San Juan Pambilog Multi-Purpose Cooperative in the Municipality of San Luis, Pampanga traces its roots in the early 90’s with the distribution of Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) and Emancipation Patents (EPs) by the Department of Agrarian Reform to the 44 members tilling some 150 hectares of agricultural lands that previously belonged to Jose Catacutan, Pablo Leuterio, Teresita Alcantara and Cesar Limjoco. Some of the beneficiaries however chose to remain as leaseholders in some of the landholdings of the previous owners.
The cooperative is one of the 11 Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBO) in the San Luis ARC. It is duly registered with the Cooperative Development Authority under Certificate of Registration/Confirmation No. PGA-2527 dated September 30, 1996 and re-registered pursuant to the provision of RA 9520 in November 4, 2009. The ARBO has a capital build up of P 4,600,000.00. It has maintained its good standing with the CDA and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP). It has been categorized consistently with an Organizational Maturity at Level 5.
In 2009, it became a beneficiary organization under the DAR-Agrarian Reform Infrastructure Support Project Phase III (ARISP III), where it was provided postharvest facilities like warehouse and solar dryer worth 3.5 million pesos and farm inputs trading under the Agriculture Agri-business Development (AAD) component of the project. The Service Type warehouse Case 50-4 with a capacity of 4,200 to 5,000 cavans also support the farmers in engaging to agro enterprise and agribusiness activities, thus increasing their production and augmenting their income.
The implementation of ARISP III in the area significantly affected the socio-economic well being of the ARBs and other residents in the area. The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Japan International Cooperating Agency (JICA) also granted the San Juan Pambilog MPCI a flat bed dryer with shed and a warehouse, respectively. The ARBO was also able to buy a truck worth 1.2 million pesos with a capacity of 13 tons.
In 2011, San Juan Pambilog MPC was identified as one of the ARBOs in the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services (ARCCESS) program. Farm machineries provided to the organization through the Common Service Facilities (CSF) component of ARCCESS were combine harvester; two mechanical transplanters and two hand tractors with implements.
The complementation of ARISP-III and ARCCESS projects were essential in the comprehensive and integral delivery of interventions in San Juan Pambilog and in nearby barangays. This was consistent with the support services programs of organizing ARBs and their enterprises to meet the benefits of economies of scale.
San Juan Pambilog MPC became a functional and viable organization operating its agribusiness enterprise by extending its agri-based services to the community. The benefits extended by the coop to its members and non-members include: crop production loan in the amount of P20,000.00/hectare, farm inputs trading, palay/rice trading, rice milling, threshing, hand tractor and combine harvester rental, etc. They were also able to deliver to the National Food Authority and secure an incentive of P200,000.00 worth of rice. The cooperative now buys rice from the farmers in the community and their truck earns P250,000.00/year.
A “Balik Tangkilik” program was initiated during the term of Chairman Edwin Manlapaz. It is an incentive mechanism where members will be given P1.00/cavan for availing and patronizing their products and services. The members have been receiving annual dividends and patronage refunds since the start of his term and copies of financial reports were disseminated to members on a quarterly basis. All of these proved to be very helpful in making the cooperative an instrument for providing assistance and improving the economic status of the small holder farmers in the community.
Reaching out farther in the services of the community, the ARBO also donates cash for church activities during Fiesta and Lenten celebrations. They also helped in the renovation of the barangay chapel. Moreover, the organization also provided cash assistance for renovations of the elementary school in the area and lent their truck for free whenever the barangay needs it.
San Juan Pambilog MPC is now recognized not only in barangay San Juan but also in other neighboring barangays, proof of which is that the coop has now become a Federation of the whole community of San Luis. The strong leadership of the officers and great aspirations of the members are all facilitating factors in achieving the vision of the cooperative to sustain and scale up all the services and be self-reliant and self-sustained individuals of the community. The viable ARBO continues to confront the many challenges of cooperativism and steadily moving towards the attainment of its goal of people empowerment.♦