The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) CALABARZON conducted a pre-final site inspection and punch listing of the Coffee Processing Center, spearheaded by Guinayangan Coffee Growers Association and Farm Entrepreneurs (GCAFE) Inc. on December 16, 2021, in preparation for the facility’s December 2021 target completion.

According to GCAFE Inc. President Raquel Erandio, the enterprise will commence full operations in the first quarter of 2022, once the turnover is transferred to them. Despite minor findings in their latest build, the contractor has committed to accomplish everything before the year ends.

The DA-PRDP RPCO CALABAZRON I-REAP Team, comprised of Business Development Officers (BDO) Precious Aquino and Kristel Vito, Rural Infrastructure Engineer (RIE) Jerwin Bituin, along with officers Janine Vicente (SES) and Carlo Dorado (GGU), headed to Guinayangan, Quezon for the site inspection, with an enterprise assessment the following day to monitor and identify the gaps in the Operation, Organizational, Marketing and Financial Aspects of the business to provide them with possible interventions.

Up to date, GCAFE Inc. has 24 members who will benefit from the Coffee Processing Subproject. They have mentioned as well that they are already processing their registration documents as a ‘cooperative’, hence, will give dividends and patronage refund to its members and farmer-suppliers to further increase their farmers’ income.

A continuous coordination and collaboration between the DA-PRDP, the local government of Guinyangan, and members of the proponent group is promised to ensure the smooth operation and turn-over of the said subproject.  (Eli Ocial, DA-PRDP RPCO CALABARZON InfoACE Unit)

PRDP RPCO 4A BDOs Kristel Vito and Precious Aquino, and SES officer Janine Vicente conducting an enterprise assessment interview with the proponent group’s president

PRDP RPCO 4A staff in conference with Ms. Raquel Erandio, GCAFE president

Coffee processing facility under construction