Four agrarian organizations products get FDA-LTO approval

Four assisted agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBO) of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Surgao del Norte (DAR-SDN) were approved with Licenses to Operate (LTO) from the Food and Drugs Administration through the Department of Agrarian Reform’s Village Level Farm-focused Enterprise Development (VLFED) Project.

The ARBOs are the Garcia ARB Cooperative (GARBECO) of Sta. Monica, Honrado ARB Cooperative (HONARBECO) of San Francisco and Trinidad ARB Cooperative (TARBECO) of Surigao City all of Surigao del Norte; and Jacquez Agra Multi-purpose Cooperative (JAMPCO) of San Jose in the province of Dinagat Islands. 

With the FDA approval, the ARBOs have secured licenses for their processing centers to produce their agri-based products, namely: turmeric herbal powder, salabat, malungay powder, sambong powder and lagundi powder of GARBECO; pure tableya of HONARBECO; banana chips and papaya pickles of TARBECO; and turmeric and ginger powder of JAMPCO.

"We have waited for this moment that we will be given licenses to operate our processing centers” said Tessie M. Vertudazo, chairperson of GARBECO.

Vertudazo believed that to be granted with LTO is a big opportunity for GARBECO. “We can now cater customers in wider scope and compete in the market knowing that our products are FDA-LTO-approved”, she explained.

Surigao Norte and Dinagat Islands Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Maria Elizabeth L. De Guzman said that this achievement is a product of the synchronized and collaborative effort of the DAR and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in improving the products of these agri-based organizations. “Under this collaboration, farmer-beneficiaries are provided trainings on good manufacturing practices, promotional packaging, product labelling and pricing.

On the other hand, Chairperson Lilibeth Arce of TARBECO said that the wait and labor is worth it.

“After many months of preparation and complying all the necessary requirements, including incurring additional costs, finally we are granted license to operate” she added.

Aside from the rigorous and laborious trainings, the said ARBOs also embarked on the renovation and improvement of their processing centers to comply with the standards of FDA.

“It is a feat that should be celebrated because the said processing centers of the ARBOs were the first of its kind to have secured LTOs in both Surigao Norte and Dinagat Islands,” said FDA Representative Virginia Delani.

"It is our goal that the rest of our assisted ARBOs will have their processing centers FDALTO-certified" PARPO II De Guzman added.

“Our next steps will be guiding the said ARBOs to access operation capitalization from financing institutions leading to national and global markets”, she remarked.

-by Daryll Tumbaga, PIO Surigao del Norte