Quickly responding to “Bayanihan, We Heal As One” amid the Enhanced Community Quarantine, Buenavista Multi-purpose Cooperative (BMPC), the proponent group of the PRDP- funded Peanut Production and Marketing Enterprise started to buy vegetables from local farmers and sold these at farm gate price in Santiago City.

“It is a way of helping people caught off-guard because of the quarantine,” Ms. Rosario Paccarangan RPCO 2 I-REAP Component Head said.

According to Mr. Nilo Aquino, I-REAP Business Development Officer, the cooperative forged an agreement to the different farmers to buy their products and sell these with the same buying price to residents of Santiago City. Three (3) utility vehicles (elf) owned by the cooperative are also used as Rolling Talipapas.

“Heeding the call of the City Government, the cooperative decided to use their vehicles and manpower for humanitarian reasons,” Aquino said.

Mr. Quirino Colobong, BMPC Manager said aside from giving free face masks to those who visit their office, the cooperative also supplied bread and peanut butter to the frontliners in the city.

“It is our way of joining the city government in helping the most affected sectors of the community, “ Colobong said. (Ferdinand N Cortez, RPCO2 InfoACE Unit)