PRDPinFOCUS Cordillera | April-June 2023

Showcasing Cordillera coffee at the Philippine Coffee Expo once again

Boasts of their Arabica and Robusta coffee products, coffeeproducing groups in the Cordillera with enterprise development subprojects under the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP), has once again joined this year’s Philippine Coffee Expo which ran from June 2-4, 2023 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

The enterprise Proponent Groups (PGs) who participated in the PCE are Hojap Multipurpose Cooperative with their product Hojap Kesi’melan Coffee, Kalinga Coffee Cluster led by Dupligan Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative with their product

Kalinga Forest Coffee, Sagada Arabica Coffee Growers and Processors Organization, Inc. with their product Sagada Gold, La

Trinidad Arabica Coffee Producers Association with their product

LATACPA Coffee, Tuba Benguet Coffee Growers Association with their product Si’jop, and Bobok-Bisal Organic Arabica Coffee Producers and Growers Association, Inc. with their product Bobok Aroma.

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Enterprise PGs in CAR undergo digital marketing training

Farmer-members from various Proponent Groups (PGs) of operational enterprise subprojects in the Cordillera provinces implemented under the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) participated in the Training on Digital Marketing held from May 3-5 in Baguio City.

The training was intended to broaden the knowledge and skills of the PGs in establishing and developing marketing strategies and promotional content for their products.

As part of the training, the participants had hands-on exercises on the application of advertising techniques using Canva and Facebook. They were later asked to present their outputs for critiquing.

Carolina Nanglegan from the Rice Terraces Farmers’ Cooperative in Ifugao shared that they have an existing Facebook Page with over 5K followers, but it’s not active.

“We thought what we have been doing [posting] are already enough, but it’s definitely not. So we are very thankful for this training because we learned a lot about what to post, when to post, and how to strategize posting in order to promote our products,” said Nanglegan.

Though some of the PGs are located in the remote communities where there is no internet access, the participants were thankful for being included in the training and are stirred to apply what they have learned.

Maryjane Tumapang from the Provincial Project Management

and Implementing Unit (PPMIU) of Mountain Province urged the participants to improve their products and packaging.

“We are glad that all of us were able to join [in this training] even though we do not have the technical

Showcasing Cordillera coffee... (from

Page 1)

With the theme, “Celebrating Philippine Coffee: Brewing the Future,” the coffee expo brought together key players of the industry to celebrate and promote Philippine coffee. Held annually, the event also serves as a platform for producers and buyers to form linkages and to recognize the best coffee products and brewers in the country.

During the three-day expo, the PGs attended several activities such as plenary and breakout sessions, business matching, and exhibits

skills. I challenge all the PGs in all the provinces, with these kind of trainings, hopefully you will continue to boost your production and improve your packaging para naman maganda pag nag post tayo,” Tumapang said.// (Elvy T. Estacio)

among others. Hojap MPC Manager Shirley U. Tagtag served as one of the plenary speakers with the topic, coffee and cooperative. She shared some of their sustainable practices and innovations in their coffee business as a cooperative.

Besides a learning venture, the PCE is a huge avenue for the PGs to showcase their products, meet prospective buyers, and generate sales.

As per record, a total of PhP122, 840.00 gross sales were generated during the three-day coffee expo. (Stepher L. Banhan and Elvy T. Estacio, RPCO-CAR)

Groundbreaking ceremony held for new highland veg center in Mankayan, Benguet

A pre-construction conference and a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the establishment of the Bosigan Multipurpose Cooperative (BMPC) Highland Vegetable Consolidation Marketing Center at Balili, Mankayan, Benguet, with a total cost of PHP 18, 414, 250.00.

The event was held on April 4-5, 2023. It was participated in by LGU officials led by Mayor Dario S. Banario and Municipal Agriculturist Novy Lasilas; representatives from the Department of Agriculture-

Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) National and Regional Project Coordination Office-CAR (NPCO/RPCO-CAR) led by InfoACE Unit Head Robert L. Domoguen; and the officers and members of BMPC led by BOD Chair Liby Ngaseo and Manager Wegina Lodias.

