The Sweet Potato-based Products Processing Enterprise subproject located in Daraga, Albay garnered the support of the World Bank, as the subproject continues to make a difference in the lives of communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through the generation of jobs for out-of-school youths (OSYs), rural women, and breadwinners who lost their sources of income because of the recent economic shutdown.

During the Feedback Session on Site Visits as part of the 12th World Bank Implementation Support Mission to the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) South Luzon Cluster held on May 27, 2021, Camote Creations Farmers and Entrepreneurs Producers Cooperative (CCFEPC) Chairperson Nolan G. Belaro shared the success stories of the cooperative, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the series of typhoons that hit the Bicol Region, the strategies it adopted to bounce back, and its overall sustainability plan.

The PhP12.30 million-worth enterprise located in Barangay Anislag, currently being implemented by the CCFEPC, is an upgrade of the existing Camote Creations enterprise engaged in the processing of sweet potato-enriched products that includes cakes, cake sticks, chips, cookies, noodles, crispy fries, and muffins.

Among the interventions provided by the DA-PRDP to the I-REAP subproject were the construction of a PhP3.95 million-worth processing center, upgraded processing equipment including an industrial oven with LPG tank, sweet potato washer, heavy duty weighing scale, stainless working tables, as well as a hauling truck and delivery van for the hauling of raw materials and delivery of finished products.

Belaro noted that through the interventions provided by the DA-PRDP, the enterprise’s current production capacity increased by up to 200 kilograms of sweet potatoes per week or 800 to 1,000 kilograms per month. Previously, the cooperative’s kitchen-type operation took a month to process 200 kilograms of sweet potatoes.

Additionally, from 48 members during the start of business planning in 2017, the Cooperative’s membership grew to 95 as of 2021. These include 54 farmer-members, 20 retailers, 15 on-call and regular employees and six (6) processors. 

On the other hand, the I-REAP subproject has a total of 2,944 direct and indirect beneficiaries, 2,849 of which are non-member farmer-suppliers. 

Moreover, from having an annual income of PhP5,028 in 2018, the enterprise has already gained an income worth P80,000 for the first quarter of 2021 only. 

World Bank Task Team Leader to the DA-PRDP Eli Weiss lauded the Proponent Group (PG) for its development in the past few years. 

“We really want to congratulate the proponent group (PG) for your incredible work. It looks like you really made a transformational impact within the last two years. You had a very tiny income just two years ago and now you already just went to the border. You really have increased your sales and you have been able to also create jobs just at the right moment when it’s most needed. It’s really nice to see all of the great work you have been doing and the impact that it has had so far,” Weiss said.

World Bank Agriculture Policy, Planning, and Business Specialist Agnes Deshormes also lauded the PG’s innovations while adapting to the new normal.

“You have a very ambitious business plan covering a lot of areas, introducing a lot of innovations, and really upgrading not only the process for your sweet potato products but also farm production and it’s also very good… I also noticed the partnerships that you have… You’ve been able to quickly adapt to the new situation, the pandemic and that has forced you to actually reorient part of your marketing strategy,” Deshormes added.

Belaro mentioned that the I-REAP subproject is located in a resettlement area where there are limited livelihood opportunities.

“Because of our Project there, they have an opportunity to work with us. That is why we are very ambitious to respond because aside from helping the farmers, we also provide employment to the area,” Belaro added.

On the same activity, the WB experts also listened to the DA-PRDP South Luzon and RPCO-Bicol I-BUILD team’s response to comments and queries about the Sweet Potato-Based Products Processing Enterprise’s civil works, as well as the implementation of the Upgrading/Concreting of Barangay Poblacion Farm-to-Market Road in Occidental Mindoro.

The activity also highlighted the PRDP South Luzon cluster’s progress and status of project implementation as of May 20, 2021, sustainability efforts as well as innovations, recommendations, and strategies to adapt to the new normal.  ### (Annielyn L. Baleza, DA RAFIS V/PRDP RPCO V InfoACE Unit)

Camote Creations Farmers and Entrepreneurs Producers Cooperative Chairperson Nolan G. Belaro responds to the comments and queries of the World Bank experts about the Sweet Potato-Based Products Processing

Organic and hired staff of the PRDP-Bicol Regional Project Coordination Unit (RPCO) headed by Deputy Project Director and I-REAP Component Head Adelina A. Losa attend the Feedbacking Session on Site Visits as part of the 12th World Bank Implementation Support Mission (ISM) to the PRDP South Luzon Cluster held virtually on May 27, 2021 together with the proponent group.

PRDP RPCO-Bicol Rural Infrastructure Engineer Rodolfo Mirasol answers the World Bank’s queries regarding the I-REAP subproject’s civil works.