Locals and tourists can now relish on a variety of buffalo dairy products offered at the newly launched “Dairy Box” at Brgy. Poblacion, Compostela, Cebu, last August 12.
Spearheading the event is the Compostela Market Vendors Multipurpose Cooperative (COMAVEMCO MPC) that had partnered with the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) in acquiring management of Dairy Box.
Dairy Box is a local outlet that serves as a venue for PCC partnered cooperatives in showcasing their products. The outlet sells flavored milk, ice cream, pastries and pastillas from COMAVEMCO MPC members and other dairy buffalo cooperatives.
Apart from the adoption of PCC’s local business model, the agency also provided assistance to COMAVEMCO MPC in terms of knowledge in technical and processing goods.
“The shop provided value-added benefits to the milk sold by farmers and at the same time promotes Compostela’s local product Queseo” Ebonito Alivio, general manager of Dairy Box said.
Queseo or local white cheese is the One Town, One Product (OTOP) of Compostela where an annual Queseo festival was being held.
More than a hundred people have visited during the outlet opening led by the cooperative’s Board of Director Chairman Vilma Gulane. Amongst present from PCC were Dr. Caro Salces, Deputy Executive Director; Guillerma Abay-Abay, Carabao-based Enterprise Development Coordinator; and Dr. Glen Bajenting, Ubay Stock Farm Officer-in-Charge.
Also in attendance were representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LMPC), Aboitiz Land Inc., and local government officials led by Mayor Joel Quiño.
Coinciding with the opening of Dairy Box is the blessing of the new three-story building of COMAVEMCO MPC. The cooperative includes farmers, fishermen and market vendors.
The three other Dairy Box outlets are situated in Carmen, Bohol; Parian, Cebu City; and Island City Mall, Tagbilaran City. The managing cooperatives are the Tamboan Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative, LMPC and Bohol Dairy Cooperative.
