New infrastructure boosts women-led agricultural cooperatives in Pili

Facilities that strengthen climate resilience, sustainable production and economic development of local communities in the Philippines.

Currently, and as planned, the construction of five infrastructures intended to house the climate-resilient agricultural cooperatives of the town of Pili is underway.

These buildings, which began in September, will strengthen the productive activities of five of the ten cooperatives made up of women in vulnerable situations.

These cooperatives, created and trained in joint work with the Servants of Jesus , with the support of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) , the Municipal Government of Pili and its municipal councilors, as well as the local governments of the Barangays , who have collaborated by facilitating spaces for their construction, will provide shelter, tranquility and hope to the inhabitants of the area.

Over the past eighteen months, the FRS-SDJ team has facilitated the creation, formalization, and registration of ten cooperatives with the regional authority and the Municipality of Pili. They have also provided support in developing local action plans to address climate change, customized business plans, management and production development training, and strengthening transparency and internal governance, among other training activities.

The project involves the construction of two livestock farms for raising Boer and Anglo-Nubian goats , crossbred with local breeds for meat and milk production. These facilities, located in the Santo Niño and Bagong Sirang Barangays , have been designed with disaster resilience and environmental sustainability in mind. Their development has been made possible through the collaboration of the Camarines Sur Livestock Association , chaired by Roy Layosa ; livestock production specialists from Central Bicol State Agricultural University (CBSUA) ; the FRS technical team ; engineers from the construction company; and the executive committees of the BSHAC cooperative (beneficiaries in the Bagong Sirang and Himaao Barangays) and the Pili Highland Women Agriculture Cooperative (beneficiaries in the Tinangis, Curry, and Santo Niño Barangays).

The structures are in their final phase, with the installation of specially sized and designed corral floors that prioritize animal welfare, hygiene, and biosecurity. The corrals, elevated more than one meter above ground level, meet international standards adapted to the climatic and geographical conditions of the Philippines. In addition, fencing is being installed to provide the animals with areas for recreation and grazing.

Simultaneously, three structures are being built for the production of oyster mushrooms in the San Vicente , Binobong , and Cararoyan barangays . These spaces have been designed with the support of the Municipal Department of Agriculture and CBSUA University , a leading institution that has contributed its expertise in developing innovative mushroom cultivation techniques adapted to the conditions of Camarines Sur.

Thanks to the collaboration of private sector entrepreneurs, the members of the cooperatives have been able to strengthen their technical and commercial skills, thus ensuring the sustainability of their businesses. In addition to improvements in production processes, marketing strategies are being implemented to identify markets and adapt their offerings to guarantee the project’s economic viability.

In the first phase, the three cooperatives will handle the substrate pasteurization, fruiting, and harvesting of the mushrooms, which are fully adapted to the local climate. To this end, the facilities will include specially conditioned areas equipped with environmental control systems that regulate temperature, humidity, and light. Ovens for substrate pasteurization will also be installed, along with equipment such as humidifiers, fans, and, if necessary, air conditioning systems, which will allow for the future production of new, more commercially valuable mushroom varieties.

The cooperatives benefiting from this production line are:

• San José – Cararoyan Brilliant Women Agriculture Cooperative , made up of beneficiaries from Barangay San José and Cararoyan.
• VICENTAGOLDCOOP , made up of beneficiaries from the San Vicente, Tagbong and Old San Roque Barangays.
• ROBINSANCO , made up of beneficiaries from the Binobong, Santiago and New San Roque Barangays.

 

It is worth mentioning that all the infrastructures built by BS Alvis Architecture Studio will be equipped with sanitary facilities, changing areas, offices and storage or pantry spaces, according to the requirements of each cooperative.