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Bucal Dairy Cooperative: A Dream Come True
Barangay Bucal is located along the eastern boundary line dividing Batangas City and the municipality of Ibaan, Batangas province. From another perspective, the said barangay is about two kilometers east of the expressway leading to Manila, south of San Jose town. Bucal has a total land area of 25,858 hectares and a population of 1,447, thus giving it a density of 5.60 persons per hectare. Its literary rate is impressive: of the 1,189 males and females within the educational level, 1,090 are literate. Barangay Bucal is basically an agricultural area, with sandy loam type of soil, cool climate, and a good water supply, very much suited for upland farming. This is the reason why majority of its population are into farming and livestock production. The barangay’s location, however, poses a quite hindrance when it comes to marketing and transporting its produce, a situation that has somehow created a void of sorts for its people. Given the above condition, many Bucal residents dream of having a cooperative that would not only bring them closer to the market, and lessen their losses arising from transport difficulties, but would also serve as a channel for added sources of livelihood. That dream became a reality through the leadership of Tolentino Torres Plata, who, to friends, is simply called Mang Tino. Good decision A native of Bucal, Mang Tino sought the proverbial greener pasture, which he found by working for hotels in Baguio City (where he eventually took up residence with his family), and in Kuwait. Then, after 21 years in the hotel industry, Mang Tino made a move that would drastically change his life, and those of his fellow Bucaleños: he decided to go back to his birthplace. It was literally coming home a second time for Mang Tino. He like was he saw, and stayed. In 1993, he joined the Bucal Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMC), which was, and still is, engaged in consumer, credit and pair management services. Mang Tino's management and communication skills, and enthusiasm, served him well. From being an ordinary member, he quickly rose to become one of BMC's board of directors. By 1996, he became managing director, and a year after, the full-time operations manager, a position he still holds		To get the cooperative off to a good start, all the seven members of the board of directors went on a series of Lakbay Aral or study tours together with the OCVAS staff who initiated the project. They visited the Batangas Dairy Cooperative (BADACO) and the PABAKA Dairy Cooperative, both in Batangas province, and the PALCON Dairy Cooperative in Sariaya Quezon to see for themselves how the dairy farmers in the said areas went about their business. Then, they underwent a training on animal dairy husbandry, which was held under the auspices of OCVAS. They also sought technical assistance from the National Dairy Authority (NDA). From there, there was no stopping Mang Tino and his group. Landing with both feet Armed with the Php0.5 million OCVAS loan and a Php150,000 capital contribution from BMC, they worked on the necessary papers and secured a suitable place, a one-hectare lot in Bucal. In October 1999, they bought eight cows from the PALCON Dairy Cooperative which cost them Php100,000. These animals gave them an initial daily production of 20 liters, with milking done once a day. With additional capital, they bought another eight cows from BADACO. Today, Mang Tino and his fellow dairy farmers are right on track. They have two employees responsible for milking and forage gathering. A total of 50 liters of fresh milk are sold daily to the local office of the Department of Social Welfare (DSWD), which utilizes the milk for its milk feeding program for children. They also supply the raw milk requirement of the cheese-making operation of PABAKA, aside catering to walk-in customers. Living a dream Things continue to look up for the Bucal group. Only recently, the NDA loaned them some dairy equipment that would make their milking operation more efficient. They are also expecting five additional pregnant animals from the 1,220 dairy cattle imported recently by the NDA from New Zealand. Without a doubt, the Bucal Multi-Purpose Cooperative is thriving. Thanks to the leadership of its officers, and the dedication of its members. Aside from dairying, consumer and credit services, pair management services, the BMC has ventured into chairs and weighing scale rentals, as well as pay phone services. Its membership has also grown to 220 with a capitalization of Php 4.8 million. Well, the BMC is, in fact, now the second largest multi-purpose cooperative in the Southern Tagalog region.
Making the leap The Bucal Multi-Purpose Cooperative started as a Kilusang Bayan, which was registered with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) in 1988. The coop had 15 members and an initial capital of Php10,000. Through the leadership of Mang Tino, they were able to secure a Php0.5 million loan from the Office of the City Veterinary and Agriculture Services (OCVAS) of Batangas City, with a four percent annual interest and payable within seven years. BMC used the loan proceeds to start a new venture: dairy farming. And the Bucal Dairy Cooperative was born.
		Dairy farming is a good source of added livelihood for farmers. Studies done by the NDA showed that a five-dairy cow module can provide as much as Php45,000 net income.