Ramon Cordon Farmers Multi-purpose Cooperative (RAMFARCO) has packed relief goods and has distributed these to all active members of the cooperative.

At the start of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), the cooperative has distributed rice to 9 barangays in Ramon, Isabela which are most affected.

The officers used the 60% per kilo incentive in selling harvested palay to the National Food Authority (NFA). They requested that it will be given to them in the form of well milled-rice. They were able to get 40 cavans.

Instead of getting the money up and above their sales as income of the cooperative, the officers and members have decided to distribute this instead to the residents in 9 barangays, heavily affected by the quarantine.

Realizing that their members are also heavily affected, the Board of Directors met and approved the 200k budget which will be used in the procurement of goods to be distributed to the members.

“We have taken a chunk from our optional fund. The goods will be delivered to the members by the officers,” Ms. Jacinta Apoy, RAMFARMCO manager said.

The first week saw them distributing these packs to around 300 members in Isabela. Towards the end of April, the officers embarked on the third wave of distribution to members in Alfonso Lista, Apayao.

Tilapia Production and Marketing Enterprise was visited by the World Bank Task Team last November 2019. (Ferdinand N Cortez, RPCO2 InfoACE Unit)