Implemented under the DA-PRDP, the objectives of the subproject include the following: 1) Increase in average income of the enterprise of about 7.66% or from PHP 7, 183.32

to PHP 5, 995, 899. 23 on the first year of operation or an average of PHP 8, 503, 726. 86 per year. 2) To increase the value of production of highland vegetables to an average of 8 percent. 3) To increase the number of farmer members of the enterprise from 103 to at least 203 from year 1 to the 10th year. 4) To provide employment for at least 17 positions throughout the operation of the project.

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Groundbreaking Ceremony...(from Page 3)

A major constraint faced by the Cooperative and its members is high postharvest loss and high cost of transportation.

The subproject intervention involved the provision of working capital, and delivery and hauling truck.

Lodias said that the realization of the subproject will help the coop and its members to produce and market global quality vegetables. It will also allow them to process and preserve the freshness of their produce at the farm site before delivery to the market.

Ngaseo thanked the PRDP-CAR and all their supporters for their partnership and invaluable support towards the realization of the subproject interventions.// (Robert

L. Domoguen, InfoACE Unit Head)

Pre-con held for the construction of a coffee processing facility in Bontoc

The Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) – CAR conducted a Pre-construction Conference on June 8, for the upcoming construction of a coffee processing facility at barangay Mainit, Bontoc, Mountain Province.

Attendees are representatives from the DAPRDP, Bontoc Municipal Project Management and Implementing Unit (MPMIU), officers and members of Aliwes Irrigators’ Association, Inc., and the contractor’s key personnel.

The pre-con activity was held to orient the stakeholders on PRDP guidelines and requirements to ensure the efficient and effective implementation

of the subproject – physically and financially. The roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders during the construction, operation, and maintenance of the subproject were also discussed including potential issues and concerns that may arise during subproject implementation.

Once completed, it will support the operation of the PG’s enterprise subproject on coffee consolidation, processing and marketing.

Meanwhile, the procurement process for the goods and equipment as part of the PG’s enterprise subproject is ongoing.// (Elvy

T. Estacio)

DA-PRDP staff discusses the details of the subproject as well as the implementation guidelines and requirements of the PRDP on Procurement, Finance, Geomapping and Governance, Social and Environmental Safeguards, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Infrastructure Development (I-BUILD), during the PreConstruction Conference that was held a day before the turnover ceremony. (Photos by Dalos Emok)

Promoting three-way partnership in DA-PRDP investment planning

As the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) scales-up in providing viable agri-enterprises and infrastructures in the Cordillera, the project’s I-PLAN (Local & National Level Planning) component continues to take steps in promoting three-way partnership among the DA, local government units (LGUs), and private sector in planning, programming, and improving the delivery of support services.

To date, the Regional Project Coordination Office (RPCO) – CAR has nine approved value chain analyses (VCA) that were translated into Provincial Commodity Investment Plans (PCIP) of six provinces. These include coffee, cardava banana, white potato, mango, highland vegetables, sweet potato, ubi, heirloom rice, and beef cattle. Data gathering and analysis have already started for the hog VCA.

As of this year, coffee has emerged as the top agricultural commodity supported in the Cordillera under the DA-PRDP bagging a total of

PhP2.10 billion worth of subprojects. This includes 23 infrastructure and enterprise development subprojects (SPs) of which 19 were already completed while four are ongoing.

The DA-PRDP also shelled out a cumulative cost of PhP827 million-worth of infrastructure and enterprise SPs to support the heirloom rice industry in the region. This covers 22 SPs of which only one is ongoing while the rest were already completed.

Meanwhile, to be able to plan for a more climate-resilient agriculture and fishery sector, the DA-PRDP has recently rolled out the integration of climate and other risk considerations into the investment planning process. This includes the Climate-Risk Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA), Multi-risk Assessment, Integrated Spatial Planning, and Social and Environmental Safeguards (SES) early screening.

According to RPCO-CAR I-PLAN Component Head Dr. Susan D. Balanza, the enhanced investment planning tools will allow the

PCIPs to be aligned to the National Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization and Industrialization Plan (NAFMIP) – a policy-andstrategy oriented plan that will serve as the sectoral guide for other agriculture and fisheries development plans, sector-wide goals, outcomes, and outputs towards a transformative sector growth.

Orientation and workshop activities have already been conducted to include CRVA data in the PCIPs of Benguet, Kalinga, and Mountain Province.

Moreover, with the implementation of the PRDP Scale-Up, the I-PLAN component will strengthen the framework and linkages for the delivery of decentralized but integrated agriculture and fishery services by the national and LGUs.

