OpinionsEye OpenerDCCCO transforms lives

DCCCO transforms lives

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“Transformation is not a future event. It’s a present-day activity.”

The love for the young and the disadvantaged as well as the fervor to provide Christian service to everyone, propelled the late Mother Marcella Foret O’Carm, the late Dumaguete Bishop Most Rev. Epifanio Surban, and the late Gov. Mariano Perdices to create an organization that could resolve the socio-economic crisis experienced by many families in the 1960s. From their selfless passion, the Dumaguete Cathedral Credit Union-DCCU (now DCCCO Multipurpose Cooperative) was born in 1968. That was 52 years ago.

But more than economics, DCCCO was also created to transform lives.

In the late 1960s, parents who desired Christian education for their children have become victims of loan sharks who lent money to parents at very high interest (“5-6”). The delayed or unpaid tuition fees affected the teachers’ salaries and the school’s efficiency, and made it difficult for DCC to pursue its Christian education mission.

The founders felt the need to liberate the parents from the control of these loan sharks and the clutches of poverty. They thought of initiating the idea of mutual help and cooperation, ideas which served as the driving force of cooperativism. From that concept, DCCU was organized with just P1,180.50 capital and 49 charter members.

Aside from the founders, these 49 members have driven DCCCO to greater heights and success, including the three surviving incorporators who are now in their fruitful sunset years: Carmen Gloria, 92; Patria Fortich, 89; and Dr. Sylvia Flores, 83.

DCCU transformed the school, the lives of the parents, teachers, and the community in general.

The transformative power of DCCCO continues until today and I know that such spirit will continue to do so in the years to come. With nine branches and six satellite offices, DCCCO now has 6 billion in assets with 120,000 strong members whose lives have all been transformed by DCCCO in one way or another.

Life-changing
DCCCO has been tapped by the Cooperative Development Authority through its Cebu office to help solve the insurgency problem in Negros Oriental through cooperativism. Indeed, DCCCO’s core values — Dynamism, Christ-Centeredness, Compassion, Commitment, Oneness — are being challenged by President Duterte’s EO No. 70 to implement the End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

As instrument of equity, social justice and economic development, DCCCO accepted the challenge of implementing the ELCAC program with CDA, TESDA, and other government agencies. Thru this initiative, the cooperative’s products and services will be brought to far-flung rebel-infested barangays in affected cities and municipalities of Negros Oriental in order to transform the lives of the rebel returnees and sympathizers.

On Dec. 17, 2019, a memorandum of agreement on the implementation of ELCAC was signed between DCCCO represented by myself as chairperson, and the Cooperative Development Authority represented by CDA-7 Regional Director Nora Patron.

Fish Right
A memorandum of agreement to promote the Fish Right program through cooperativism was inked on Oct. 17, 2019 at the Negros Oriental Provincial Agriculturist’s Office. Among the signatories were the Negros Oriental Electric Cooperative II represented by Atty. Ma. Fe Dicen-Tagle, the Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources represented by Florencia Mepana, and DCCCO Multipurpose Cooperative represented by myself.

The parties have agreed to join forces in achieving the objectives for sustainable fishing, community development, and gender empowerment of the USAID Fish Right Program through stakeholder collaboration, specifically through a program that will facilitate fisherfolk membership in DCCCO and NORECO II.

The MOA seeks to establish a means by which fisherfolk in Southern Negros (cities of Dumaguete and Bayawan and the municipalities of Bacong, Dauin, Zamboanguita, Siaton, Sta. Catalina, and Basay) may become members of DCCCO, and engage in alternative livelihood programs that will realign revenue-generating activities from unsustainable fishing methods and towards those that are more economically-rewarding and ecologically-balanced.

NORECO II shall allocate and reserve funds for the enrollment fee of each applicant to DCCCO for 500 fisherfolk households per year for three years or a total of 1,500 fishing households. Only those who have satisfied the requirements shall be qualified for NORECO II’s subsidy for enrollment.

With this collaboration, activities will be undertaken to increase the number of fisherfolk becoming members of the cooperative, at the same time improving their spiritual, social, and financial capacities.

Lab coop
Laboratory cooperatives are being organized by DCCCO in all its branches to serve as training grounds for lab coop members and prepare them for membership in regular cooperatives.

