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No sour grapes for Iloilo coop’s new calamansi processing center

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ILOILO CITY (PIA) - - The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Iloilo Provincial Office has formally turned over a calamansi processing center to an agrarian reform beneficiaries' multi purpose cooperative in the village of Velasco in Lemery town.

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Lucinda A. Apundar, Chairperson of JAGO CARP Beneficiaries Multipurpose Cooperative, thanked DAR and partner agencies and urged members to maintain and value the support services they have received from the government - a source of their income.

"We are thankful to all the agencies that helped us, especially DAR, for building our processing center. This blessing is for the improvement of our cooperative and for our members. I urge all cooperative members to maintain and value the resources provided by the government to ensure our continuing progress," said Apundar.

The town of Lemery, which is 87 kilometers away from Iloilo City, has abundant calamansi trees prompting the JAGO CARP Beneficiaries Multipurpose Cooperative to embark on a venture that utilizes the rich raw materials in the locality. 

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The Department of Agrarian Reform- Iloilo Program Beneficiaries Development Division chief Celina Candoleta (right) presents the certificate during the turnover and acceptance of the Calamansi Processing Center to Lucinda Apundar (left), Chairman of JAGO CARP Beneficiaries Multipurpose Cooperative in Lemery, Iloilo. The renovation of the processing center located at Brgy. Velasco was funded under the Village-Level Farm-Focused Enterprise Development project amounting to P400,000. (PIA6-Iloilo/DAR-Iloilo Photo)
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Before the launch, DAR Iloilo worked with the Department of Trade and Industry Region 6, a CARP partner agency, in providing the cooperative with training interventions that equipped them and developed products from the calamansi fruits.

Seeing the potential of the products developed by JAGO CARP Beneficiaries Multipurpose Cooperative, DAR Iloilo renovated the processing center funded under the Village-Level Farm-Focused Enterprise Development (VLFED) project worth Php 400,000.00.

The cooperative was also provided with various supplies and materials for processing their calamansi products.

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JAGO CARP Beneficiaries Multipurpose Cooperative Chairman Lucinda Apundar and members, hold their processed calamansi juice, to take a pose in front of their renovated calamansi processing center which was turned over by DAR – Iloilo recently.(PIA6-Iloilo/DAR Photo)
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The VLFED is a project that promotes cooperation among key partner institutions, enabling them to supply technical expertise and financial support to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) to assist these organizations in upgrading and improving their current processing centers, ensuring the production of high-quality processed goods through measures such as standardized recipes, adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and comprehensive labeling and packaging. 

Ultimately, the project aims to secure a Food and Drug Administration-License to Operate (FDA-LTO) for the ARBO, validating the success of the undertaken improvements.


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Provincial agrarian reform program officer Harriet A. Loot highlighted the importance of support services to ARB Organizations like JAGO CARP Beneficiaries Multipurpose Cooperative.

“The rehabilitation of the processing center of JAGO CARP Beneficiaries Multipurpose Cooperative in Lemery, Iloilo facilitates value addition by enabling farmers to process their produce, leading to higher income and improved livelihoods. It promotes agricultural sustainability by reducing post-harvest losses and ensuring efficient resource utilization,” said Loot.

She added that a centralized processing center can enhance product quality, making it more competitive in the market.

"Government support fosters rural development, contributing to economic growth and stability in agrarian communities," Loot added.

Meanwhile, chief agrarian reform program officer of the Program Beneficiaries Development Division (PBDD) Celina C. Candoleta said the support services given to ARBOs are a testament that the government is committed to enhancing the quality of life of agrarian reform beneficiaries as she reminded them to maintain and sustain the processing center to obtain its gains.

"We have seen the potential of the product produced by the cooperative, and the presence of calamansi abundant here in Lemery, is why DAR Iloilo has rehabilitated your existing processing center," said Candoleta.  (AAL/LAF/PIA6-Iloilo)

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Lilibeth French

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