“A successful cooperative must be adaptable. It has to keep improving and creating to address the needs of its members and the community,” Reynaldo Malaluan shared as he walked down memory lane about the cooperative he founded 25 years ago.
Driven by his passion for helping and uplifting the livelihood of coconut farmers in his barangay, Malaluan founded the Bongabong Coconut Farmer’s Organization (SCFO) in Brgy. Luna Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro. Now known as the Bongabong Coconut Farmers Multi-purpose Cooperative (BOCOFAMCO), the group has grown into a dynamic cooperative with a diverse portfolio, with products and services such as poultry supply, retail stores, lending, rentals, and an eco farm.
“We started as 30 coconut farmer-members with an initial capital of PhP 1,000.00 each. It wasn't easy to establish the cooperative because we lacked the capital but after years of perseverance, we now have three branches in Bongabong, Calapan City here in Oriental Mindoro. Soon, we will open a branch in Occidental, catering to a more inclusive client-base. We cater not only to coconut farmers; we have also included members from the indigenous peoples, professionals, the youth, among others,” he shared.
The eco farm is envisioned to grow agricultural crops, fruit-bearing trees, and home to farm animals including a hog farm.
Despite the threat of the highly contagious African Swine Fever (ASF) that has stricken several towns in Oriental Mindoro, including Bongabong, BOCOFAMCO was determined to serve the community by helping bridge the growing demand for pork and hogs in the town.
Through the support of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in MIMAROPA, BOCOFAMCO qualified for the Community-based Swine Production through Clustering and Consolidation Project. The project also integrates the Green Barley Project for alternative, safe, and nutritious feed for swine. The PhP5-million-project is dedicated to building a swine structure with waste management facilities and land acquisition. The Community-based Swine Production project is part of the “Bantay ASF sa Barangay” or BABAy ASF Program launched by the Department of Agriculture, which complements the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion Program (INSPIRE). INSPIRE aims to calibrate repopulation and enhance the local swine industry to recover the sector’s capacity to produce a sufficient supply of hogs and pork locally.
Aside from contributing to the supply of safe hog products in the province and surpassing the targeted production and marketing of 1,164 heads of finishers for three years, the cooperative also adopted some of the farm’s modern facilities design and biosecurity.
ATI-MIMAROPA’s Livestock Point Person, Alma Mae Manalo, shared that “BOCOFAMCO’s good track record and diverse portfolio have qualified them to be one of the project’s beneficiaries.”
Adhering to biosecurity and good hog farming practices, BOCOFAMCO protected its hogs from the threat of ASF and continued its operations. From the initial 300 heads, the cooperative has also already acquired another set of weaners as multipliers.
Aside from determining a sustainable plan for the coop’s hog farming, Malaluan also shared his succession plan for the cooperative, emphasizing its importance for a successful cooperative or institution.
Now in his 60s, he knows that mentoring his people is crucial, especially in the cooperative's management aspect.
“I am no longer getting younger. I told my people to grab every opportunity to get trained and learn. We still have a lot of plans. There must be a generation of leaders to continue what we have started,” he said.
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