Members of Pinoy Lingap-Damayan Multipurpose Cooperative PLDC load a bale of top-quality abaca fiber for delivery. With the recent approval of their P25.4-million enterprise development subproject under the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP), PLDC will further improve the commercial value of the country’s traditional crop. Under the project’s dry-run stage, the group was able to set a selling price of P70 per kilo in Catanduanes for abaca from P50 a kilo, by directly competing with local traders—buying the produce of abaca farmers at a higher price, thus improving the earning capacity of the farmers. (Photo by Kathrino Resurreccion, DA-PRDP InfoACE Unit)