𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲: 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗺’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

𝗣𝗥𝗗𝗣 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦 | 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲: 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗺’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

In a quiet farming town nestled in New Cebu, President Roxas, Cotabato, a story of perseverance, purpose, and people is unfolding, one coconut at a time.

More than three decades ago, a group of determined residents gathered with nothing more than a dream and a deep desire to improve their lives. What emerged from that humble gathering was Paglaum Consolidated Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PCMPC), a cooperative whose very name means hope.

𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀

It began in 1993, a modest initiative focused on savings and credit. But for a community rooted in coconut farming, that hope needed to grow into something bigger. Something that would transform the way farmers lived, worked, and dreamed.

From only 168 members, Paglaum has now grown to 860 strong with the majority being coconut farmers. For these farmers, joining the cooperative wasn’t just a business decision, it was a lifeline.

“Sa una, amo gyud ginadala sa among kaugalingon ang mga lubi padulong sa highway. Lisod kaayo,” recalls Rafael de Lima, a farmer-member of PCMPC.“Apan tungod sa Paglaum, may mga tawo na nga motabang sa amo. Ang tanan makaabot na sa merkado.”

𝙒𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙡 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙬𝙖𝙮. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙋𝙖𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙢, 𝙬𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙪𝙨. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩.

PCMPC’s flagship enterprise, Whole Nut and Copra Consolidation and Marketing, took off in 2009, turning what was once a side hustle into a sustainable source of livelihood for hundreds. With the help of the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) and support from local government units, Paglaum invested in machinery, storage facilities, and most importantly, their people.

Today, PCMPC boasts a delivery wing van, two hauling trucks, and a tightly organized supply chain that spans 297 hectares of coconut farms across Cotabato Province.

“Ang among misyon sa tibuok katuigan wala gyud mausab,” says MPC Manager Sheila Bautista, her voice equal parts pride and gratitude. “Nga mapaayo ang kinabuhi sa among mga miyembro pinaagi sa panagtinabangay, kakugi, ug pagtuo sa usag usa.”

𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙙: 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧.

That mission echoes through every part of the operation, from the pickers who climb towering trees with scythes in hand, to the careful scalers and loaders who make sure only the finest coconuts make it to market. Every task has purpose, and every hand plays a part in moving the operation forward.

And it’s not just about coconuts.

The cooperative has since expanded into construction supplies, marketing, a pharmacy, and even a canteen. But the coconut remains its beating heart and a symbol of its strength.

𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲

The road hasn’t always been smooth. There were moments of uncertainty, delays in deliveries, and the ever-present threat of fluctuating prices.

“Desperado gyud mi og sakyanan,” Sheila recalls. “Usahay, moabot og duha ka semana ang mga deliveries. Makaapekto kini sa among kita, sa among momentum, ug sa among gana sa trabaho.”

𝙒𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙡𝙚. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙨, 𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙢, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙚.

Yet, Paglaum stood firm and with unwavering determination from its management, board of directors, and community. The cooperative secured a ₱17 million investment, paving the way for improved logistics and stronger market access.

“Wala gyud mi nawad-an og paglaum,” Sheila says with a smile.

𝙒𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚.

Today, PCMPC stands as a Hall of Fame Awardee for Most Outstanding Cooperative in Cotabato and a proud leader in coconut enterprise. But its true triumph lies in the lives it has touched. Jobs have been created. Women’s participation has increased. Farmers now have a stable income. And above all, there’s a newfound dignity in farming, one that comes from ownership, unity, and vision.

“Dili lang mi nagatubo og lubi,” says Rafael. “Nagatubo mi og mga pangandoy.”

𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙨. 𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨.

From its first steps in the ‘90s to its giant leap today, PCMPC is more than a business because it’s a revolution in rural resilience. And for the farmers of Cotabato, it is proof that with hope, hard work, and a whole lot of coconuts, nothing is impossible.

Ian Carbonell