Burgos Coconut Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (BUCOFACO) is a cooperative that wishes to improve their members’ socioeconomic lifestyles and provide the amazing impact of social justice to the coconut farmer members in the neighborhood. As a result, the cooperative members are determined to demonstrate their abilities in creating significant goods from coconuts, which could provide an opportunity to provide change in coconut farming through value chain analysis.

The CDA – COCOFARM COOP Program financial assistance through CFDIP realizes the cooperative dream. The initiative is an important component of assisting coconut growers and the coconut sector as a whole. Through this, BUCOFACO’s desire to operate the production of Virgin Coconut Oil became a reality, with the Cooperative Development Authority – Region 4B awarding a grant of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (250,000.00) to realize the production of BUCOFACO Virgin Coconut Oil.

Furthermore, the financial aid actually has a ripple effect on the cooperative; the project improves the standard of living of coconut farmers, increases the competitiveness of the coconut industry, and promotes sustainable revenue to cooperative members. Similarly, the programs are intended to be inclusive, benefiting all cooperative members, including women and economically disadvantaged individuals, and to completely empower coconut growers by incorporating them in the process of decision-making and taking their feedback into account in project planning.

The implementation of VCO production adds to the growth of the coconut sector and fosters sustainable development in the region’s coconut-producing provinces. Aside from providing opportunities to coconut farmers, the cooperatives maintain a high level of transparency in financial transactions related to CFIDP Financial Assistance utilization in program implementation. The cooperative ensures that clear records of funds received, disbursed, and utilized are kept, and all transactions are documented to ensure accountability in using the funds. Regular financial audits and reporting to members and relevant authorities assist to create trust and guarantee that funds are spent as intended. In terms of ongoing development and VCO strengthening, the cooperatives are now receiving additional assistance from DTI Occidental Mindoro for packaging and value-added product development, as well as from DOST for modern coconut farming techniques and CDA for bookkeeping, financial management, and cooperative governance. The cooperative thinks that improving members’ skills and abilities is the best method to handle projects effectively.

As a result, cooperatives are emerging to modernize VCO production processes through innovative machinery and techniques offered by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to improve VCO oil extraction and processing. As therefore, enhancing and developing VCO’s quality produce is a cooperative’s ongoing effort to satisfy the needs of customers and assure the effectiveness of the product. Cooperatives are currently implementing standardized quality control techniques, such as adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and employing sophisticated oil extraction equipment. Regular meetings, SWOT analysis, and seminars on issues and concerns within cooperatives assist members in understanding the importance of quality control and its impact on market demand and customer retention.

In keeping with the success of the program, the cooperatives are encouraged to promote sustainable coconut farming methods such as organic agriculture, appropriate pesticide usage, and effective water management. Such initiatives not only help to preserve natural resources, but also meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly products.

Ultimately, BUCOFACO grants from the CDA COCOFARMCOOP Program in the production of Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) are an example of effective and efficient financial assistance, since the program produces a flexible and growing in demand natural product (VCO) with an array of health and culinary benefits. As a result, the cooperative maintains its precise production techniques, which ensure that the produced oil is of the greatest quality.