MARAWI CITY, Feb. 20 (PIA) - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as chair of the Subcommittee on Business and Livelihood under the Bangon Rehabilitation Project sustains the abaca production in the municipality of Butig in Lanao del Sur through a formal turnover of Shared Service Facilities (SSF) project to Darul Khyre Farm Economic Development Producer Cooperative.

DTI-10 Regional Director Linda Boniao cleared Thursday, February 18, that the ceremonial turnover is an affirmation that the cooperative has already received the provided equipment, which delivery of such was delayed due to the ongoing pandemic.

She added that the turnover was an extension of the launching of SSF for the plant Tissue Culture Lab in MSU-Marawi which the cooperative can tap to acquire disease-free planting material to boost abaca production.

Boniao also magnified that what the Darul Khyre Cooperative is doing is not just an ordinary production but an exemplary operation paving the way to the generation of money in Euro and other currencies as premium quality abaca is processed to such after being sold to Newtech Pulp, Inc.

"Ang contribution niyo akala niyo abaca lang. Pera ang number one gamit ng abaca... Ma-appreciate ninyo na may kontribusyon kayo sa mundo at iyong kontribusyon na iyan ay napakalaki dahil pera pala... Kami ay nagpapasalamat din dahil ginamit ninyo instead na pinabayaan at ibenta iyong equipment," shared Boniao.

[You are thinking that your contribution is only abaca. The number one use of abaca is money... You will appreciate that you have contributed to the world and that contribution is huge because it is money... We are also thanking you because you used instead of neglecting and selling the equipment.]

Further, Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) Field Office Manager Asec. Felix Castro Jr. bared that this project is part of the Php50 million allocation serving as SSF capital outlay for Marawi City and municipalities of Butig and Piagapo in Lanao del Sur.

"Fifty million ang aming pinag-iisipan kung sino ba iyong ang aming bibigyan... Naisip din namin na tulungan hindi lang ang Marawi, kasama ang Butig at Piagapo. And so, kami with DTI, nag-allocate din kami para sa Butig... Opportunity niyo 'yan, ayusin niyo. Pagkakataon niyo ito. 'Wag niyong palampasin ito," said Castro urging the cooperative members to make the best out of the granted allocation..

[We are thinking of the 50 million as to who we are going to give... We also thought to help not just Marawi but also Butig and Piagapo. And so, with DTI, we also allocated for Butig... This is your opportunity, you take care of this. This is your chance. Do not let this pass through.]

Meanwhile, cooperative members conveyed how SSF immensely impacted their abaca production leading them to their sincerest gratitude to the lead implementers of the project.

"Napakasaya po kasi sa totoo lang po, tumaas ang aming produkto nang magkaroon kami ng SSf project, iyong mga machinery na binigay ng DTI, lumakas po ang production namin," stated Cooperative President Cairoden Caderan.

"Sa ngalan ng aming kooperatiba, ng Darul Khyre Farm Economic Development Producer Cooperative, kami po ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sa DTI sa kanilang project na naisip dahil malaking tulong po iyon sa amin," he added.

Currently, the Darul Khyre Farm Economic Development Producer Cooperative has already hit all the indicators to be called successful with the 5% increase in sales and in the number of members assisted. (CRG/ PIA-ICIC)