“Reaping the Fruits of Determination and Discipline” A Nararagan Valley MPC’s Success Story
“I am overwhelmed and grateful to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for its outpouring assistance to our cooperative,” exclaimed by Mr. Gregorio Amayun, BOD Chairman-Nararagan Multi-Purpose Cooperative.
BALLESTEROS, CAGAYAN- The Nararagan Valley Multi-Purpose Cooperative, (NVMPC), started as an Irrigators’ Association in December 1993. On 4 April 1994, the NVMPC gained its juridical personality from the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and registered as Multi-Purpose Cooperative having sixteen (16) agrarian reform beneficiaries as original members and non-ARB members, with an initial paid-up capital of P2,400.00. The NVMPC’s first business was a small consumer store and solely operated within Barangay Nararagan, Ballesteros, Cagayan. Due to meager funds and lack of knowledge among officers and members of the Cooperative, they experienced struggles and difficulties especially when their Manager was elected as Barangay Captain.
In 1995, with the intervention of the DAR, Barangays Nararagan, Cabayu and San Juan were clustered and became Nararagan Valley Agrarian Reform Community. The NVMPC was revitalized under the Food and Agriculture Organization-Technical Support for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (FAO-TSARRD) program, in coordination with the DAR. With the provisions of capacity-building for its officers and members, the cooperative’s business was re-opened and was constructed in a more strategicbusiness location. As days passed, the business boomed with a remarkable increase in sales and income at the end of the year. The Officers of the cooperative had difficulty in recruiting new members inspite of financial viability. With the high farm input rates and due to fortuitous events, the ARBs were apprehensive in alloting capital shares in the cooperative. They prioritized payment of their loans from private lending institutions with high interest rates. Manager Amayun seconded and said “Sometimes, when harvest time comes, our income would just go to these private traders and what is left for us is not enough,”.
With the initial share capital of P24,902.83, now, it has an asset of P84,843,526.00. In view of this, NVMPC was adjudged as one of the highest networth cooperatives. This is due to income-generating business of the cooperative namely: CSF Rental; Lending/Re-lending; Farm Inputs Trading; Palay Trading; Savings Deposit; Rice Milling, Drying, Hauling & Warehouse Services. Aside from the services mentioned, NVMPC engaged in community development projects like construction of public toilet, cleaning and greening sponsoring barangay and town fiestas, donation of medicines to barangay health centers, school fencing (4 elementary schools within the ARC), painting of the school gymnasium and conducting of seminars for the small cattle growers within the area of operation. They also extended scholarships to 3 high school students and 2 elementary students. These community services or programs are NVMPC’s way of giving back to the community. They were also able to encourage more individuals to join the cooperative.
NVMPC continues its good practices, such as monthly conduct of BOD Meeting, annual general assembly and volunteerism in the community. These practices have also been recognized by other government agencies and opened the ARBO door for opportunities and assistance from CARP Implementing Agencies (CIAs) like DA, DTI, CDA, DOST (etc.). The same CIAs gave various citations, recognitions and appreciation awards to NVMPC for being an epitome who exemplifies the importance of “cooperativism” to farmers in improving their agricultural productivity and their lives in general. NVMPC is consistently one of the outstanding cooperatives in the province. Giving respect and priority to members’ needs are their top concern.
Notwithstanding the success and accomplishments of NVMPC, it has not lost sight of its vision and mission. It is always making sure that the needs of the farmers in the area are properly addressed. Above all, its success was attained because of the discipline and determination of all its members. MARVI T. BULAN, PIO-Cagayan
