FAQs

What does the name “Theo & Philo” stand for?
“Theo” comes from the name “Theobroma Cacao”, which is the scientific name for the cacao plant. “Philo” means “Love”. So the name means “Chocolate & Love.”

What does Philippine Single Origin Bean to Bar chocolate mean?
Single origin means that the cacao comes from only one region or place. In this case, our cacao comes only from the Philippines. That’s why it is called Philippine Single Origin. Bean to bar means that we make our chocolate ourselves starting from the raw cacao beans up to the finish product. This is in contrast to other chocolate brands that buy their chocolates already pre-made and melt them down to mold their bars.

How is Theo and Philo a responsible business?
Currently, we are working with a GK farming community located at Malabog, Davao. We directly buy from them (thereby eliminating the middle man), giving them the fairest possible price and giving them additional livelihood income. In addition, we have supported their community by giving them funds to help them start up their infrastructure for post harvesting cacao. We continue to offer them funding support to further beef up their infrastructure for post harvesting to help ensure them with a sustainable income.

Secondly, we hire and train our people from some of the poorest community, even if they no practical background or lack of education. We make sure to give them fair wages and benefits, and respect them with dignity by giving them an equal voice and equal treatment in the company. All direct employees are also co-partners in the company through a form of profit sharing whenever we hit our monthly targets.

Third, our company has sponsored scholarships and actively supports various GK projects/initiatives like the GK Enchanted Farm, Kusina ng Kalinga, and disaster recuperation initiatives. 

Does your chocolate contain any milk or dairy products?
Only the milk chocolate bars has milk in it. Our dark chocolates don’t have any milk or dairy products.

Do you have any sugar free chocolates?
No, we do not. Alternatively, you may want to try our 90% dark chocolate, which has the least amount of sugar among all our chocolate varieties.

Are your chocolates gluten free?
Most of our chocolates are gluten free. The only exception is the Milk Chocolate Adobo variant which has soy sauce in it that is not gluten free (soy sauce has a little bit of wheat flour).

Are your chocolates vegan?
All of our dark chocolate variants are vegan friendly.

I’m allergic to nuts. Are your chocolates nut free?
While there are certain variants that contains pili nuts and cashew nuts, most of our chocolates are nut free. However, all chocolates are processed in the same equipment that also process peanuts and other tree nuts.

What type of sugar do you use?
We use white sugar milled from sugarcane. White sugar is used because of the low moisture content. Brown/Muscovado/Coconut sugar has a high moisture content that will make the chocolate soft and affect the shelf life.

Are your chocolates pure cocoa butter? What is the difference between pure/real chocolate and compound chocolate?
Real chocolate is made with pure cocoa butter while compound chocolate is made with hydrogenated vegetable oil. Compound chocolate is also cheaper. Theo and Philo chocolates are made with pure cocoa butter and are real chocolates.

What does the percentages mean?
The percentage mean that is the amount of cacao derived (cocoa mass/solid and cocoa butter) ingredients used in making the chocolate. For example, 70% dark chocolate means that 70% of the chocolate consists of cacao mass and cocoa butter.

What makes up the rest of the percentages that is not from the cacao?
The rest is made up of sugar, and vanilla beans. There’s also milk for milk chocolates.

Where does your cacao come from? Where do you make your chocolates?
Our cacao beans are currently source from Davao. The chocolates are currently made in San Juan, Manila.

What’s the shelf life of your products?
Our shelf life ranges from 6 months to 1.5 years from the date of production, depending on the product. Generally, milk chocolates have a shorter shelf life than dark chocolates.

Do you offer customized packaging and corporate giveaways?
Yes, we do special requests. Please contact us at hello@theoandphilo.com for your requirements.

Do you offer bulk (by the kilo) chocolates for baking/cooking?
Yes, we do on special requests. Please contact us at hello@theoandphilo.com for your requirements.

When I order online, how long does it take to arrive?
Orders are delivered only during weekdays and non-holidays. We deliver within 3 business days within Metro Manila, usually the next business day. For outside Metro Manila, please allot up to a week for your order to arrive. 

Do you ship to provincial areas?
Yes, we do. We ship nationwide in the Philippines. Pls allow up to a week for  your order to arrive. Please also take note that we only ship out orders from Monday to Thursday to prevent your orders from being stuck in the warehouse during the weekend.

Do you ship internationally?
Yes, we do. Please email us at hello@theoandphilo.com with your order and delivery address to get a shipping quotation. Please also check out in our locations page if we have a distributor in your area/country--you may save on shipping costs instead.

How are items shipped?
Orders are packed in styropor containers with ice gel packs to help keep the chocolates cool while in transit.