Trunk to Gold Agribusiness – a women social enterprise and innovator
Established in May 2017, Trunk to Gold Agribusiness (T2G Agri) emerged from a collective vision to create something meaningful for the coconut farmer communities in San Isidro, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental.
Gemma Dela Vega – Emata, Managing Director, spearheads the Marketing, Distribution & Logistics of the enterprise. She shares, “Gusto namo makahimo ug something sa community, part of it is purpose sa among life, to become significant in our work in the community since we are mostly in the cooperative sector, more on community based among work.” [We wanted to contribute something to the community. It is part of our purpose in life, to create something significant since we came mostly from the cooperative sector, focusing on community-based endeavors.] Gemma founded T2G upon this mission with fellow development workers.
The name “Trunk to Gold” signifies the social enterprise’s mission to make out of the ordinary something valuable for its community. “Trunk” represents that of the coconut tree, while “gold” symbolizes the value Gemma and her co-founders see in them, especially in an industry they deemed abundant, yet so underutilized, in Misamis Oriental.
“Wala nato na-maximize ang coconut industry especially here in Misamis Oriental, specifically diri sa San Isidro, Jasaan, daghan kaayo ta ug lubi pero the product produced is only tuba and kopra. We want to make it value addition to the coconut products kay ang coconut sugar, isa man sa mga taas ug demand sa atoang market although diri sa Pilipinas, dili pa kaayo taas ang market share but we all know na sa global market, taas jud kaayo,” says Gemma.
[We weren’t able to maximize the coconut industry, especially here in Misamis Oriental, specifically in San Isidro, Jasaan. There are many coconuts, but the products produced are only tuba (coconut wine) and copra. We want to add value by producing coconut sugar and coco savor. Coconut sugar is highly demanded in the market. Although it’s not yet very high in demand here in the Philippines, we know that it’s highly sought after in the global market.]
Coco Rush
T2G’s main product is coconut sugar under the brand “Coco Rush,” available in various packaging options catering to different consumer needs.
The meticulous process of coco sugar production at T2G ensures quality and efficiency. The process begins in the community with their partner coconut tappers harvesting and gathering coconut sap every four to five hours from 5am to 6pm. After this, they pre-cook it for about half an hour to prevent fermentation. They follow a weekly schedule for delivering the raw product to T2G’s processing facility. Upon arrival at the production site, the coconut sap undergoes testing to ensure the quality of the raw materials. Subsequently, it is cooked for about 20 minutes, then cooled, dried, and sifted to separate the granules from the fine particles. The product then goes through a quality assurance process, packed into pouches, and then brought to their distribution center in Cagayan de Oro City, where the products are then delivered to institutional buyers and individual consumers.
T2G complies with the municipality’s environmental regulations, adhering to standards to prevent wastewater pollution. Their cooking-based process ensures compliance with environmental aspects. Their partner coconut tappers are also involved especially in training sessions. Regular training on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is conducted for both the production team and partner coconut tappers to maintain quality and food safety. The enterprise guarantees high-quality produce, particularly since it deals with food products.
With Gemma’s expertise, coupled with collaborations with institutions like the Department of Science and Technology’s Industrial Technology DevelopmentInstitute (DOST-ITDI), T2G has also created “Coco Savor,” a seasoning sauce derived from the coconut sap as by-product of coconut.
Gemma emphasizes the health benefits and unique selling points of their products, “The difference in coco sugar lies not just in its low glycemic index but also in the healthy advantages it offers. Coco Savor, on the other hand, is low in sodium, gluten-free, and allergen-free, positioning it as a healthy alternative to traditional seasonings.” T2G boasts of their products being all natural.
Despite the challenge in cornering a share in the sweetener, spices and seasoning markets, T2G’s products are poised for national and global distribution.
The Dream for a New Life for Coconut Farmers in Misamis Oriental
Central to T2G’s operations are their partner coconut farmer families, including 25 to 30 coconut tappers from different barangays in the municipalities ofBalingasag, Claveria, and Jasaan.
In copra production, farmers’ earnings are on a quarterly basis. However, in coco sap gathering and coco sugar production, they earn on a weekly basis. The economic situation differs significantly when the income is stable, and the economic activity remains steady. The earnings from coco sap gathering are much higher than copra too. For example, a coconut farmer earns 10,000 pesos weekly and about 40,000 pesos in a month from coco sap; with copra, they can’t maximize the productivity and yield of the coconut trees as much.