The lap coop will likewise teach the values of thrift and saving mobilization while instilling cooperative values, principles, financial discipline, business skills and leadership skills among the youth. The initiative aims to promote Filipino social and cultural values, financial education, ecological awareness and sustainable development.

DCCCO believes that much can still be done to make young people appreciate the cooperative system and sustain their interest as they transition from youth members to regular members. These goals can be achieved if they are oriented about the cooperative set up through the Laboratory Cooperative system.

The DCCCO Youth Zone Laboratory Cooperative was organized during the Youth Assembly of the Lab Coops in Nov. 3, 2019. Participants of the assembly came from the different DCCCO branches.

It is our belief that after the current generation, the young will follow. The young should make sure they rise up to the occasion when their leadership is summoned. That when the chance presents itself, they succumb to it, challenging themselves and acting on what is right and what will set things right, and instigating positive change.

Taking care of community

Guided by its mission to promote Christian values and improve the quality of life of its members and the community, DCCCO strengthens and sustains its linkages with the church, government agencies, educational institutions, and civil society organizations and foster its Social Performance Management plans and advocacies. These are:

Education (scholarship grants for qualified seminarians who would like to become priests, and children of members for their college education;

Supplemental feeding and Adopt-a School programs;

Partnership MOA with COSCA for its community extension program)

Financial Inclusion (implementation of the People’s Economic Support program for unbanked sectors like pot-pot and MCH drivers, barbers, vendors, and other marginalized individuals, groups and organizations),

Financial Literacy program (partnership with the different schools for the Aflatoun Savings program benefitting 8,170 students who have deposited the total amount of P5.4 million, and with DSWD for family development trainings for 5,115 Pantawid or 4Ps beneficiaries that resulted to P30.2 million savings deposits from them),

Peace and Order (support to LGU’s traffic management offices through donation of traffic signs and uniforms for traffic enforcers),

Health (conducting regular medical mission and providing financial assistance, especially for those with serious illnesses),

Ecology (development of a Rainforest in Magtuhao, Tayasan; conduct of tree growing, mangrove/coral planting, and coastal clean-up in various castal barangays; partnership MOA with the Energy Development Corp. for its 10M trees project implementation)

Members’ benefits
Programs on members’ benefits are also being provided and enjoyed by members, such as: dental, medical assistance, damayan, burial assistance, and HeAL (Health, Accident, Life) in partnership with CLIMBS.

Living examples
I can name a few economically-challenged members whose lives have been touched and improved by DCCCO. They contributed small amounts to the coop to free them from poverty: Tomasita Rolon, member since 2005, owner of Taludz Lechon; Alvin Ray Tugaoen, member since 2011, owner of an internet café; Maria Catalbas, member since early 70s, proud mother of six professionals because of DCCCO; Ma. Visitacion Bance, member since 2013, successful entrepreneur; Robert Solijon, licensed massage therapist; and Lorraine Verances, licensed massage therapist.

Success is measured not only by multi-billion figures that DCCCO has achieved, but on the quality of projects, products and services provided to its members and the community, the growing number of members becoming members in good standing, and the high percentage of members whose lives and families were transformed economically and spiritually.

Partners/affiliations
Created in 2009, the Global Women’s Leadership Network was designed to convene credit union women on the grassroots level to discuss credit union issues, exchange ideas, network with neighboring credit union leaders, and share lessons learned with Network members worldwide. Its grand launching took place Aug. 24, 2019.

Supporting the “10 million trees in 10 years’ for a Greener Negros movement,” DCCCO collaborated with the Energy Development Corp. and SIMAMAFIA Inc. for its Tree Planting/Growing initiatives. This was conducted in Oct 26, 2019.

Last March 25, 2019, DCCCO partnered with the Colegio de Sta. Catalina de Alejandria in its Social Education Capability-Building Program with the sole purpose of conducting community development programs.

DCCCO funded the programs and shelled out P200,000. DCCCO had another donation in the amount P1 million for COSCA’s construction of classrooms and the provision of students’ needs. The amount was released last June 28, 2019.

On June 6 last year, a MOA with CLIMBS Life and General Insurance Cooperative was inked aiming to provide better service to DCCCO members insurance products.

All these achievements were of course not possible without God’s help and without DCCCO management’s conviction that to live enriched lives, people need to be transformed.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20)

If we make sure that Christ is within us, we will surely be transformed.

_________________________________

Author’s email: [email protected]

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