The Imamaling Farmers Association (IFA) based in Brgy. Imamaling, Magpet, Cotabato Province, has officially commenced its maiden commodity buying and consolidation operation, marking a defining milestone in its transition from a community of individual rubber producers into a fully operational Indigenous Peoples Organization (IPO)-managed enterprise.
On August 3, the IPO successfully purchased and consolidated 4.5 metric tons of rubber cup lump from both member and non-member farmers using its available working capital. The operation represents the first actual implementation of Rubber Cup-Lumps Production, Consolidation & Marketing Enterprise under DA-MIADP amounting to P3,116,900.00.
For years, members of the organization sold their rubber individually to local traders, often with little influence over pricing and market conditions. This time, the organization assumed an entirely different role not as sellers, but as buyers and consolidators, allowing them to negotiate more competitive prices for fellow farmers while strengthening their position in the value chain.
With the LGU-Magpet and MIADP RPCO XII personnel on standby to provide technical guidance whenever needed, IFA officers independently organized and carried out the buying operation, demonstrating their readiness to manage a community-based enterprise. Following the consolidation process, the commodities were transported and delivered to their identified institutional buyer in accordance with the established marketing arrangement.
For IFA President Salvador Dumay, the experience was both rewarding and humbling.
“We’re happy because this is something we have long prepared for. At the same time, we know there will be challenges as we continue operating the enterprise. But we are optimistic because MIADP equipped us with the knowledge and skills through the many trainings we received. Those preparations gave us the confidence to begin.”
IFA’s latest achievement adds another milestone to an already remarkable journey. As one of MIADP’s two pilot Ancestral Domains, the Obo-Monuvu IPO became the first enterprise organization to secure approval through the Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB), the first to receive the turnover of its enterprise package, and now stands as the first MIADP-supported enterprise to commence full commodity buying and consolidation operations.
Beyond operational success, IFA’s story demonstrates what becomes possible when Indigenous communities are entrusted with opportunities, provided access to resources, and equipped with the necessary knowledge to manage their own enterprises.
Without prior experience in operating a formal enterprise, the association has shown that capability is not defined by where communities begin, but by the support they receive and the determination they bring to the journey.
Through trust, capacity building, and sustained guidance, the Imamaling Farmers Association has transformed from a group of individual sellers into an organization confidently taking ownership of its own economic future.
Story and photos by: Adam Ibrahim A. Canape
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