A COOPERATIVE ESTABLISHED ON NEED
One day, a group of rural development workers decided to form a
cooperative in a low-income municipality.
The only purpose was to have a PAUTANGAN during the “hora de peligro” a day or two before payday. Pambili ng bigas, ulam o gatas ni beybi. 20 joined. They all paid membership fees and started building their membership shares. 20 pesos, 50 pesos. After a few months of “capital build-up”, the first loan was approved and released. No feasibility study, no systems and procedures in place. The credit policies and procedures were torn from their training materials.Capital was rolled on. The unregistered self-organized,
self-initiated’ informal “credit union” went to business. It became
the PAUTANGAN NG BAYAN. Members got their dividends and patronage refund. Three years later, they had 1,000 members. They expanded to the other municipalities. Even the mayors became members.
INSIGHT: The people who joined were looking for a particular benefit, value, vision, etc — but never was this question asked: KIKITA BA ‘YAN? — which they found in this informal credit facility. The members were property- less so they could not go to the rural bank. They used the 5/6, and knew they suffered financially more because of their “kapit-patalim” situation. They had no other choice. But they “invested” their meager savings in THEIR OWN PAUTANGAN because it fulfilled a need, and their “investment” eventually provided some returns.
I was a part of that story.
And there are many more in FilCo-op who have a story to tell.
-from a Co-op Practitioner
The One Filipino Co-operative of BC, the first ever Filipino Co-operative Organization in BC was launched on October 31, 2009. The Co-op’s objective is to enhance the lives of the members, our kababayans, and support one another through cooperative effort or bayanihan. It is founded on the principles of self-help, responsibility, equality, democratic governance, focus on services to members, equitable distribution of benefits and earnings, and commitment for community growth and development.
FilCo-op’s Programs and Services includes Pahiraman ng Bayan Micro Lending Service, FilCo-op Iremit Padalahan ng Bayan Money Remittance Service, Pauwi ng Bayan Fly Now Pay Later, Damayang Pinoy Program, Job Posting and Networking Services, Business Partnership and Referral Services and Social Development Program.
Para sa mga nais sumali at maging isa sa may-ari ng One FilCo-op, please call/ text: 604-780-2061 or email filcoopbc@yahoo.ca . You can visit the website www.filcoopbc.com .
Matutulungan ka na, Makakatulong ka pa.
Kayang-Kaya Kung Sama-Sama!”