One of the suppliers of coconut sap to T2G is Tatay Henry Yecyec, from Barangay Linabo, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.
“Sa pirmiro, naay kalisod [At the beginning, it was difficult],” recalls Tatay Henry “pero karong naa na ang coop, medyo na arang-arang ang dagan sa akong mga tappers kay hayahay na ang sweldo kay kada semana naman. Arang-arang najud karon kay naa nay naka suporta sa akong mga tappers,” he added. [But now that there’s a cooperative, the conditions for the tappers are better because their wages are more stable, as they are being paid weekly. The lives of the tappers are more stable now because they have support.]
It was through a friend’s recommendation that he found his way to T2G, where he now delivers five containers of coconut sap every Wednesday, each container worth 1,750 pesos. As a partner farmer of T2G, Tatay Henry was also invited to become a member of Pag-Ugmad sa Kaugmaon Agriculture Cooperative (PAGSAKA), T2G’s partner cooperative.
Despite having a vast expanse of coconut trees on his land, Tatay Henry remains humble. “Ang akong yuta, dili sa pang hinambog, daghan man hinoon akong kalubihan, pero isa ra ka tao akong tapper [I have a lot of coconut trees on my land, not to boast, but I only have one tapper],” he shares. Yet, the productivity is astounding, with 24 gallons of coconut sap extracted within 24 hours.
“Mag-prangka lang ko ug storya, kana siya na panginabuhi, ako rana siyang sideline [To tell you honestly, supplying coconut sap is not my main livelihood],” Tatay Henry clarifies. “Para sa akong mga managgiti kay gusto ko makatabang sa akong isig katao [I do this to support my fellow coconut farmers because I want to help them.] His dedication to help other farmers in the community embodies the spirit of cooperation and collective progress.
Jimrex Cinco, a coconut tapper at T2G and also a member of PAGSAKA, echoes similar sentiments about the transformative impact of the enterprise. “Sauna, saconstruction akong trabaho. Lisod kayo kay layo ko sa akong pamilya, ang akong income igo ra. Makakaon man japon pero lahi rajud sa karon na coconut tapper ko,” Jimrex reflects. [I used to work in construction. It was hard because I was far from my family. My income from construction was just enough for our daily needs, we could eat back then, but it’s very different now that I’m a coconut tapper.]
“Sa isa ka adlaw, ka-upat mi musaka sa lubi. Kada saka ug inig naog, ipa-bukal ang tuba hangtod ma syrup. Pagkahuman, gikan sa kawa, amo nang ibalhin sa container para ma-deliver.” [In a day, we climb the coconut tree four times. After collecting the coconut sap, we boil it in a wok until it becomes syrup. Then, we transfer it to containers for delivery.]
“Ang construction, 300 pesos akong inadlawan sa pagka karon dinhi, ang akong semana mudagan biya ug 4000 to 5000 pesos.” [In construction, the daily wage is 300 pesos. Here at T2G, my weekly income ranges from 4,000 to 5,000 pesos.]
Jimrex share his aspirations for his family and community. “Ang akong pangandoy, akong gusto, akong mga bata, makalampos. Akong gi ampo sa Ginoo na unta ang kaning coop namo diri mutaas pa kay para sa akong bata, akong pangandoy maka human akong mga bata. Nag ampo pud ko na mulambo pud ni among coop para daghan tappers pa ang maka dugang kay karon, wala sila pay insakto na buyer.” [My dream is for my children to finish their studies. That’s all I want. I pray to the Lord that our coop here will prosper so I can fulfill my dream of sending my children to school and so that the coop can help more coconut tappers because right now, some coconut tappers don’t have buyers yet.”]
“We promised to pay in a weekly basis kasi ‘yun ang pinaka-minimum requirement nila, to survive,” Gemma emphasizes. [We promised all the farmers that we would pay them on a weekly basis because that’s their minimum requirement to survive.]
Access to working capital, however, remains to be an ongoing challenge for T2G. “It’s about the working capital needed to expand and accommodate more suppliers because there are many coconut tappers who want to supply us, and there are still many coconut farmers we need to help. However, we are limitedbecause we lack the capital and financial resources,” says Gemma. Partnerships with support organizations have been instrumental in addressing these challenges.
