Albay Farmers Empowered with Meat Processing Training and Equipment

LEGAZPI CITY—In a bid to enhance livelihood opportunities for agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) conducted a specialized meat processing training for members of the Sa Agrarian Reform Iriba Gabos sa Kauswagan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Sarigan MPC) in Daraga, Albay.

The one-day training, which was attended by 30 cooperative members, forms part of the agency's Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (PAHP) initiative. The training is designed to equip participants with essential skills in producing safe, cost-effective, and high-quality processed meat products, such as skinless longganisa, siomai, and tocino.

According to Agrarian Reform Program Officer Roselyn Ala, the PAHP focal person, the cooperative is a beneficiary of the Department of Agriculture’s Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (INSPIRE) Program. This initiative, which focuses on rehabilitating the hog sector, ensures a consistent supply of meat for the cooperative’s processing activities.

Carla Mae L. Carreon and Dean Evan Berces led the hands-on training, guiding participants through the proper methods of processing ground meat products.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Maria Eugenia M. Alteza emphasized the value-added benefits of meat processing for the ARBs. “Processing allows farmers to transform raw meat into products that have a higher market value, which will ultimately lead to increased income for the cooperative,” she said.

In addition to the training, DARPO Albay, through its Program Beneficiaries Development Division, provided Sarigan MPC with essential meat processing equipment. The equipment package includes an electric meat grinder with a sausage maker, an inverter chest freezer, a gas stove, a liquefied petroleum gas tank, and a stainless-steel table.

Allan M. Mendaros, vice chairman of Sarigan MPC, expressed his gratitude for the support. “We are very thankful for the training and the equipment provided to us. These will undoubtedly contribute to the growth of our cooperative,” Mendaros said.

The support provided by the DAR aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s commitment to ensure