They even support my children’s educational needs, particularly fares,” she added.
There are many other single mothers working in the factory and, like Abayon, also receive support from a nurturing work environment. Employees said the factory’s growing workforce has given them more time with their children, achieving a work-life balance in a community that looks after one another.
Abayon’s co-worker Rosemarie Aguilar said, “We have widespread family and community support here, which is the best thing about working here.”
She said they were always being asked about their family conditions.
Aguilar’s husband, who also started as a cacao nursery worker, received medical assistance from the factory for various ailments over the years. He also benefited from housing support and a scholarship that helped their son complete college.
Proceeds from the foundation and the chocolate factory have so far funded the construction of more than 60 typhoon-proof housing units for residents of Albay’s 1st District, along with six units for locals in Camalig town.
Those running the factory said they are continuously working to help more residents secure better and safer homes while learning from the community how to provide sustainable assistance.
Seeds of hope
The foundation first arrived in Barangay Sua, Camalig, Albay, in 2010, initially focusing on helping rice and vegetable farmers. It established the Mayon Farmers Association in 2012. However, due to limited landholdings and lower yields, it sought alternatives to support more community members.
Three years later, it was introduced to the cacao industry, prompting the foundation to propagate and distribute native cacao seedlings that were already growing around Mayon Volcano.
Starting with 28,000 seedlings – of which more than 4,000 trees thrived – it has since worked closely with local farmers and small landowners who grow cacao trees even in their backyards.
Now, with more than 38 buying stations in the province, the foundation directly harvests and purchases cocoa pods from farmers in Camalig and Guinobatan towns.
Ronel Moyo, one of the farmers working with the foundation, said, “We used to live in very poor conditions before working with Muravah. As a farmer, I barely earned enough to feed my family, let alone afford electricity or running water. After only six months of working here, I was already able to buy my own motorcycle, carabao, and cow that helped me with my job.”
Moyo initially worked in the vegetable production unit and is now a field officer responsible for assisting other farmers with cacao harvesting. He said much of their harvest is also distributed to locals for consumption.
He added, “All of our harvested vegetables here were donated to the residents of the barangay.”
Muravah Foundation chairman and founder Bob Murray said, “The more Mayon Gold chocolates we sell, the more farmers and laborers we take out of poverty permanently.”
He said the profits are shared with farmers, funding scholarships for employees’ children and other locals, facility improvements, expansion, and community projects that directly benefit residents.
Harvesting sweet success
Lorie Bañas, Muravah Foundation’s operations manager, said the native cacao seedlings have helped farmer beneficiaries earn four times what they used to earn from planting coconuts. She said this has provided farmers with more sustainable, reliable, and higher incomes.
“We are directly buying the cacao pods from the farmers, giving them sure buyers who purchase their produce at fair and competitive prices. We hope that we can generate higher sales from our chocolates so we can help more people and continue the project without relying too much on our benefactors from Australia, especially our chairman, who provides almost 90% of the funds used for the foundation and factory operations,” she said.
Bañas is one of the many scholars the foundation helped complete their studies. After finishing her degree, she returned to Muravah to work and contribute to the foundation’s mission by sharing her success story and helping others.
“I decided to work here and continue being part of its mission to help more children achieve their dreams as a sustainable way to help families break free from poverty. Now, more students receive scholarships, and there are many more waiting for our support,” she said.
They presently offer 17 varieties of chocolates with distinct flavors, shaped by the natural process and unique environmental conditions near Mayon Volcano in which the cacao beans are grown and processed. The brand incorporates several Bicol and Filipino flavor trademarks, including pili nuts, chili, and mango.
The foundation claims that it produces “volcanic chocolates” that are flavorful, nutrient-rich, and low in acid. But aside from making chocolates, the foundation is rewriting the story of a community.
What started as a small initiative to help struggling farmers has become a lifeline, turning factory work into fresh starts, and each bar of chocolate into a promise for a better future.
The equation is simple: the more chocolates it sells, the more lives it changes. Each bite holds a farmer’s labor, a mother’s strength, and a child’s dream coming true.
The rich, volcanic soil of Mayon has long shaped the land. Now, through this chocolate factory, it’s shaping something just as enduring – the future of hundreds of families.
In early 2024, a phreatic eruption occurred at Mayon Volcano, lasting over four minutes, producing a steam-laden plume that rose about a kilometer above the crater. Subsequently, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the likelihood of an immediate eruption has decreased. – Rappler.com