DAR’s Tinapay Ti Uno Program taps Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBOs) for bread making competition

Camiling, TARLAC — Last March 3, the Aboitiz Group’s Pilmico Animal Nutrition Corporation (Pilmico) distributed flour bags to 11 Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBOs) for Tinapay Ti Uno, a program of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Office of Tarlac First District Congressman Jaime Cojuangco. 

This initiative aims to establish Tarlac’s bun and bread recipe, utilizing crops such as guava, banana, monggo, malunggay, squash, and cow’s milk from their district’s ARBOs. Each ARBO received an electric oven from the Office of Cong. Cojuangco and Pilmico Kutitap Hard Wheat Flour through Bakery Solutions Company (BASCo).

“We at DAR Tarlac are always on the lookout for partnerships and linkages because we believe that this kind of effort can work well in the implementation of various support services programs for our ARBOs,” stated DAR Tarlac in a Facebook post. 

Camiling Mayor Erlon C. Agustin was present in the turnover ceremony together with representatives from public and private sectors partners — Pilmico, BASCo, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Technical Education And Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Office of Cong. Cojuangco.

DAR Tarlac, represented by Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO II) Officer-in-Charge Rogelio Marzan, spearheaded the program. Meanwhile, Camiling Mayor Erlon C. Agustin graced and hosted the event. Also in attendance were representatives from partner government agencies and institutions under the program: Pilmico, BASCo, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Technical Education And Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Office of Cong. Cojuangco.

“Ang assistance ng Pilmico ay hindi lamang upang mabigyan ng additional livelihood ang COOP, kundi para ma-suportahan din ang local farm produce ng ating mga farmers. Napakaganda ng layunin nitong programa ng DAR [Tinapay Ti Uno] dahil mabibigyan din ng oportunidad ang mga COOP na ma-showcase ang kanilang produkto at ngayon nga – gagawing tinapay,” said BASCo-Pangasinan Branch Manager Arnel Mayo. 

(Pilmico’s assistance will not only provide additional livelihood for the COOP, it will also support the local farm produce of our farmers. The objective of DAR’s Tinapay Ti Uno program is commendable since it will give an opportunity for our COOP [farmers] to showcase their produce which will now be made into bread.)

In photo (from left): Pilmico Flour Resident Chef Carla Valencia, Camiling Mayor Erlon C. Agustin, DAR Tarlac Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II OIC Rogelio Marzan, Robert Randolph Moulic from the Office of Cong. Cojuangco and BASCo Branch Manager Arnel Mayo.

Also part of the Tinapay Ti Uno program is a competition among the ARBOs where they develop an original recipe for two kinds of bread — bun and special bread – using their own locally produced crops as the main ingredients. The winning bread created by the ARBOs will be the official specialty bread product of the First District of Tarlac. It will be developed, labeled, packaged, and distributed to the market as well as to various feeding programs. 

Pilmico will award three Bakery Livelihood Packages, which will include bakery tools, equipment, and flour bags, to the major winners. The runners-up will also receive flour bags. 

“We recognize that in order to fulfill Pilmico’s mission of feeding humanity, we cannot accomplish it on our own. It would require a partnership between the private sector and the public sector for it to have a greater impact, and our partnership with the Department of Agrarian Reform enabled us to reach additional communities, bringing us one step closer to our goal of accomplishing this purpose,” said Pilmico Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist Pinky Christine Baroman.

Last October 2022, representatives from Pilmico developed and presented to Cong. Jaime Cojuangco (second from left) their specialty bread recipe using locally produced crops from ARBOs. 

Last October 2022, before the turnover of the bakery equipment, Pilmico developed and presented its specialty bread recipe to Cong. Cojuangco. Pilmico then distributed the sample pieces of bread to daycare students of Brgy. Matalapitap in Tarlac. In February, Pilmico Flour Resident Chef and TESDA-accredited trainer Carla Valencia facilitated training on packaging cost and the nutritional value of bun and bread at the DAR Tarlac office.