Here is a story which would certainly interest Overseas Filipino workers who are searching for opportunities to invest their hard-earned money, earn modest profits and at the same time, help their country economically.
In September last year, I travelled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates for an investment forum arranged by then Labor Officer Ofelia Domingo, now assigned as regional director of Labor for Region 9 and agriculture attache Gil Herico.
The prospective investors were not Arab businessmen but Overseas Filipino Workers who were preparing to retire and go home for good under the OFW Reintegration Program and their targeted investment project was the organic rice production of farmers in M’lang, North Cotabato who are members of the Don Bosco Multi-Purpose Cooperative.
Don Bosco MPC was represented in that investment forum by its general manager, Romano Laurilla, who proposed that the OFWs of Dubai that they finance the farmers’ production of organic brown rice which in turn will be marketed in the Middle East by the group under FZE EntrePinoy.
To support the program, I committed to help Don Bosco MPC by providing them additional equipment like Combined Rice Harvester, tractors, rice milling equipment worth P22.4-M and an additional capitalisation of P5-M granted through a loan from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC).
That was last year.
On June 30, shortly after I left for Rome for the 40th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization, the first shipment of Organic Brown Rice financed by the Dubai OFWs was sent off by DA Regional Director Milagros Casis, Director Ofelia Domingo, Don Bosco GM Romano Laurilla and organic rice farmers.
The Dubai OFWs will handle the marketing of the rice produced by farmers they helped financially and will earn from the profits generated from the sale of the rice.
Here is a news release on the activity issued by the Regional Information Division of DA Region XII:
“The 10 MT organic rice shipment is the product of the Dubai OFW Reintegration Program,” Laurilla said adding that under this program, overseas Filipino workers adopt organic rice farmers and provide financing to these organic rice cultivators in M’lang town.
“Ofelia Domingo, former regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Region 12 and now assigned in Region 9, who conceptualized the program said that she thought of the welfare of the OFWs in crafting the program.
“Through this program, we offer our OFWs a potential opportunity that they can invest on here in the Philippines while they are earning abroad,” Domingo further said.
“Don Bosco MPC’s organic black, red and brown rice are grown at more than 500 hectares in the towns of M’lang, Tulunan, Midsayap, President Roxas and city of Kidapawan in North Cotabato and Surallah in South Cotabato.
“The coop is also expanding production areas in Sultan Kudarat province.
“Don Bosco MPC currently holds a certification from the Organic Certifying Center of the Philippines (OCCP). It is the first coop in the Philippines to receive international certification from Certification of Environmental Standards (Ceres), a European-based certifying body. It has also been certified by the National Organic program of the US Department of Agriculture.
“In support to the coop’s export bid, DA 12 Regional Executive Director Milagros Casis said that the agency has poured numerous interventions such as double chamber vacuum packing machine, seed trading center, rice transplanter, seed cleaner and rice color sorter worth P3-M in 2012.
“The coop also received P1.9-M worth of rice combine harvester in 2016.
“We are also bringing Don Bosco MPC to local and international trade fairs and expo,” she added.
“In 2016, Secretary Manny Pińol awarded P22.4-M worth of additional interventions to the coop.
“Of the said amount, Laurilla said that the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) granted them P5-M marketing loan.
“The P17.4-M was already downloaded to the local government of M’lang which will be used in the procurement of additional rice processing equipment and construction of warehouse.
“Director Casis further said that the agency will continue to assist and provide the necessary assistance that the coop needs for them to sustain the exportation of organic pigmented rice.
“I believe that our partnership will get even stronger after this another export breakthrough and I hope that we will continue to be partners in helping each other towards better and more holistic agriculture sector,” she further remarked.
“Don Bosco MPC has already exported more than 150 MT of organic black, brown and red rice to more than 10 countries in different parts of the globe.”
(Photos forwarded by Angelica Laurilla of DA-OSEC sourced from DA XII Information Office and Don Bosco MPC)
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