Chicago Fil-Am chocolatiers uplift Samar cacao farmers

FA farmer at organic cacao farm, free of pesticides, in Calbayog City, Philippines harvests cacao. (Photo by Gerry Dean)

CHICAGO – Immigration lawyer Gerardo Dean indeed had something special to be thankful for a day before last Thanksgiving. Dean received news that their company Choc ‘N Boxes’ entry, Calamansi Caramel Bonbon, won the Bronze Award the the highly competitive International Chocolate Awards.

This is, on top of the three awards that his company had already won in the U.S. competitions this year: one silver and two bronzes. It’s a good harvest of recognition for a five-year-old outfit.

Sailyn and Gerry Dean: Sweet smell of success. ANONG SANTOS

Sweeter than these prizes is the realization of his vision to uplift the economic condition of the farmers who work on his father’s coconut plantation in his hometown of Calbayog, Samar. In one of his visits there, he found out the meager earnings of his town mates from copra—the byproduct of coconuts.

He discovered that planting cacao trees between coconut trees was viable and he took the risk of putting his savings into this venture. It was challenging to say the least. It took five years before the seedlings grew to produce marketable pods.

Soon enough, he realized that he had to go to school to learn the ins and outs of the chocolate business. Then his wife had to quit her nursing job to manage the chocolate store and factory that they put up in Norridge, Illinois.

“One equipment costs the equivalent of a new car, but we persisted,” shared Dean who has to continue his law practice so they can pay the bills.

Recently, he was showing his sack of cocoa beans delivered by DHL directly from Samar.  He saw in them the future promise that will make life better for the poor farmers of his hometown.

The couple’s shop at 4731 N. Cumberland Ave., in Norridge, a northwest suburb of Chicago, showcases various gourmet-class chocolates that are starting to attract loyal followers and lovers of fine chocolate products. Word has spread that their quality products have attracted the attention of big stores in the area that ordered bulk stock for their shelves.

At the back of the store is the chocolate factory run by Noel Santos who happily shows the delicate processes—cacao being sorted and ground all the way to the colorful finished products of various flavors. Helping Noel is a Ukrainian named Natalia Kostyuk.

The coming weeks will be busy because of the holidays. Gerry and Sailyn Dean are extra happy this year, knowing that their vision is seeing fruition not only in products worthy of praise and patronage of people with delicate taste, but also for the benefit of faraway farmers in Samar.