Pinagdanlayan rural improvement club multi-purpose cooperative 2.12

Brief History

In March 1986 under the management of the Department of Agriculture, the Home Management Technologist (HMT) established the women’s association of Sitio Bundok Barangay Pinagdanlayan, Dolores, Quezon which they called the Rural Improvement Club (RIC) composed of 20 women.

This association was established to help the women in the barangay to be more productive and to enhance their leadership and management. With the help of the Home Management Technologist (HMT), the members were taught how to make the right plans and programs that can improve their families and to promote agricultural means of living.

Salabat was the first product of the association which they called “Instant Salabat”. With the assistance of observing and watching Food Demonstrations and the help of each member the product was immediately patronized because of its unique taste and good quality. Alongside the production of Salabat, the association also have taught themselves on how to make and produce peanut brittle and peanut butter to increase their Income Generating Project (IGP).

In the year 2000, the association of Rural Improvement Club decided to become a cooperative, with the help of the (OPA) Cooperative Section of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and (OMA) Office of the Municipal Agriculturist of Dolores in the province of Quezon. This was started by 25 members who accepted the challenges and difficulties to strengthen the purpose of their cooperativism.

Today the cooperative is composed of 112 members who give their share not only in capital but also in service to the cooperative. The pride of the cooperative is the production of Salabat, together with peanut brittle and peanut butter. Also, the cooperative have other projects for their income generation such as Rentals and Catering for all occasions, Savings and Loans for its members, and the Consumer Store where products are displayed for sale.

The Instant Salabat product was selected by Dolores (LGU) Local Government Unit to be the Dolores’ OTOP or One Town One Product. Before, the production of Salabat was by hand and with different processes, now with the help of the LGUs the cooperative have purchased machines that can help in the production of Salabat. The LGUs also provided necessary assistance for the repair of the PRIC MPC’s office and production area which is one of the requirements by the (BFAD) Bureau of Food and Drugs. Other private and government agencies have extended generous help to the cooperative such as DTI, DOLE, DAR, DOST, DA, and Sangguniang Barangay for the cooperative to obtain registration at the Bureau of Food and Drugs.

In 2009 the cooperative obtained the certificate from the Bureau of Food and Drugs with the certificate number LTO No. RDII-RIV-F-2974. This accreditation from the BFAD is a huge help for the Salabat product because it gives the product the ability to compete with the other products to the biggest players in the industry. Currently, the product was made available at Mall of Asia (Kultura), SM Mega Mall, SM Makati, SM North EDSA, Prominex Ventures, Inc (supplying to 350 outlets of Mercury Drug Stores), 7 Eleven, Local markets in Quezon, and to other CALABARZON provinces.