TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Funded by the Asian Development Bank through the Integrated Natural Resources and Management Program (INRMP) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Nambucayan Agriculture Cooperative (NACO) received today a Shared Service Facility (SSF) processing project.
As a livelihood enhancement support (LES), 2016-registered NACO gets the following: depulper machine, solar energy, coffee holler, roaster and grinding machine, vacuum and hand sealers, carrying trolley, weighing scale, packaging materials, and P50,000.00 working capital for purchase of raw materials. These equipment amounted to a total of P1,080,000.00.
The cooperative also received P1,050,000.00 additional assistance for the construction of a one-storey building for the coffee processing activity.
During the awarding ceremony organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Kalinga, NACO manager Luzviminda Valderama said, as a recipient of the SSF, the NACO eyes for bigger production of coffee and other products for larger profit, and hopefully be a recipient of more prestigious awards.
The cooperative, she said, has the capacity to expand the usual ground coffee, cacao tablea, bugnay juice, bugnay wine and natural tea they produce since then.
In a separate interview with Waylean Datic of the DTI, she said before the NACO was identified as an SSF beneficiary, the agency assisted in the form of project proposal preparation, meeting and consultation, capacity building, and project management.
DTI Provincial Director Renie Ramos, in his message emphasized that the SSF is a complete livelihood project amidst the Covid-19 pandemic because it has all the machines and facilities and a building as well.
Ramos disclosed that NACO is the fourth in the province to become recipient of SSF since 2018 under the INRMP, the first three were Balbalan, Lubuagan (engaged in coffee production) and Cabaritan, Tabuk City (for corn production).
Ramos said other five organizations are expected to benefit from the LES II once the Memorandum of Agreement between DTI and DENR is signed.
Present during the event was Governor Ferdinand Tubban who congratulated the NACO for being chosen as recipient of the SSF for the expansion of its livelihood activity.
City Mayor Darwin Estrañero, representee by Henry Gupaal, challenged the NACO to make good use of the project in order to produce more products and to help the cooperative members improve their lives. By Darwin S. Serion
