Ilocos Norte officials are pushing for the expanded use of a P33.4-million cold storage facility in Sarrat, aiming to help more farmers reduce post-harvest losses and extend the shelf life of their produce.
The cold storage facility, funded by the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), was turned over to the San Joaquin Multi-Purpose Cooperative on July 29, 2024.
It can store up to 100 metric tons of tomatoes and is the first operational facility of its kind in the Ilocos Region under the PRDP.
Vice Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc emphasized on Thursday, October 9, that the facility remains underutilized and should not serve only tomato growers. He called on the managing cooperative to open the storage space to all interested farmer groups. He noted that only one group had rented the facility so far, leaving its full capacity untapped.
In response, the provincial government tasked the Office of the Provincial Agriculture and the Provincial Board’s Committee on Non-Government Organizations to oversee the facility’s operations.
This move aligns with the ongoing accreditation process of the San Joaquin Multi-Purpose Cooperative as a non-government organization, under Provincial Resolution 2025-10-056.
Meanwhile, officer-in-charge engineer Ma. Teresa Bacnat said a group of onion growers from Pasuquin plans to use the facility in the next harvest season.
She explained that the facility is currently idle because farmers are still preparing for planting.
By opening the cold storage to a wider range of users, the provincial government hopes to maximize the facility’s impact and strengthen support for the local agricultural sector.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a personal blog on Medium.