A cooperative office rises in Barangay Sandoval after the Coral Bay Nickel Corporation (CBNC) and Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation (RTNMC) donated a one-storey building to the Sandoval Farmers Producers Cooperative (SANFAPCO), a primary cooperative operating in Sandoval, Bataraza.
The cooperative office, worth P500,000, is a joint community project of CBNC and RTNMC in partnership with Barangay Sandoval under its Social Development and Management Program (SDMP) – Livelihood and Enterprise component.
Village head Eddie Catague, said they are supporting local social enterprise initiatives in the community.
“Ang full support po namin sa SANFAPCO ay lagi nang nandiyan simula pa nung una at ito nga po ang isa sa mga indikasyon, ang pagpapatayo ng coop office sa ating barangay site.” said Catague.
Jose Roberto Serrato, SANFAPCO chairperson challenged the members and co-farmers to commit all their resources as the coffee trees are now on its bearing stage.
“Sa mga kasamahan ko nagtatanim ng kape, mga landowners, mas alagaan pa natin ang ating mga kape ngayon na mas namumunga na ito. Pasasaan ba’t maaani na rin natin ang ating mga pinagpawisan,”Serrato said.
SANFAPCO engage in coffee production and other agricultural produce since 2015 when it was established with the support of Community Relations (ComRel) Office of CBNC and RTNMC.
CBNC Comrel Manager Ernesto A. Llacuna, who personally attended the project turn-over ceremony, expressed deep appreciation to the members of Sandoval Barangay Council and the SANFAPCO Officers for their good and harmonious relationship and mutual cooperation resulting to the continuous progress and development of their Barangay.
He said the strong partnership between the barangay council and the cooperative (SANFAPCO) can be a model to the other barangays in the municipality.
Also present during the turn-over ceremony were the members/staff of both CBNC and RTNMC Comrel Team who are directly involved in this particular SDMP project implementation.