MEMBERS of the Ata-Paraiso Tularo Association (APATA) in Paquibato, Davao City received a new hauling truck to transport their cardava banana production.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) XI, through the Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo (4K) Program, and See’s International Food Manufacturing Corporation, turned over a hauling truck to APATA.
APATA chairman Oliver Manlangan said the truck will improve their revenues, as transportation challenges and limited hauling assistance affected the timely delivery of harvested produce.
“We will make sure to improve our delivery volume through this new hauling truck,” Manlangan said during the turnover on Sept. 15, 2026, at the DA XI compound in Bago Oshiro, Tugbok District, Davao City.
Cardava banana is one of the major agricultural commodities cultivated by the Ata tribe within its ancestral domain in Paquibato District, Davao City, recognizing its market potential.
Through further consultations facilitated by the DA-4K Program among APATA, the Indigenous Peoples’ Secretariat (IPS), See’s International, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Land Bank of the Philippines, and the Bureau of Plant Industry, the partners committed to providing APATA with a dedicated hauling vehicle.
APATA and See’s International signed a letter of agreement on July 10, 2026, strengthening their partnership in the production, consolidation, transport, and marketing of Cardava bananas while supporting sustainable livelihood opportunities for the Ata community.
“The new hauling truck is expected to improve APATA’s capacity to consolidate and transport its produce, address logistical constraints, minimize post-harvest delays, and enable the association to respond more efficiently to market demand,” the agency said.
APATA established a market linkage with See’s International after successfully completing its first delivery of bananas through the 4K Program. Manlangan said the partnership addressed their problem of finding buyers who could offer a sufficient and sustainable price for their bananas.
CEO Ruben L. See said the truck could strengthen the association’s capacity to supply the market consistently.
The partnership began with an Agri-Entrepreneurship Training and Workshop in June 2025, which brought together Indigenous Peoples Organizations (IPOs) and private sector partners for market matching and business linkages, where See’s International was among the participating private sector partners.
DA-4K Program facilitated further consultations that led to APATA’s first delivery to See’s processing facility on August 22, 2025. APATA has completed 13 delivery transactions, supplying approximately 49 metric tons of fresh Cardava bananas and generating P624,013 in gross income.
