Like a seed, the Binhian sa Timog Kutabato (BinTiKu), located in barangay Dajay, Surallah, South Cotabato started from a small group of rice farmers with the vision to increase their income and improve productivity.

“That was one twilight ago of 1998 while unwinding and enjoying our drinks when we came up with an idea to formally organize our agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and create an association,” John H. Dormitorio, BinTiKu manager laughingly recalled one hot afternoon.

With assistance from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the provincial government of South Cotabato, BinTiKu was officially organized into a cooperative and was registered with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) in the year 2000.

“We did not quit despite the obstacles and hardships we encountered in processing the documents. We used the negative things thrown to us as a challenge to push harder and be better,” Dormitorio said.

In the succeeding years, other government agencies opened more opportunities to the cooperative. They tried to access production financing from the Landbank of the Philippines (LBP) through the Agricultural Production Loan (APL) program which helped them to sustain their rice production and at the same time, earn from the interest of the loan extended to its members.

Through the help of the Department of Agriculture (DA), they were provided with different post-harvest facilities such as a warehouse, solar dryer, flatbed dryer, mechanical dryer, and rice mill. Also, they received farm tractors and mechanical harvesters. The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) also assisted them through a series of technology training to equip them and improve the quality of rice seeds they produce.

Before, the farmers could only harvest an average of 2.5 – 3.2 MT per hectare, but the techno-transfer training helped them to boost their harvest.

Currently, they could harvest 3-4MT per hectare. This also brought a great impact on the lives of the farmers. The minimum household income of a farmer in the same year is only ₱12,000.00 – ₱15,000.00 per cropping. After they applied their learnings, they could reach an average of ₱25,000 – 30,000.00 per cropping.

In the year 2015, the DAR introduced the Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP) and without hesitation, BinTiKu actively complied with the documentary requirements set by the LBP. They were approved with an initial loan of ₱1,000,000.00.

From ₱1,000,000.00 working capital, the cooperative earned ₱400,000.00 in the first year of availing.

“APCP was indeed a blessing to us, the cooperative’s income increased, simultaneous with the dividends and patronage refund of every member,” Dormitorio said.

BinTiKu maintained its good partnership with the LBP and continues to renew its loan twice every year. Currently, they have an approved credit line up to ₱17,000,000.00 as the cooperative was able to efficiently manage their loans.

“We practice transparency in our operation. When you are transparent, it is easy to gain the trust of the people around you. Of course, our faith in GOD and the unending support from different government agencies put us to where we are now,” Dormitorio added.

It was more than five years since BinTiKu availed of the APCP loan which pave the way for the increase in the cooperative’s income. They now have enough capital to finance the rice seed production of their members with 2% interest per month. At present, they also have stable working capital for their marketing operations.

BinTiKu is highly recommended to transfer to the regular loan window of LBP. With their exemplary records, without any past due, it is no doubt that their loan application for hauling trucks will be approved.

“We are always thankful to the DAR and other government agencies for their continuous support and trust in us. We will continue to work hard to strengthen the cooperative so that the young generation could inherit and taste the fruit of our efforts,” Dormitorio said.

Currently, the cooperative supplies the rice seeds in the entire Region XII including the neighboring regions under the Rice Competency Enhancement Program (RCEP) of DA.

They deliver their rice seeds with a minimum of 10,000 sacks per delivery at ₱1,400.00/sack. They also distribute well-milled rice with average sales of 100 sacks per month costing ₱1,800.00/sack.

As the cooperative expands, job opportunities also increase. They have a total of 57 employees, 12 of them are office staff, 12 are the operators and 30 are the laborers. From 15 initial members, they have grown to 85 as of December 2021.

A dream without actions will remain a dream, but for the officers and members of BinTiKu, a dream coupled with hard work is possible. They were just talking about it before, and now they are enjoying the fruits of their labor.

Like in the process of planting rice, growth will not happen overnight. It needs appropriate tools, knowledge, skills, efforts, and patience to help it grow and become productive. The same happened with the BinTiKu, their success is the result of all the right ingredients combined to become successful in the rice seeds production business. (By: Leidenep M. Yecla)

Tulad ng isang binhi, ang Binhian sa Timog Kutabato (BinTiKu), na matatagpuan sa barangay Dajay, Surallah, South Cotabato, ay nagsimula sa isang maliit na grupo ng mga magsasaka ng palay na may pananaw na madagdagan ang kanilang kita at mapabuti ang kanilang produktibidad.

“Noong isang takip-silim iyon noong 1998, habang nagmamahinga at nag-eenjoy sa aming mga inumin nang magkaroon kami ng ideya na pormal na buuin ang aming mga agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) at lumikha ng isang asosasyon,” natatawang paggunita ni John H. Dormitorio, BinTiKu manager isang mainit na hapon.

Sa tulong ng Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) at ng pamahalaang panlalawigan ng South Cotabato, opisyal na na-organisa ang BinTiKu bilang isang kooperatiba at nairehistro sa Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) noong taong 2000.

“Hindi kami bumitiw sa kabila ng mga hadlang at hirap na naranasan namin sa pagproseso ng mga dokumento. Ginamit namin ang mga negatibong bagay na ibinato sa amin bilang isang hamon upang mas lalong magsumikap at maging mas mahusay,” ani Dormitorio.

Sa mga sumunod na taon, nagbukas ng mas maraming oportunidad sa kooperatiba ang ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan. Sinubukan nilang ma-access ang production financing mula sa Landbank of the Philippines (LBP) sa pamamagitan ng Agricultural Production Loan (APL) program na tumulong sa kanila upang mapanatili ang kanilang produksyon ng bigas at kasabay nito, kumita mula sa interes ng utang na ipinaabot sa mga miyembro nito.

