Profile
The inspiring journey of Tagum Agricultural Development Company, Incorporated or TADECO, began
in December 20, 1950 when its founder, Don AOF (Antonio O. Floirendo, Sr.), turned his vision into
a reality in the vast, swampy land of Southeastern Mindanao. True enough, after more than 60 years
of responsibly tilling and caring for the land, the kind nature does pay back; the thousands
of hectares of what was marshy land is now an enormous 6,628-hectare contiguous banana plantation,
unfalteringly bringing premium and export-grade Cavendish Bananas to the dining table of our
customers all over the globe. It has an average yield of almost 5,000 boxes/ha/year which produces
no less than 30,000,000 boxes/year. Its wide-range of operations ushered the establishment of the
affiliate companies to provide necessary services for the farm; making TADECO as the flagship
company of the ANFLO Group of Companies.
What defines and shaped TADECO today is its beginnings, the test of times, its milestones
and successes; and, most especially the “BE THE BEST” culture of its people who are inspired by the
legacy of our formidable founder, guided by the epitome of our learned leaders; and, workers who
are our engaged strategic partners toward our common goal. As the challenges continue to blow, from
market issues, killer industry disease (i.e. Fusarium Wilt), climate change; we get bolder and
stronger because we are steadfast in holding on to our motto: Total Quality is our Way of Life.
Hence, we take pride to say that we are able to create a breakthrough, a cutting-edge from among
the players in the industry; that is, overtime, our yearly production remarkably increased from 20M
boxes to 30M boxes given the same area or number of hectares. This is the aftermath of the acquired
and championed synergy and joined efforts of all the workers harmonized and made sustainable by the
following:
• Strict compliance and committed implementation of the local and international standards
and principles (including but not limited to: GLOBALG.A.P. Certification, ISO Alignment, PhilGAP
Certification); and, mandate of the statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Adherence to our Quality Management System and policies to ensure the welfare and
protection of the workers and the environment and its inhabitants (including but not limited to:
Quality Policy, Environmental Policy, OSH Policy, CSR Policy, Child Labor-Free Policy);
• Meeting customer requirements and staying competitive in the global market through our
innovation and ingenuity applied on our very own sets of good farm integrated systems called the
TADECO Banana Farm (TBF) Practices (including also: precision agriculture, digitized or
computerized information, state of the art facilities in Research and Development activities);
• Strategic partnering across all levels in the organization through constant open
communication, feedback and involvement in decision making processes (including but not limited to:
TADECO Labor-Management Cooperation or the so called Bananeros’ Family Circle, Bi-annual State of
the Farm Address or SOFA)
• Advocates on providing rewards and intervention to ensure motivation, continuous learning,
productivity and quality (including but not limited to: Productivity Incentive Program &
Quality Incentive Program (Incentive Bonus), Special Performance Awards, Quarterly Operations’
Refresher Course Trainings, Bananero Challenge, Packing Station Cleanliness and Sanitation Program,
Zero-work Related Accident Program)
Our vision, “To be the leading banana producer in Asia and thereby be a vehicle for the
sustained upliftment of quality of life in Mindanao”. And, we envision of further fulfilling this
dream for the generations to come. Hence, we will make use of our greatest tool in our long years
of experience and existence; and, that is our LEARNINGS. We learned that there are better ways to
do things (thru GGAP, PhilGAP, ISO, TBF Practices, and the like), that there are endless
possibilities, that we can make breakthroughs happen by wise use of our resources (record-breaking
33.3 million production in 2011 even with the constant land area). Thus, TADECO never ceases to
search for continual improvements to contribute to the physical and economic growth of
Mindanao.
Achievements
TADECO commits to taking extra care in handling its produce to maintain optimum quality and
highest standards of food safety. On the other hand, it takes the responsibility of extending
various services to the community; congruent to its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policy of
sharing our blessings with the community, “The communities where we operate support our operations
and are our principal advocates. We will SHARE our BLESSINGS with them through our Corporate Social
Responsibility activities and by being good corporate citizens.” And true to our Environmental
Policy that says, “We are committed to integrate environmental protection measures in our daily
operations…” All of these we bring to life in the name of our brand of service, TADECO Cares, thru
our SAGIP (which means Save) Programs namely:
• Sagip Kabuhayan (Help Save Livelihood). TADECO empowers non-working spouses and its
dependents, through skills and capability trainings and seminars, enabling them to earn extra
income for their family. Thus, the birth of the renowned TADECO Livelihood and Training Center or
TLTC commissioned to develop income-generating projects (artistic native products out of the banana
by-products and other indigenous materials like abaca & pineapple fiber and coco beads) for
family members of TADECO employees. TLTC has established its pedestal in the international market
with its unique and creative export quality products. To date, it has 137 in-house people helping
at least 10 barangays with its job-outs and supporting the T’boli Tribe in Lake Sebu, South
Cotabato as its sole supplier of T’nalak (weaved abaca). TADECO funded (monetary, trainings,
logistics and other needed support) the creation of the Brgy. A.O. Floirendo’s Rural Improvement
Club (RIC), which was hailed 2012 Gawad Saka First Runner-up nationwide. We strengthen and empower
women whose expertise are focused on pre-market delivery operations (e.g. selecting, packing,
weighing and etc.) employing them in the meticulous operations which require female abilities and
expertise. They compose 60% of the total manpower in the packing stations. The company strongly
supports protection of women as it advocates Magna Carta for Women and provide them with the
necessary maternity provisions.
