DOLE grants P1M for coop’s agri-trading boost

The Department of Labor and Employment has granted PHP1 million in financial assistance to the Katilingban Kang Mga Mangunguma sa Pandanan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (KAMPA MPC) in Valderrama, Antique, bolstering its peanut and palay trading operations.

KAMPA MPC, the cornerstone organization of Binanogan, Iglinab, Pandan Agrarian Reform Community (BIP ARC), hosts 428 members, primarily farmers and farm laborers.

As a principal consolidator of peanut and rice produce, KAMPA MPC has eyed the potential for increased trade volumes and sought additional capital from DOLE.

Leveraging its warehouse and DOLE’s support, KAMPA MPC is now poised to procure and stock more produce from both members and non-members, enhancing trade with local vendors and small processors throughout and beyond Valderrama.

“We aim to extend our Kabuhayan Program’s reach and assist as many sectors as possible, hence our backing of KAMPA MPC’s endeavors,” stated DOLE Regional Director Atty. Sixto T. Rodriguez, Jr. He expressed hopes that the financial aid would propel the organization to grow and augment services for a broader membership base.

This expansion could enhance the cooperative’s operations, broaden its market footprint, and incrementally increase profits benefiting the organization and its members, with 52 individuals standing as the project’s immediate beneficiaries.

Atty. Rodriguez emphasized the ripple effect of such support on the informal sector, particularly on disadvantaged workers — in this instance, peanut and palay farmers — aiming to elevate them from poverty and improve their financial well-being.

To maintain the project’s momentum, the Regional Director urged members to continually support the cooperative’s products and services, predicting that growth in enterprise would correlate with increased sales, incomes, and, consequently, member benefits through financial and livelihood assistance, as well as patronage dividends.

Mayor Jocelyn L. Posadas of Valderrama rallied community members to strive collectively for the greater good and the cooperative’s enduring prosperity. “Let’s persevere for the continuous progress of everyone in Valderrama,” Mayor Posadas encouraged.