Sa tulong ng Department of Agriculture (DA), nabigyan sila ng iba't ibang post-harvest facility tulad ng warehouse, solar dryer, flatbed dryer, mechanical dryer at rice mill. Gayundin, nakatanggap sila ng mga traktor ng sakahan at mechanical harvester. Tinulungan din sila ng Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) sa pamamagitan ng serye ng teknolohiyang pagsasanay upang masangkapan sila at mapabuti ang kalidad ng mga binhi ng palay na kanilang itinatanim.

Dati, ang mga magsasaka ay nakakapag-ani lamang ng 2.5 – 3.2 MT kada ektarya, ngunit dahil sa techno-transfer training ay nakatulong ito sa kanila upang mapalago ang kanilang ani.

Sa kasalukuyan, maaari silang umani ng 3-4MT kada ektarya. Nagdulot din ito ng malaking epekto sa buhay ng mga magsasaka. Ang pinakamababang kita ng sambahayan ng isang magsasaka sa parehong taon ay ₱12,000.00 – ₱15,000.00 lamang kada pananim. Matapos nilang ilapat ang kanilang mga natutunan, maaari silang umabot ng average na ₱25,000 – 30,000.00 kada pag-ani.

Noong taong 2015, ipinakilala ng DAR ang Agrarian Production Credit Program (APCP) at walang pag-aalinlangan, aktibong sinunod ng BinTiKu ang mga kinakailangang dokumentaryo na itinakda ng LBP. Naaprubahan ang mga ito sa paunang utang na ₱1,000,000.00.

Mula sa ₱1,000,000.00 working capital, ang kooperatiba ay kumita ng ₱400,000.00 sa unang taon ng pagpapautang.

“Naging blessing talaga sa amin ang APCP, tumaas ang kita ng kooperatiba, kasabay ng dividends at patronage refund ng bawat miyembro,” Dormitorio said.

Napanatili ng BinTiKu ang kanilang magandang partnership sa LBP at patuloy na nire-renew ang kanilang loan dalawang beses bawat taon. Sa kasalukuyan, mayroon silang aprubadong linya ng kredito na aabot sa ₱17,000,000.00 dahil ang kooperatiba ay mahusay na napamahalaan ang kanilang mga pautang.

“Inia-apply namin ang transparency sa aming operasyon. Kapag transparent ka, madaling makuha ang tiwala ng mga tao sa paligid mo. Syempre, ang ating pananalig sa DIYOS at ang walang katapusang suporta mula sa iba't ibang ahensya ng gobyerno ang naglagay sa amin kung nasaan kami ngayon,” dagdag ni Dormitorio.

Mahigit limang taon na ang nakalipas mula nang mag-avail ang BinTiKu ng APCP loan na naging daan para sa pagtaas ng kita ng kooperatiba. Mayroon na silang sapat na puhunan para matustusan ang produksyon ng binhi ng palay ng kanilang mga miyembro na may 2% na interes kada buwan. Sila sa kasalukuyan ay mayroon ding matatag na kapital para sa kanilang mga operasyon sa marketing.

Ang BinTiKu ay lubos na inirerekomenda na lumipat sa regular na loan window ng LBP. Sa kanilang mga huwarang rekord, nang walang anumang past due, walang dudang maaaprubahan ang kanilang loan application para sa mga hauling truck.

“Lagi kaming nagpapasalamat sa DAR at iba pang ahensya ng gobyerno sa kanilang patuloy na suporta at pagtitiwala sa amin. Patuloy kaming magsisikap na palakasin ang kooperatiba upang ang mga kabataang henerasyon ay magmana at matikman ang bunga ng aming pagsisikap,” ani Dormitorio.

Sa kasalukuyan, ang kooperatiba ay nagsusuplay ng mga binhi ng palay sa buong Rehiyon XII kasama na ang mga karatig na rehiyon sa ilalim ng Rice Competency Enhancement Program (RCEP) ng DA.

Nagdedeliver sila ng kanilang mga buto ng palay na may minimum na 10,000 sako kada delivery sa halagang ₱1,400.00/sako. Namimigay din sila ng well-milled rice na may average na benta na 100 sako kada buwan na nagkakahalaga ng ₱1,800.00/sako.

Habang lumalawak ang kooperatiba, tumataas din ang oportunidad sa trabaho. Mayroon silang kabuuang 57 empleyado, 12 sa kanila ay mga kawani ng opisina, at 12 ang mga operator at 30 ang mga manggagawa. Mula sa 15 unang miyembro, lumaki sila hanggang 85 noong Disyembre 2021.

Ang pangarap na walang aksyon ay mananatiling pangarap, ngunit para sa mga opisyal at miyembro ng BinTiKu, ang pangarap na kaakibat ng pagsusumikap ay posible. Noon ay pinag-uusapan lamang nila ito, at ngayon ay tinatamasa na nila ang bunga ng kanilang pagod.

Gaya sa proseso ng pagtatanim ng palay, hindi magdamag ang nangyayaring paglago. Nangangailangan ito ng angkop na mga kasangkapan, kaalaman, kasanayan, pagsisikap at pasensya upang matulungan itong lumago at maging produktibo. Ganoon din ang nangyari sa BinTiKu, ang kanilang tagumpay ay bunga ng lahat ng tamang sangkap na pinagsama upang maging matagumpay sa negosyo ng produksyon ng binhi ng palay.