(First of two parts)
UPI, Maguindanao—Farmers here are growing seeds to breed a future community of educated people who could help address violent extremism in the court of human development.
Jonathan Acupio, chairman of the Upian Farmers’ Cooperative Inc., says he had no idea about growing seeds for an ideal community income when he was invited by Upi Municipal Agriculture Officer Ismael Kamad to join a training session in Davao City on the production of high-value crops in 2012.
Acupio, a farmer and former seaman, says he invited fellow tillers to organize into a cooperative. But this did not prove easy for him, as they needed to raise money from individual financial contributions for a P20,000 paid-up capital, the least requirement on registration with the Cooperative Development Authority.
Now worth P15 million, the Upian Farmers’ Cooperative Inc. pays P10,000 to P20,000 in monthly wages on lean periods. But on peak of harvest and delivery seasons, they disburse anywhere from P50,000 to P100,000 in monthly salaries to famers and laborers. This is above what members ought to have in annual dividends to members, Acupio said.
Regional Secretary Alexander Alonto Jr. of the Department of Agriculture and Fishery in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao says ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman has underscored the Upi farmers’ success as a “sustained community endeavor that defeats violent extremism in the court of human development.”
Acupio’s fellow farmers probably entertained doubts he would ever gain much success in farming since he had twice pursued his profession in the line of marine transportation: first as a seaman working overseas, and second by serving the Philippine Navy in the Marines, from which he had availed of his early retirement option.
But Orlando Ortega, also a former Marine who now heads the cooperative’s Committee on Mediation and Reconciliation, said this — and many instances when they almost gave up — did not stop Acupio from pushing through with what they had started over on a piece of land, 600 square meters wide, and with only P20,000 in the group’s common purse.
Acupio recalls the cooperative used its first P 20,000 in buying 1,000 heels of marcotted rubber, which they grew further on seedling bags and sold for P 32.00 each then. He said with the “good price,” majority of the group did not anymore hesitate on investing again their initial financial capital, plus the profit into buying and working again on another period of growing.
Now, the cooperative is a nationwide seedling supplier in its accreditation—said to be the first in the ARMM— granted by the Bureau of Plant and Industry.
It’s breeding the future community by growing seeds was how Norvie Balnig from Makilala, a member tiller, describes (in Bisayan) the farmers’ collective purpose. She says she has come from Makilala town in North Cotabato to relocate her family here, as the cooperative helps them a lot, including the cost of sending her children to a private school.
Other member-parents said their children also benefit from the cooperative’s support for education. Ortega said at least two of the scholars are orphans: Jomari Clarito (Grade 12 ND Upi), Christian Dave Ortega (Grade 9 Notre Dame of Upi), whom he has adopted.
Another beneficiary Roquelyn Rose Mobdeg, Grade 10 at St. Francis High School here, has told her parents she wanted to become a teacher to multiply the benefits of the cooperative’s spending on education of young people here from poor families.
“I send our secretary to see the grades of the children of our members, and pay the tuition and other fees for those deserving (the cooperative’s support),” he said.
Dr. Daud Lagasi, provincial agriculture officer, said the seedling and nursery farm of the Upian Farmers’ Cooperative Inc. here best showcased to Maguindanao community their success, by rising every time they failed.
(To be continued)