• Sagip Kalusugan (Help Save Health). The company values health and wellness of its
employees and their families. It creates programs that advocate healthy lifestyle thereby promote a
work life balance. As part of it, we have a holistic wellness approach that starts from kids to
oldies thru our Vaccination Program and different forms of exercises that employees and dependents
may participate in like TAEBO, Yoga, boxing and even our Weight Loss Program which is open not just
to those who are under the program but also to those who wanted to maintain healthy lifestyle. The
company converted its 1.7-hectare banana farm into a Multi-purpose Sports Complex supporting the
TADECO Sports Development Program (TSDP) for employees and dependents along with various sport
facilities and recreation center available in all areas. TSDP continues to produce disciplined
national champions and sports scholars from our in-house elementary and high schools. Other
achievements that we want to maintain in this aspect are: Zero-malnourished rate for young children
in Brgy. AOF (Region XI Awardee) significantly contributing to the reduction of malnourished
children in Panabo City by 20% (2012 City Health Office of Panabo City data); this has also paved
way to the National recognition of Brgy. AOF Barangay Nutrition Scholar with zero-malnourished
kids. Our commitment to lessen malnutrition cases in the city prompted us to initiate our own
6-month Feeding Program. Our support (funds, manpower, logistics, blood donors) to the Mobile Blood
Donation Program of the Brgy. A.O. Floirendo made them a consistent National Sandugo Hall of Famer
Awardee and Best LGU for the medium category by producing an average of 1,200 blood donors yearly.
Health care needs of the employees, dependents and those from neighboring communities, as well as
the free medical services for the indigents are catered and offered by our Secondary Hospital with
2-ambulance units. First to respond to the Department of Health’s (DOH) call, we have the
Breastfeeding and Advocacy Room; the first from among the Philippine Banana Plantations as
recognized by WHO.
• Sagip Kaalaman (Help Save Education). In partnership with the AOF Foundation, TADECO
already donated several school buildings, provides school supplies and sponsors/advocates other
education-related programs. It grants full college education scholarships to qualified dependents
with almost 100 scholars today and provides them employment opportunities after graduation. It
implements Career Guidance Program (on Agriculture-related courses) for High School graduating
students and Summer Job Program during school vacation. We motivate the out-of-school youths to
finish their studies through our support to the Alternative Learning System (ALS) and currently
working with our partnership with Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the
vocational courses to be offered to those who have finished the ALS.
• Sagip Kultura (Help Save Culture). The company envisioned to preserve unique spiritual and
traditional Filipino values. One is our faith in the sanctity of marriage. To uphold it, we sponsor
every June 100% free Kasalan ng Bayan (mass wedding). Our efforts of goodwill are of course
available from within, to our employees, and; are primarily in place inside the company premises.
Having close family ties, we have free housing and amenities with 1,662 families living in and
enjoying it. House of worships all over TADECO are in place to practice faith. Also, free
transportation is provided for the employees and dependents to and from TADECO.
• Sagip Kalamidad (Help Save Calamity-Stricken Victims). Different calamities had struck our
country one after the other, yet the Filipino value of “Bayanihan” (unity) prevailed. TADECO Cares
went on its way to provide fast and timely relief assistance (72-hour response time) to the
calamity-stricken victims of the recent disasters (Typhoon Bopha & Haiyan and Bohol
earthquake).
• Sagip Kalikasan (Help Save the Environment). As an integral part of biodiversity, TADECO
commits to protecting and securing our common future, our environment and its inhabitants. Our call
focuses on the preservation of Air, Water, Land and other forms of life. As part of it, we have
planted and grown around 10,000 trees and we continue to count thousands more under our
reforestation projects dubbed as Tree Growing Program. We are also into Coastal Clean-up Drive;
gathering an average of 750 kilos of wastes every conduct. We also maintain diversified crops,
wetlands and reservoirs to preserve habitats of other species like wild duck, birds and other
inhabitants thereby balancing the ecosystem while preserving the rivers around the plantation. More
so, we use Vermiculture or Vermicomposting as a natural way of growing our vegetables and other
crops. We also employ water-recycling facility in our packing stations which saves, more or less,
700 cu m per day or more than 200,000 cu m per year per packing station. Making the most of our
water resources, TADECO uses Soil Moisture Balance Method. In SMB, TADECO, considers 25% Management
Allowable Depletion (MAD) against the Readily Available Moisture (RAM). Irrigation commences as the
RAM reaches 75% or, when RAM is reached also with rainfall, irrigation is terminated. This also
reduces power cost thus lessens consumption of water as our main power source.
• Our 64 years of harmonious relationship with the workforce, having the oldest Union (TLU
or TADECO Laborers’ Union) in Davao del Norte, per Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
record, has made us National Champion in the Search for the Labor-Management Cooperation for
Industrial Peace in 2013 and finalist in 2011 with Special Citation on Social Responsibility which
qualifies us to the DOLE Secretary Seal of Excellence.
• Our outlined Sagip Programs has made TADECO an awardee to the Employers’ Confederation of
the Philippines (ECOP) as Outstanding Achievement on Social Accountability 2011 & 2013 and
Outstanding Achievement on Strategic Visioning for Business and Job Survival in 2011
• We advocate Child Labor-Free Establishment, Drug-Free Workplace and Smoke-Free
Establishment.
Our greatest achievements are both the natural and material blessings that we continually
enjoy that are transparent in the loyalty of our employees and dependents, smiles and gratitude of
the people from the nearby communities to distant regions, and, high regard from our customers
throughout the world.
