Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro. Dept. of Agriculture turns over Php 13.5-Million worth Rice Processing Center II (RPC) to Mindoro Progressive Multipurpose Cooperative (MPMPC) in Bgy. Tangkalan on September 21.
RPC is part of the mechanization program of the DA to help farmers lessen their post-harvest losses and cost.
With the RPC II at MPMPC, farmers do not have to travel far to mill their palay and will have a good quality milled-rice because of its advanced technology equipment.
It is a 500sq. meters warehouse with 1.2 ton/hour multi-pass mill and has two sets of recirculating dryer with 6 tons capacity. The Coop also received a Php 2-million working capital.
Inside the 500 sq.m. RPC with the 1.2 ton/hour multi-pass mill (white) and the two sets of recirculating dryer (orange).
Prior to the turnover of RPC, MPMPC also received Php 20-M funding as DA and Agricultural Credit Policy Council’s (ACPC) conduit for Production Loan Easy Access Program and P13-M for Survival and Recovery Assistance Program, an immediate loan grant for small farmers and fishers who were affected by calamities.
During the ceremony, General Manager Sofia Fabillar did not help to reminisce their humble beginning. She shared that they only started with 18 members in 2003 contributing P1 monthly for their fund, but because of their determination and dedication to help more people especially the small farmers and fishers they have gotten bigger up to 1,758 members as of 2017. Now, the cooperative is among the most established and trusted Cooperative in Occidental Mindoro.
“Kami po ay nangangako sa Kagawaran na ikakarangal niyo po kami na ang MPMPC ay mapagkakatiwalaan,” she said in her thank you message.
She also thanked the Coop’s members and its board members for their trust and cooperation to make the MPMPC successful.
Mayor Angeline Tria of Mamburao also reminisced how the cooperative started and also shared her well wishes to the cooperative. She also said that the turnover of the RPC is timely because the harvest is already coming.
“Sa laki nito at sa dami ng kapasidad na pwedeng gilingin ng RPC, marami ang dadayo para magpagiling at bibili ng bigas sa ating bayan lalo’t pa mag-aanihan na naman,” she said.
Apart from Mayor Tria, Bgy. Captain Benchito Umali, Board Member Mark Anthony Legaspi, Board Member Damaso Abeleda, Provincial Administrator Mariano Montales, Jr. and Provincial Agriculturist Sofronio Baranda graced the event and give their well-wishes to the coop as well.
On the other hand, Regional Technical Director for Research, Dr. Louella Rowena Lorenzana and Institutional Development Section Head Marietta Alvis represented the DA.
RTD Lorenzana revealed that the most successful RPC operations in country are those in the MIMAROPA Region because of the linkages created to the institutional buyers through the Corporate Rice Farming Program.
Then, she requested the cooperative to do well in their operations to help in the progress of the country.
To date, this is the 10th RPC that has been turnover to a farmers’ coop.