PRDP Scale-Up will roll out a new basis for investment through a regional and interprovincial perspective in investment planning, and the inclusion of rice and corn as priority commodities nationwide. // (Elvy T. Estacio)

Potato tuber management traininng held for enterprise PGs

Enterprise Proponent Groups (PGs) implemented under the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) were trained on potato tuber management from July 8-9 in Baguio City.

The trainees were representatives from the following PGs with completed and operational enterprise subprojects on the production of potato tubers: SRT La Trinidad Cooperative of Benguet and Sadsadan Vegetable Producers, Inc. Some members of the Bosigan Multipurpose Cooperative and Man-akbong Farmers Association in Mankayan, Benguet also participated in the training.

Resource Speakers from the Benguet State University - Northern Philippine Root Crops Research and Training Center (NPRCRTC) led by Director Cynthia Kiswa focused their discussions on understanding the importance of potato crop and cycle; pest and disease management; soil, crop, and water

management; good postharvest practices; tuber production methods; and quality control and records keeping.

As part of the training, they visited the greenhouse facilities at NPRCRTC in La Trinidad, Benguet wherein brief lectures and demonstrations were also conducted.

The trainees visited the following facilities: potato nursery greenhouse, potato drip irrigation, aeroponic greenhouse, and ube drip and aeroponic greenhouse. Liby Ngaseo of Bosigan MPC said that the training was very interesting and informative.

“Ad ado pay kuma nga farmers ti ma-inform ta haan nga sayang ti kinabaknang ti daga ti Cordillera. Naadal ko nga importante ti panag condisyon ken panag mentenar iti kinabaknang ti daga. Maaywanan kuma nga usto gapu iti agsubsubra nga panag usar ti chemicals, fertilizers nga haan kasapulan jay daga,” said Ngaseo.

Elmer Akelpas from Man-akbong FA also said that the visit at the NPRCRTC made the training more interesting because they were able to observe and learn more about several root crops production technologies and practices.// (Elvy T. Estacio)

DA-PRDP CAR amplifies support to enterprise PGs through trainings, monitoring

Beyond the implementation of enterprise development subprojects under the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP), technology and skills trainings along with monitoring activities and enterprise assessments are being conducted to further support the Proponent Groups (PGs) in operating and sustaining their enterprises.

In CAR, the PGs of 49 out of 52 completed enterprise subprojects were already assessed wherein key areas that need technical assistance and support services are identified. The enterprise subprojects’ progress in terms of organization and administration, enterprise operation, financial management, marketing, sustainability and inclusivity are evaluated. As part of the assessment, Capacity Development Plans are prepared which can serve as reference in linking the PGs to agencies that offer

the interventions and services that they need. Enterprise Assessments are regularly conducted every three years.

The RPCO-CAR enterprise development (I-REAP) component also visits the PGs to monitor their enterprise operations and conduct coaching activities on financial and organizational aspects.

According to RPCO-CAR Enterprise Development and Marketing Specialist Johnson Cea, on-site coaching/mentoring activities has its perks because it is focused on the PG’s unique situation as it offers a more personalized approach.

“On-site coaching and mentoring is more interactive and we learn more about the situation of the PG and their enterprise. As such, we’ll have a better outlook on how to better assist them. Plus, more PG members/officers are involved,” said Cea.

In terms of capability development, the RPCO-CAR facilitates the conduct of several skills and technology trainings based on their Training Needs Assessment and Capacity Development Plan. The trainings that are usually conducted are on production and management practices, Good Agricultural Practices, Digital Marketing, Disaster Response and Management, and Basic Bookkeeping among others. These trainings are usually conducted in partnership with the DA banner programs, other government/non-government agencies, and/or private individuals as resource person/s.

Prior to implementation, the PGs and local government unit representatives were also trained on business plan preparation among other topics relevant to the approval/implementation process of the PGs’ enterprise subprojects.// (Elvy

T. Estacio)

PRDPinF CUS

is a quarterly newsletter of the Department of Agriculture - Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office - Cordillera Administrative Region (RPCO-CAR). We encourage reproduction of articles and photos with proper acknowledgement.

The RPCO-CAR is located at DA-RFO-CAR, BPI Compound, Guisad, Baguio City.

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