On 17 March 2021, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Shared Service Facilities (SSF) Team consisting of SSF Provincial Coordinator Ma. Graciela C. Ledesma and SSF support staff Dara Jannes C. Obmerga traveled to Tagkawayan and Lopez, Quezon to monitor the SSFs that were established in the said municipalities.

The first destination was Tagkawayan, Quezon, the municipality located near Sta. Elena, Camarines Norte, Bicol Region. They visited the SSF processing plant of Agos ng Pag-Asa Multi-Purpose Cooperative (APMPC) with their contact person Treasurer Leonida A. Mendoza and Agrarian Reform Program Technologist of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) John Renz L. Lopez. DTI SSF Team had checked their building and the SSF machines namely the citrus/juice extractor and the double jacketed kettle. The building and the machines are properly maintained and used. Their raw materials came from the members of the cooperative who are growers of dalanghita fruit. They have also seen the new storage room which stores tons of boxes of dalanghita concentrate.

When asked on how SSF project has helped their cooperative, Treasurer Leonida A. Mendoza shared, “Sa pamamagitan po ng DTI SSF, napakalaking tulong po ang naibigay nito sa amin, dahil po nung wala pa ito, kami po ay hirap na hirap mag process. ‘Yong 150 kilos ng dalanghita ay inaabot pa po kami ng gabi. Noong magkaroon po kami nito ay 500 kilos ng dalanghita ay hanggang hapon lang po kami. Ngayon ay hindi na kami inaabot ng gabi.”

Agos ng Pag-Asa MPC’s processed dalanghita concentrate received other assistance from DTI on crafting their product label and was also sold in different regional and provincial trade fairs, and is now widely known in Quezon Province and displayed at the Provincial One Town One Product (OTOP) Philippines Hub in Lucena City.♦

Date of Release: 14 April 2021