Milk processing plant opens in Sarangani

Tuesday 31st of July 2012

MALUNGON, Sarangani, July 31 (PIA)-- Malungon opened the province’s first milk processing plant on Wednesday (July 25) and is now being eyed as one of town’s tourist attractions, a top official said.

"I conformed to the idea that this dairy plant must also be an attraction to travelers," said Mayor Reynaldo Constantino who led the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

He was assisted by Emmeline Versoza, executive director of Philippine Commission on Women; Governor Migs Dominguez, Councilor Armand Guilley, Perfecto Corpuz from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Board Member Eleanor Saguiguit.

"We huddled with the governor a while ago and initially agreed with some plans to make this place popular within the stretch of Gensan and Davao City (highway)," Constantino added.

The milk processing plant is a component of Sarangani Province Dairy Zone project by Land O` Lakes Foundation Phils., Inc. (LOLPI) in partnership with National Dairy Authority (NDA), Provincial Government of Sarangani, Municipal Local Government of Malungon, Department of Agriculture and USDA.

The project was launched on June 21, 2011 where 150 imported and four island-born cows were distributed to 64 local farmers after finishing the basic dairy skills and management training conducted by LOL field station.

The farmer-beneficiaries are all members of the indigenous tribe of the municipality.

"Let us try to dream some more, to start dreaming ourselves to be the dairy capital of Mindanao," Governor Migs Dominguez said.
"And let us make this community effort and project to become a model for the entire Mindanao," the governor added.

The provincial government allocated P2 million for the construction of the plant building as its counterpart for the project.

A highlight of the program was the signing of the pledge of support by government officials, community, farmers and stakeholders for patronage of products, services and programs to make the dairy enterprise viable and sustainable thereby providing income for the farmers and good nutrition for the children.

To reiterate his full support, Mayor Constantino as president of the mayors’ league of the province, asked all the municipalities of the province to enter into a memorandum of agreement that all milk requirements for the nutrition program of each municipality will be supplied by the Malungon Dairy Farmers Association. (Cocoy Sexcion/Sarangani Information Office/PIA General Santos City)