COTABATO CITY – As part of its Science and Technology Livelihood Assistance Program (STLAP), the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) turned over food processing area with equipment worth P1-million to two (2) cooperatives in this city and in BARMM’s Special Geographic Area (SGA).
On March 15, MOST turned over the project to Mhanie’s Food Products cooperative located at this city’s Barangay Mother Tamontaka, which produces Moro delicacies such as ‘dudol’, ‘kumukunsi’, ‘tipas’, and others.
“Noong nag-umpisa kami (magnegosyo) ay sa bahay lang dahil maliit lang ang capital namin at mano-mano kami (magluto), at ang kita lang namin ay nasa P3,000 sa isang lingo o minsan sa isang buwan, Pero ngayon kumikita na kami ng P30,000 sa isang lingo,” shared Asmah Udtog, the coop’s president.
“Maraming salamat po kay Minister Aida Silongan, sa tulong mula sa MOST at lalong lalo na sa BARMM ay lumago ang negosyo namin,” Udtog said.
She added that their cooperative is already registered with the Department of Trade and Industry, Food and Drugs Administration, Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture, and Agrarian Reform, and others.
“Bukod doon, maraming nag-oorder sa amin at naipapasok na rin ang aming produkto sa mga malls,” Udtog further said.
Meanwhile on March 16, similar project was turned over to Carmen Agricultural Resource and Development Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CARD-MPC) – a virgin coconut oil producing coop in SGA.
Usman Nosel, chairman of CARD-MPC, said “this project has great impact especially to the members of this community because it creates employment.”
“”We selected the production of coconut oil because no one has produced it yet so far in this area,” he added.
According to MOST Minister Engr. Aida Silongan, the project aims to support cooperatives in the region so they can generate more products and receive more profit.
“Our assistance is technology intervention, providing technology training and processing equipment for a more developed cooperative which we hoped that it would be able to generate more products in our locality and be marketed in the local grocery stores, pasalubong center or even malls to get high profit,” Silongan earlier said. (Majid Nur/BIO)
