Success Stories of ARB/ARBOS

1. Modesto C. Pattung- Cagayan

Mr. Modesto C. Pattung was awarded with a .5-hectare land in 1995 by the
Department of Agrarian Reform and inherited 1-hectare farmland from his
parents.
His wife Gloria Battung who became his partner in farming takes care of the
marketing aspect of the produce while their four kids helped up in tilling and
planting.
Modesto gave his children farm lots to till on their own. But he says that even
until now, his children come to him for advice in farming and other needs.
He currently serves as the Chairman of the Alcala Livestock Raiser
Cooperative in Calantay, Alcala, Cagayan that earns from rental of a building.
He was able to acquire a solar dryer, mechanical dryer and a thresher for his
own farm. Both he and his children are engaged in rice planting and
livestock-raising in Alcala.
Modesto is the first farmer in Alcala, Cagayan to ever be awarded in the
Gawad Saka Awarding. He shared that among everything, he wants his
children to inherit the same diligence he displays in farming.
2. Naguillian Christian MPC

If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, the bible says, nothing will be
impossible for you. Willie Bacuyag, an agricultural engineer and a Christian,
knows this. He has sown in faith and now he is reaping a harvest that has
exceeded all his doubts and expectations.
He wanted to free his neighbors from the encumbrances of credit that made
them even poorer day by day. In 2005 Willie gathered his neighbors,
discussed the situation and founded the Naguillian Christian Cooperative in
Lallo, a Hispanic town in the province of Cagayan.
3. Sunrise Valley MPC

Located in a little-known village called Capissayan, in the northeastern part

of the Philippines where the sun first rises, Sunrise Cooperative derive its
name from the abundance of natural light that floods this place at the break
of dawn. Its name is a daily rally to hope and hard work. Capissayan is one of
the barangays of Gattaran, home to the rare bugnay or wild cherry, a
backyard tree with fruits that grow in the clumps. The bugnay fruits are tiny,
like bunched miniature grapes. They ripen unevenly so that each bunch will
have fruits the colors of green, red and plum.
It wasnt until two years later that Sunrise would start to squeeze the fruits of
bugnay. Bugnay wine production is tedious. The cooperative still uses the
traditional process of producing wines, which means using ones bare hands.
The first is to pick the right colors of bugnay fruits; the red and plum make a

sweet to bittersweet concoction. The fruits are soaked in water to remove

insects, dirt and other impurities.
CONVALCO
The Conwap Valley Multi-purpose Cooperative (Convalco), located at the
mountainous land of Binwangan, Dupax Del Norte Nueva Vizcaya is hailed as
one of the most progressive Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization
(ARBO) nationwide.
Aside from this CONVALCO is also one of top three Outstanding ARCs in the
country. These various recognitions are through the help and initiative of the
Department of Agrarian Reform and its partner agencies.
The group started with just four members. They started their cooperative by
renting a house and constructed a sari-sari store, since the place is far
from the nearest buying station. Not before long their capital income
increased and made new members.
Today Conwap Vallley has 289 members and has total asset of almost 2
Million Pesos.

4. Mahatao Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Credit Cooperative

(MARBCC)- Batanes
(MARBCC)
The Mahatao Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Credit Cooperative or MARBCC is
one of the capable ARB Organization of RAR Region 02 in Cagayan-Batanes.
On June 21, 2012, with the initial success of their Bukayo-making enterprise,
DAR gave their livelihood further boost through the establishment of a
processing center.
This aims to develop the market competitiveness of agrarian reform
beneficiaries products. Bukayo Making in Batanes becomes an instant hit
when one of the ARB members Jacinta Mora who has been in the business of
making bukayo for a couple of years, related to the group how profitable the
business venture could be. With the persistent prodding of Ms. Mora, bukayo
making then became the prime project of the cooperative.
Bukayo is now one of the fast selling delicacies in the province of Batanes.
Ever since the processing center was established, it generated employment
and provides additional income to the members of the cooperative and also
contributes considerably to the growing economy of ARC.
5. Quirino ARB
The Tilanggit production project in the province of Quirino was first
introduced by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).
Tilanggit are small dried tilapia.
In 2007, the project was conceptualized when fishpond operators noticed
that many fish in the pond did not grow bigger and were not competitive to
the bigger tilapia demanded by market. Through the years the ARBs were
able to produce and process the small tilapia into tilanggit.

Eventually, they learned how to produce up to 250 kilos tilapia stock which is
sold at P10,000. To expand their production they were awarded a mechanical
dryer for Tilanggit processing. The intervention of DAR and other partner
agencies opened its doors to their product expansion not only in the province
and regionwide but even in other parts of the country.