Despite the positive prospects of economic development in our country, in the Province and in this City, we are continuously confronted with the twin issues of poverty and income inequality.
Income inequality comes in two dimensions: within classes (poor become poorer, rich become richer), and the inequality among regions (poor regions left behind by the fast-paced development of the richer, more urbanized regions).
Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga had said that the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 acknowledged the role of cooperatives in attaining inclusive growth where the gains the said growth are shared by all Filipinos. He said cooperatives help in mobilizing local savings for development in the informal financial sector.
Credit, multi-purpose (like DCCCO) and rural banking cooperatives form a sizable number in the cooperative sector, and lead in the provision of alternative financial products and services to their members.
In our financial system in the Philippines, cooperatives account for billions of pesos in total deposits.
Basically, they symbolize our struggle against the tyranny of extensive debt bondage and usury in the absence of effective financial institutions.
In 2009, there were 4.7 million members consisting mostly of small depositors, small farmers, fisher folks, market vendors and the micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs).
They operate on the idea of self-help, mutual responsibility, and solidarity on various platforms wherein people have to learn to solve their own problems.
In that year alone, there were 21,000 operational cooperatives engaged in various economic and social activities.
As a cooperative, DCCCO has fully shown its commitment to empower not just its members but also the communities where it conducts its operations.
Its success and efficiency have been manifested in several facets of its continued operations. Its membership rose from 65,528 in 2014 to 75,805 in 2015.
Achieving an increase of members of this magnitude only proves one thing — the organization has delivered its promise of alleviating the plight of people and continues to empower its members leading to the betterment of their lives.
Its Undivided Net Surplus has also increased from P106.95 million in 2014 to P117,757,528.57 million in 2015.
Its Overall Assets also increased from P2.4 billion in 2014 to P2.7 billion in 2015.
This goes to show how the cooperative has properly managed its daily operations, and how prudently and how judiciously its managers have supervised its assets.
As part of its commitment to society, it developed the Magtuhao, Tayasan farm. With an area of 1,795 square meters, the organic agriculture demonstration farm has become a showcase on natural farming technology, and practices to help support the demand of health-conscious consumers and advocates.
This program is DCCCO’s active participation in the government’s promotion of organic farming in the province of Negros Oriental.
DCCCO’s property of 3,631 square meters in Magtuhao, Tayasan has also been developed into a rain-forest with the planting of 1,240 endemic tree seedlings such as yakal, bunga, lawaan, kupang, and casai.
In 2015, the Department of Social Welfare & Development tapped DCCCO as partner to implement the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, specifically for social development, to break the inter-generational poverty cycle, eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, and to promote gender equality.
At yearend, DCCCO’s partnership with DSWD had benefited 32,975 people of from the municipalities of Dauin, Siaton, Sta. Catalina, Sibulan, Amlan, and San Jose, and the cities of Bayawan, Bais, Guihulngan, and Canlaon.
As DCCCO aspires to be a world-class cooperative, driven by excellence and caring service, and as a catalyst for enriching the quality of life of Filipinos, it continues to soar to greater heights.
More than that, DCCCO continues to effectively sail toward an active and responsive service, renewing and reaffirming its commitment to care for the have-less, and guiding DCCCO members and their communities to achieve socio-spiritual transformation and authentic freedom; its pledge to move steadily forward towards its Golden Jubilee celebration and beyond, and most importantly, to rally everybody to Go for Gold, Go for Glory, Go for God.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
