_________________________ Welcome to DISOP Philippines! ________________________

Grameen Rice-Finance
(2002) by SEKAP, Inc.

Reforestation
(1998-2002) by FCI

Sustainable Agriculture
(1998-2002) by SWCF

Rice Farmers Cooperative / Carabao Dispersal
(1998-2002) by SJP

Credit Cooperative
(2000-2002) by DLRLCDFI

Women's Handicrafts (2002) / Rice Cooperative
(1996-2001) by PBSP

Vegetable Farmers Cooperatives
(1998-2002) by AKAP

Women's Wastepickers Enterprise (2001) by JVOFI

Entrepreneurs Cooperative
(1998-2002) by MRMF-TRESP

Rice Farmers Association
(2001) by FAPBAPI

Credit Cooperative
(2002) by PMPCI

Alay Sa Kapatid International Foundation, Inc. (AKAP)

Description of the AKAP project:

Alay Sa Kapatid International Foundation, Inc. (AKAP) a social development agency based in Baguio City, Philippines, in partnership with DISOP (for the Belgian Government) launched the project known as “THE INTEGRATED HIGHLAND MARKETING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM” in 1997. This project is a bold venture to counteract the prevailing “middlemen system” in the farming sector thus helping uplift the plight of the disadvantaged vegetable growers in the Benguet Province of the Cordillera Region.

This project envisions the following targets:

To provide more jobs in the respective areas of the partner COOPs/Asso.
To free them from the “middlemen system” dependency for capital - monopolized by the capitalists.
To develop in the farmer partners an enterprising spirit.
To enable them to sell their own produce directly to the trading post/or other places and cities in the country.

This project was started in 1997 and will still be on-going until 2002. Presently the farmers’ COOPs are now selling their products directly and have increased their income ( as well as those who work for them in the farm). They now dictate the price for their farm products (which was before the domain of by the middlemen).

Presently the partner cooperatives are now beginning to work as a Federation.

Testimony of Mr. ANDRES AGO

Mr. ANDRES AGO is a Credit Committee Member of the TOCMO-SABKIL-LABILAB MULTI-PURPOSE COOPERATIVE, INC. Loacan, Itogon, Benguet. Below is his testimony:

"The seminars/trainings that were conducted by AKAP through the DISOP Program had taught me how to handle and resolve conflicts that normally happen to every members of the cooperative. It strengthened my knowledge on how to lead the coop which I managed for almost nine (9) years now. It is really a challenge for me to be a chairman because I have to lead by example. Some of the people who attended the seminars are now officers.

I was one of the loan borrowers of the Farm Production Loan, which enabled me to till an additional farm, it was a sayote plantation. It was a great help for my family because it gave us an additional income. With the increase of area of production, I was able to hire some of my neighbors in cleaning the sayote plantation. I pay them One Hundred Twenty Pesos (P120.00) per day which is a great help for them. It allows them to increase the daily allowance of their children going to school.

The most important thing I’ve learned from the AKAP-DISOP Program is Value Formation. This Value Formation we share to all coop members and is the key to the success of our cooperative.

Thank you so much for your support and more power."