The Bohol Dairy Cooperative (BODACO) and the First Consolidated Cooperative Along Tañon Seaboards (FCCT), cooperatives assisted by the DA-Philippine Carabao Center at Ubay Stock Farm (DA-PCC at USF), received commendation for effectively implementing the Enterprise Development (I-REAP) project funded by the World Bank through the DA-Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP).
DA-PRDP and World Bank officials visited Bohol for the 17th World Bank Implementation Support Mission (WB ISM) on May 2, 2024. The purpose of the mission was to evaluate the overall implementation and performance of projects, review compliance with previously agreed actions, and assess financial management, disbursement, and procurement practices.
The PRDP is a six-year project that aims to enhance farmers’ and industry players’ access to a strategic network of infrastructure, market information, and support services. To achieve this, the project focuses on four main components: Local Planning (IPLAN), Infrastructure Development (I-BUILD), Enterprise Development (I-REAP), and Project Support (I-SUPPORT).
Under the I-REAP component where BODACO and FCCT are included as beneficiaries, PRDP will involve various sectors of the industry in generating marketable surplus by investing in key segments of priority commodity value chains identified in the Regional Agriculture and Fishery Modernization Plan (RAFMP) and the Provincial Commodity Investment Plans (PCIPs).
In 2018, the “Bohol Dairy Processing and Marketing Enterprise” project by BODACO received a collaborative investment totaling PHP9 million. The enterprise, situated in Lomangog, Ubay, Bohol, was completed and handed over in 2022. Its objective was to maintain and grow BODACO’s dairy business both within Bohol and in other regions.
BODACO Chairperson Roger Damalerio expressed his gratitude for the project’s significant impact, citing remarkable improvements such as land acquisition, vehicle purchase, commissary construction, PhilGEPS registration, and substantial asset growth from PHP3 million in 2017 to nearly PHP40 million in six years.
FCCT’s ongoing project, “Bohol Silage Production and Marketing Enterprise,” with a total project cost of PHP40,172,457.84 aims to overcome supply challenges in the buffalo dairy industry in Bohol and support its growth. This project directly helps farmers by providing crucial feed resources for their operations.
The subproject is at 36% physical progress with PHP22 million already downloaded to FCCT out of the PHP40.17 million total project cost.
Magdaleno Bargamento, chief executive officer of FCCT, shared the cooperative’s journey, especially their efforts for agricultural activities during the 2020 pandemic. He explained that they started the project by identifying gaps in the Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP) of Bohol, specifically addressing feed supply shortages.
Today, both cooperatives are committed to identifying gaps that hinder the advancement of the dairy industry in Bohol, striving for further progress and development of the dairy industry.
