Leading Through Partnership

How Gena Colango Strengthened a Cooperative and Its Farmers

Story | 2026-03-29 | Rapid NPCO Admin (NPCO)

Gena Colango

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This National Women’s Month, we highlight the story of Ms. Gena Colango, whose leadership is helping strengthen partnerships and livelihoods in Davao de Oro.

As the manager of the Nuestra Señora de Regla Multipurpose Cooperative (NSDR-MPC), Ms. Colango plays a vital role in guiding a cooperative that has grown steadily since its founding in 2001—from a small consumer store with ₱20,000 capital into a multi-service enterprise supporting its members and local farmers.

Among its key ventures is the buy-and-sell of Cardava bananas, which provides farmers with a stable market for their produce. In 2021, this initiative was strengthened through a Commercial Partnership Agreement (CPA) with Southern Harvest Incorporated (SHI), a banana chips processor and exporter.

However, like many enterprises, the cooperative faced challenges.

Fluctuating buying prices, operational inefficiencies, and financial losses, particularly in banana trading, threatened the sustainability of the business.

Instead of stepping back, Ms. Colango moved forward.

Through hands-on leadership, she immersed herself in the cooperative’s operations, from product consolidation to actual deliveries, allowing her to identify gaps and understand the challenges faced by both workers and farmers. Together with the cooperative’s officers, she led the development of strategies to improve operations and stabilize the enterprise.

Recognizing the importance of open communication and strong partnerships, Ms. Colango sought the support of the DTI RAPID Growth Project to facilitate dialogue with their market partner, SHI.

This engagement proved helpful and facilitative.

Through collaborative discussions, both parties addressed key concerns and agreed on improved terms. SHI introduced more favorable pricing arrangements and support mechanisms to help the cooperative minimize losses and operate more sustainably. These adjustments created a more favorable pricing structure for the cooperative.

With support from the project, NSDR-MPC and SHI renewed their CPA by strengthening their partnership with clearer terms, improved trust, and shared accountability.

Today, the cooperative operates with greater stability and confidence. Farmers benefit from a more reliable market, while SHI secures a steady supply of high-quality Cardava bananas for processing and export.

For Ms. Colango, this progress reflects the power of leadership grounded in listening, collaboration, and action.

This National Women’s Month, her story highlights how women leaders are not only managing enterprises, but are also shaping partnerships, amplifying voices, and building more resilient value chains. Through initiatives like the DTI RAPID Growth Project, women like Ms. Colango are helping ensure that growth is shared, inclusive, and sustainable for their communities.