At the Augusto Rosales Gonzales Theater of De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, about 500 students from the Export and Global Business Management got to witness how a bean-to-bar process occurs with the expert teaching of Elaine Santiago, a two-year chocolatier of the premium chocolate brand, CMV Txokolat.

CMV Txokolat is a long-time partner of DTC Promos, Inc., the company behind Our Market. CM Txokolat, aside from offering high-quality chocolates with Filipino personality, also used to conduct chocolate-making workshops with Iskaparate, Our Market’s former digital house.

Through the workshop, Our Market effectively tapped into the minds of business students about there being reality of turning a cacao pod into beautiful confectionery — creating three unique recipes rare to the common market, the Fruit & Nut Mendiant, Sweet, Salty, and Spicy Nib Bar, and Dark Chocolate Truffle.

This was a prearranged strategy that benefits both Our Market in the sense of fulfilling its mission of disseminating skills and knowledge to the right crowd, and the DLS-CSB’s EGBM program community. In line with the program’s upcoming 30th anniversary, the students obtained not only practical culinary knowledge but also an inspiration that they, too, can build a flourishing business from scratch.

The event was made possible through the partnership of DTC Promos, Inc., Tagumpay IT’S ALL GOOD, a digital media channel operated by ARDA Media Solutions Corporation, Unox, Selecta, Barilla, Tulip, Search Commercial Inc., Mayani, Mo & Bear, and Nayong Kalikasan.

Simultaneously being held in a different room during the workshop was the press launch where Marissa Dames, President and Chief Operating Officer of Our Market and DTC Promos, Inc., formally introduced the platform to media partners and walked them through the website.

Softly introduced alongside Our Market was a co-developed superfood snack called Pili Poppers, a product excellently combining quality, taste, and nutrients in a munchable made with seaweed, puff rice, and activated roasted pili nuts. Pili Poppers highlights the potential of local produce.

Developed and formulated in Singapore by Unicorn Connect Pte Ltd., Pili Poppers was then manufactured and distributed in the Philippines by Azius Ventures Corporation. Though not officially in the market yet, Pili Poppers is being slowly introduced through sample distributions in select groceries, cafés, and malls, as part of a broader goal to empower Filipino entrepreneurs and create meaningful products built from the ground up.

After the workshop, students were given an opportunity to sample free products from Our Market’s sponsor partners located at the Greenway Square. The space was buzzing with excitement and became the ideal place for connection, enjoyment, and discovery—not only finding new products but also learning further about Our Market and how they can benefit from the platform.

The event was not only meant to soft-launch Our Market but also to kick off its pioneering campaign, OMG!: Go Beyond Campuses, Go Beyond Connection!, a tour across campuses nationwide aimed at engaging students and institutional staff via activities and giveaways.

The first stop for the campus tour will be on November 21, 2025, at Chiang Kai Shek College (CKSC) in Manila, where Our Market will also be bringing the chocolate workshop with CMV Txokolat, this time featuring its founder and executive chocolatier, Chef Christian Valdes. The brand activation with select sponsor partners will carry on as a given and is expected to accommodate about 500 students, including the workshop’s attendees.

The OMG! Campus Tour will run monthly, with ten or more schools nationwide lined up, spilling over 2026 until the platform’s grand launch expected to take place along with its Mother’s Day celebration.

Our Market is a rising digital magazine for topics on business, culture, food, and lifestyle. Its mission revolves around creating reliable content that promotes Filipino culture and entrepreneurship by storytelling and serving as a bridge between businesses to nurture growth.

Aside from this, another of Our Market’s services, the resource hub, directly connects users to companies across different industries, which can be reached for special assistance, consultancy, and collaboration needs.

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