A total of eighty-two (82) agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) who are members of the Abejed Multi-Purpose Cooperative (AMPC) in Tugop, San Fernando, Bukidnon, received a P1.5 million worth of bamboo stick-making machine and equipment from the Departments of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Trade and Industry (DTI), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the local government unit (LGU) of San Fernando to capacitate the cooperative to profitably operate and manage their own farm business.
Mohammad Abdul Jabbar M. Pandapatan, DAR-Bukidnon Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II said the machine and equipment were provided under the DTI-CARP Village Level Farm Focused Enterprise Development (VLFED) Project.
Pandapatan said that aside from the machine and equipment, the DAR contributed P240,000 to enhance the shared service facility and conducted a series of bamboo-related capacity development training with partner agencies.
“DENR provided bamboo seedlings, inputs, and labor provision while the LGU of San Fernando provided construction materials for the facility,” he said.
Pandapatan said the launching and commissioning of the bamboo stick production facility are just the beginning of the support to be provided by the DAR to the AMPC as they embark on the challenging journey of ensuring sustainability and growth for their enterprise.
“They still need an all-weather dryer for the treated barbecue sticks. And we would like to assure them of the DAR and all its partner agencies’ continued support. We know that with the cooperative’s resiliency and determination, a promising future is just within their reach,” he said.
Purita S. Intes, Chairperson of the AMPC thanked the DAR and its partner agencies for the assistance given to the cooperative.
She recalled how as a small cooperative they have struggled financially just to procure the lot where the processing center was built.
“Through the cooperative’s commitment to pursue and transform the bamboo stick production into a business enterprise and with the support of the line agencies, we were able to turn that dream into a reality,’ she said.
The VLFED project aims to enhance the products of the ARBs using appropriate facilities and equipment applicable to the agri-business enterprise.
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