In Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, the Gil Montilla Agrarian Reform Cooperative (GMARC) is making strides in the production of natural soaps, utilizing rice and other plant-based ingredients to enhance their revenue stream, with support from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). Comprising 95 farmer members, the cooperative began its soap-making venture in 2022, primarily serving customers in southern Negros and various government entities.
GMARC has recently upgraded to a new production facility in Barangay Gil Montilla, where it owns a 7,540-square-meter plot that also houses a rice mill, solar dryer, warehouse, and a demonstration garden. Arnold Aluyen, the cooperative’s chairperson, emphasized their commitment to enhancing production quality and achieving Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certification, facilitated by the DAR’s Village Level Farm-Focused Enterprise Development (VLFED) program.
On October 31, the cooperative received a significant boost from DAR Negros Occidental 2 (South), which provided a soap processing center equipped with materials worth PHP500,000. This is part of a larger PHP1.1 million investment by DAR in the soap-making initiative, with the remaining PHP600,000 designated for training and seminars to enhance members’ product development skills.
GMARC has developed a range of natural handmade soaps, including varieties like rice milk and charcoal, rice milk and honey vera, coconut oil and sea salt, coffee and molasses, and noni and moringa. They have also ventured into producing oatmeal soap, artisan glycerin soap, natural liquid soap, and therapeutic oil.
Visitors to Sipalay City can purchase GMARC’s products at the Hiyas Sipalay City Pasalubong Shop, operated by the Association of Sipalay Producers. Situated in the Sipalay City Multi-Purpose Center, the shop is a feature of the ‘Lakbay Sipalay Creative Tours,’ a project supported by a 2024 grant from the Department of Trade and Industry’s Lunsod Lunsad program.