It all started with P1,181.50. From this measly amount, DCCCO has come a long way.
Sometimes, I could not believe that all the achievements that the cooperative has reaped came from one compassionate vision and that meager amount of P1,181.50. I could not believe that from an urgent need in the mid-60s to liberate a group of parents from the clutches of loan sharks who want to give their children a chance for a more dignified living condition, DCCCO has successfully expanded into becoming a community-based cooperative that it is today and has made a difference in the lives of thousands of individuals.
But the good things did not stop there. It has grown into becoming the 2013 Most Outstanding Cooperative in the Philippines (large category), one of the Top 10 Billionaire Cooperatives in 2014 (No. 8), one of the Most Outstanding Community Enterprises on Poverty Reduction in 2016, an Outstanding Cooperative (large category) in the entire Region 7 in 2017, with a membership of a hundred thousand people with total assets amounting to 4 billion.
Despite these accomplishments, DCCCO is not sitting on its laurels and I am saying this because a five-storey hotel with a rooftop swimming pool will be constructed beginning June 2018. Targeting 780 construction days, DCCCO will spend P178.6 million for this venture. It has a function room that could accommodate up to 100 people, 54 rooms of different types, street-level parking, an area for concessionaires, and other amenities. It will be located along Luke Wright St. but will sit on a through-lot next to the DCCCO multi-purpose cooperative main building. This undertaking is made possible through the collaboration of DCCCO and G Uymatiao Jr. Construction company. DCCCO hotel will not just serve its members and city visitors, it will be an asset to the city since it will be accommodating Dumaguete’s growing tourism industry.
Excellent timing
While DCCCO was not envisioned to become a hard-core business and was not conceptualized to rake in profits, it cannot be denied that it is an organization that needs to rise above its operational expenses and all types of financial outlays. It needs to implement ways wherein it can serve all its stakeholders’ interests, survive competition, and carry out additional benefits for all concerned. Thus, it needs to diversify.
Building this hotel is one proof that DCCCO management is forward-thinking. Despite its prudent ways and conservative policies, it is not afraid to take risks. I am using the word “risk” because getting into the accommodation business is a move away from its comfort zone.
But I know it will pay off. The key is to plan carefully. Management has done extensive market research. It has the right managers in place and has ensured that this new venture will be properly funded. I am confident that with the right people, this undertaking and this diversification move can serve to supercharge DCCCO’s growth.
I am also confident that inspired by its successes and guided by the principles of sound and judicious management, with this endeavor, DCCCO management and personnel will be more encouraged to continue providing their skills, their sense of professionalism and energy toward making DCCCO an institution that promotes the growth of its members’ assets in addition to providing increasingly high quality and accessible services for generations to come.
Dali na sa Balay sa DCCCO!
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Author’s email: [email protected]
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