Rice Farmers, Garment Factory Workers Celebrate Partnership

Ruth Callanta (right), president and chairperson of the Covenant Community Service Cooperative, meets
officers of the Kawanggawa Primary Multipurpose Cooperative at their headquarters in Lusok, Bongabon,
Nueva Ecija. 

In a partnership dubbed Project RICE (Rich in Christ Everyday), a cooperative of farmers in Nueva Ecija will directly supply a cooperative of garment factory workers in Cavite with rice.  "This is a milestone partnership between cooperatives from two basic sectors of Philippine economy -- rice producers and industry workers," said Ruth Callanta, president and chairperson of the Covenant Community Service Cooperative (CCSC). "This is the kind of helping relationship that the Lord wants to see."   

Froi Parado, CCSC general manager, said the provision of rice is an added service of the cooperative to its 4,000 members. "The workers are able to enjoy high quality yet affordable rice  because we sell it to them at the same rate at which we bought it from the farmers' cooperative. The payment scheme is by salary deduction on two paydays." The rice may be bought by the half cavan (25 kilograms) at P43.00 per kilogram.  "The farmers benefit from this partnership as well because CCSC pays in cash and they avoid the delayed payment conditions often encountered when dealing with commercial rice traders."   

Aris Balala, general manager of Kawanggawa Primary Multi-purpose Cooperative (KPMPC), said it has a membership of about 300 farmers who till an average of 1.5 hectares each.  "The rice we deliver to CCSC is P5.00 - P7.00 cheaper then the same kind of rice sold in supermarkets or public markets," he said.        

The Project RICE partnership, launched earlier this year, was celebrated in a thanksgiving ceremony held at the KPMPC office in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija on May 10, 2014. Members of both cooperatives and representatives of the Bongabon municipal government,  Vivencio Mantile, municipal private secretary, and Lope Balmonte of the sanguniang bayan attended the celebration.

Attendees at the Project RICE thanksgiving celebration enjoy an action song.  In foreground, left to right, are
Dominador Moreno, KPMPC chairman; Pastor George dela Cruz of KPMPC; Vivencio Mantile,
 Bongabon municipal private secretary; and Ruth Callanta.

Children of farmers play traditional Filipino music during the celebration.  At right is rondalla leader
Marlon Sindayen.