Mogpog, Marinduque–Members of the Butansapa Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC) are now able to fully utilize the PhP1.3 million worth coco coir processing center and equipment provided by the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP).

Among the interventions provided include a storage shed, multi-purpose pavement,  hauling and decorticating service vehicle, mobile decorticating machine, and other tools and equipment. 

“Right now, we are fully operational and we now have a consistent source of income. Our product is twine rope that we weave from coco coir. We also sell coco peat for PhP110 per sack, which a lot of buyers use as a fertilizer,” BMPC Chairman Mario Villanueva stated.

Since the organization started operating their coco coir business in November 2020, they were able to process 20-30 sacks of coco peat per day. Each sack is sold for PhP100-110 to both buyers in Marinduque and buyers from other provinces.

“We were able to close a contract with the Municipal Agriculture Office of Mogpog worth PhP10,000. Now, we have a contract with Benguet, Mountain Province for 500 sacks (of coco peat) that cost PhP100 per sack. The income will be used for our operations like crude for our vehicle, and the salary of the members,” Villanueva further added.

Before the DA-PRDP’s intervention, BMPC used to do a lending business. However, this venture did not do well financially, resulting in the near-collapse of their cooperative. This is why Villanueva, together with the 39 members of BMPC, are grateful for the DA-PRDP’s intervention.

“This [PRDP subproject] is a great help to us. A lot of our members were able to secure jobs. We also now have an income coming into our bank account for the benefit of our members… This is why we are thankful that this project was given to us. We want our cooperative to prosper, so we will work hand-in-hand to make it do so,” Villanueva said.

The Butansapa Coco Coir Processing is a subproject of the DA-PRDP’s I-REAP component. This subproject aims to provide BMPC with a source of livelihood that will ensure the improvement of the members’ economic status. This subproject also aims to provide environmental clean-up for disaster mitigation and to provide a source of deodorizing medium for the province’s swine industry. ### (Danica A. Brutas, DA-PRDP MIMAROPA RPCO InfoACE Unit)

Members of BMPC demonstrate how they weave coco coir into twine ropes. (Photo by Denice Joelle Benosa, DA-PRDP MIMAROPA RPCO InfoACE Unit)

Members of the BMPC demonstrate how they extract coco coir from coconut husk using the decorticating machine. (Photo by Denice Joelle Benosa, DA-PRDP MIMAROPA RPCO InfoACE Unit)

BMPC members show the coco coir that they were able to extract using the decorticating machine. These will be packed in sacks and will be sold for Php100-110 per sack. (Photo by Denice Joelle Benosa, DA-PRDP MIMAROPA RPCO InfoACE Unit)