Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization
CLSU Compound, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

NEWS STORIES

Leyte NGO launches soya milk feeding project
by Vladimir B. Caliguiran (February 19, 2016)
A non-governmental organization based in Leyte launches recently a soya milk feeding project to help reduce the incidence of malnutrition among children in the area.

The Agricultural Rural Alternative Development Options, Incorporated (ARADO) inaugurates its Soya Building along with other projects such as Swine Breeding Station last January 27 in Alang-Alang, Leyte.

A 73 year-old Benedictine nun Sr. Eloisa L. David, heads the ARADO. According to her, she wanted to help reduce the incidence of malnutrition by nourishing kids with soymilk and manna--"a mixture of milled rice, soybean textured vegetable protein and ginger.

Sr. Eloisa, who is a doctor and at the same time an agriculturist, initiated the planting of soybeans in the towns of Alang-Alang, Palo and Pastrana in Leyte. The mentioned areas will be the sources of soybeans for processing.

The NGO is a partner of DA-PHilMech for the pilot testing project on integrated soybean production-processing systems. The project is evaluating the technical and financial viability as well as social acceptability of two levels of integrated production --processing systems, namely: household level and a community- based processing center. For the household level, the production and processing machines include the pedal-type thresher and manually operated screw type grinder. The community-based production-processing systems include multi-tilling machine, multi-grain thresher, cleaner/sorter, moisture meter and some processing equipment.

Members of the organization also attended seminars and trainings on soybean farming and processing conducted by PHilMech.

Recently, ARADO purchased a complete soybean processing facilities worth P430, 000.
The inauguration ceremony was graced by Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominic Petilla, Alnag-alang Mayor Loreto Yu, PHilMech Director Rex L. Bingabing, and foreign and local donors.
with reports from Cecile Antolin