“Malaki ang impact ng FSSI sa amin kasi that time, we are looking for a partner who can address our needs like the working capital. Mahirap kasi sa amin to survive sa operations kasi ‘yung mga partners nating coconut tappers, we’re paying them weekly basis. Our sales comes after a month so nahirapan kami on the working capital. Doon na side, FSSI came. The other engagement with FSSI is the training, capacity building support [FSSI has had a significant impact on us because at that time, we were seeking a partner who could address our needs, such as working capital. It’s been tough for us to sustain operations because we pay our coconut tapper partners on a weekly basis while our sales come in after a month, causing difficulties with working capital. That’s where FSSI stepped in. Another aspect of our engagement with FSSI is the training and capacity-building support they provide.]
T2G’s impact also extends beyond monetary gains; it involves partnering with the farmers, helping them find opportunities such as connecting them with government agencies offering scholarship programs for their children or those that can provide access to agricultural inputs and planting materials.
“Our priority is the community,” asserts Gemma. Majority of the workers at T2G are women because in their community, there are many mothers and women without jobs. With a community-based enterprise, it’s easy for them to go home and still be able to attend to their families and check on their children. Currently, they have 10 personnel in production and about 10 to 12 on-call staff when additional personnel are needed. They also have six officers.
Malayo pa, pero malayo na
“Looking back, seven years ago, malaki na ang difference ng facility namin when we started from a very humble beginning compared ngayon na nag-mechanizena kami. Malayo pa, pero malayo na din ang narating namin,” she says. [Looking back seven years ago, there’s a significant development in our facility from our very humble beginnings to now that we have mechanized. We still have a long way to go, but we’ve also come a long way.] Meaningful partnerships, innovative strategies, and community-centric initiatives remain at the core of their journey.
“Three to five years from now, we see our enterprise growing and maybe in a global market. For research
and development, our coco savor is nasa commercial stage na, may ibang facility na para sa processing,
‘yun ang dream namin, to make coco savor viable and available in the market, not just for the class A and B but also sa lahat ng mga mag-choose to be healthy and organic, para mabigyan ng chance ‘yung product natin sa pangkalahatan na consumers. Isang dream pa namin is to secure an organic certification in preparation for the global market and to become more competitive in the coconut sugar industry,” she says.
[We envision our growth in the next three to five years, possibly expanding our reach into the global market. That’s our goal. Regarding research and development, our coconut savor is already in the commercial stage, and we have additional facilities for processing. That’s our dream—to make coco savor viable and available in the market, not just for class A and B consumers but for everyone who chooses to live healthy. We aim to give our product a chance to reach the general consumers. Another dream of ours is to obtain organic certification in preparation for the global market, making us more competitive in the coconut sugar industry.]
“’Yung naka-survive kami na, nandito pa kami as coconut sugar producer sa Misamis Oriental. Kasi ang coco sugar, hindi ito basic need so mahirap ito i-promote, iilan lang ang gustong bumili. Ang tao kasi mas prefer nila ang cheap kaysa healthy. Mahirap din mag-survive ang enterprise kung walang working capital. Second, our facility. Proud ako na at seven years in the industry, we have a mechanized facility. Sa sector ng coconut, kami ang maganda ‘yung facility. Third, nakakapag-print na kami ng pouches. Ang pinaka– importante din, we are a compliant with the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). Dati, nasa dream lang namin ang mga ito. Soon, nakapag-produce kami ng isang product na galing ng San Isidro, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental na very promising and very healthy, produced by our partner coconut farmers.
[I’m most proud of our resilience as a coconut sugar producer in Misamis Oriental. Coconut sugar isn’t a necessity, so it’s quite challenging to market, only a few people would want to buy. People often prefer cheaper, over healthier alternatives. It’s also difficult for an enterprise to survive without working capital. Secondly, our facility. After seven years, we have a mechanized facility, and I’m proud that in the coconut industry sector, our facility stands out. Thirdly, we can now print pouches. What’s most important is that we are compliant with FDA. These used to be just dreams for us. We are now able to produce a product from San Isidro, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental, which is very promising and healthy, produced by our dedicated coconut farmers.]
Gemma highlights the support needed to advance their initiatives forward. “FSSI can further help us by assisting in marketing our products and providing working capital, extend its support in increasing exposure of our products in larger markets, offering capacity building programs, and engaging us in projects and partnerships that can strengthen our support for coconut farmers on the ground, because they are the reason we’re doing this. This is for them. They are the center of the enterprise, and we want to change their story,” she says.
