COTABATO CITY—As part of Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) initiative on Technology Transfer and Commercialization Program (TTCP), about Php4,500,000.00 worth of livelihood equipment was turned-over on October 8, 11-12, 2021 to different cooperatives in Special Geographic Areas of BARMM, Maguindanao, and Cotabato City.
These efforts aimed to provide processing equipment for the cooperatives to support and upgrade their production lines, receive more profit in their business and other assistance such as science and technology training, consultancy and technology intervention to assist them in complying with Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Halal- requirements.
MOST Minister Aida Silongan felt optimistic and hopeful that the cooperatives will produce and develop more products as more advanced or high-tech processing equipment handed over to them.
“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 said.
The five (5) identified TTCP recipient cooperatives which were engaged in food processing such as virgin coconut oil (VCO), native delicacies, halal organic feeds, and coffee making are the following:
- Carmen Agricultural Resources and Development Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CARDMPC) – in SGA, North Cotabato
- Carmen OFW Family Association (COFA) – in SGA, North Cotabato
- Barangay Macabiso Sultan Mastura Vegetable Cooperative (BMSMVC) – in Maguindanao
- Brgy. Campo Bangsamoro Agriculture Cooperative (BCBAC) – in Maguindanao
- Hadji Pards Muslim Delicacies, MSR Enterprise in Cotabato City
CARDMPC General Manager Nasser Ali thanked the ministry for providing them with processing equipment that would speed up the production of their raw materials and develop more products.
“We are thankful to BARMM Government that our group here in Brgy. Nasapian, Carmen, North Cotabato received assistance from the MOST, and indeed, it would provide great benefits for us to uplift our income,” Ali said.
The BCBAC, which produces virgin coconut oil, is a cooperative organized by former Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) combatants residing in General Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguiadanao and its nearby municipalities.
Wahid Maneged, a brigade commander of MILF-BIAF and Chairman of BCBAC said, “it is our great privilege to avail of this processing equipment that will eventually transform us [our current poverty living condition].”
Furthermore, the ministry is set to provide same distribution of processing equipment and MOA signing to identified cooperatives in Lanao del Sur on October 13-14, 2021. (Bangsamoro Information Office)
