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Tackling insurgency

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Albert Einstein once said, “An empty stomach is not a good political adviser.”

Oftentimes, when a man is distressed because he has nothing to eat or has nothing to send his children to school, he does things that he may regret later on but commits it anyway out of desperation. Just like what the Tagalog cliché states, “ang taong nagigipit, sa patalim kumakapit.”

Let me explain a bit why I cited the above sayings.

Last Nov. 29, DCCCO Multipurpose Cooperative, CEO Floredliz Bokingkito, PDO Fe Ortega, and Kirby Nuñez participated in the Walk for Peace, together with the Cooperative Development Authority, Cebu extension office headed by Regional Director Dr. Nora Patron, and the different local government units led by their respective Mayors and Vice-Mayors, government agencies, NGOs, people’s organizations, rebel returnees, and students from various schools in Dumaguete.

This activity was organized by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental.

Armed conflict
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.

Executive Order No. 70 institutionalizes the whole-of-nation approach in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace. It created a National Task Force to end local communist armed conflict, and directed the adoption of a National Peace Framework.

On the other hand, CDA-7, the lead agency for cooperative development, is a member of Regional Development Council Central Visayas Regional Task Force – End Local Communist Armed Conflict. As a member-agency of the Poverty Alleviation and Livelihood Cluster, headed by TESDA, CDA intends to discharge its mandated functions in the ELCAC project by working with DCCCO as its main partner through the Public-Private Partnership method.

Why DCCCO?
RD Nora Patron justified CDA’s choice by saying that they are looking for big cooperatives to partner with them. They opted for DCCCO for many reasons. One is its being a recipient of the 2019 CDA Gawad Parangal as First Placer, and being adjudged as Most Outstanding Primary Cooperative for Large Billionaire Cooperative in the Philippines. DCCCO has the potential of having the biggest Community Development Fund assistance with over 120,000 strong members.

It may be recalled that DCCCO also received, among others, the following relevant awards which prompted CDA to engage the services of DCCCO: Most Outstanding Community Enterprise for Poverty Alleviation Award (Villar SIPAG Award) in 2016;2nd Place, Most Outstanding Cooperative in the Philippines for large category (CDA Gawad Parangal 2012); Best in Community Involvement (CDA Gawad Parangal 2012); Special Citation for Excellence in Providing Financial Products and Services to Members (CDA Gawad Parangal 2018).

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. It is willing to bring its products and services to far-flung rebel-infested barangays in affected cities and municipalities of Negros Oriental in order to transform the lives of the rebel returnees, sympathizers, and those in the movement.

I believe that NPAs and rebel returnees have the same needs, after all, they’re human beings like us. They have long been denied equal access to financial resources for poverty reduction, technical assistance for food production, and marketing outlets for their farm products. Since middlemen buy their products at very, very low prices, they are always at the losing end.

Thus, DCCCO has committed itself to work with CDA for the ELCAC project in order to address these issues and empower rebel returnees, sympathizers, and certified NPAs so that they will have a chance to start a new life grounded on social justice.


Financial inclusion

Access to financial resources is important in every household of this marginalized segment of our society. Financial inclusion, which is a must to vulnerable groups in rebel-affected villages, carries the potential of improving their well being. This contributes to the country’s financial stability and economic development and is critical to achieving inclusive growth. Evidence indicates that access to basic financial services make a positive difference in people’s lives.

DCCCO is one with the nation in promoting a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the country’s prosperity and independence and liberate the people from poverty leading to the improvement of their quality of life.

Last Nov. 30, the DCCCO-CDA ELCAC Entry Planning was initially developed and agreed upon by CDA RD Nora Patron, the DCCCO Board of Directors (myself, Atty. Vivian Maquiling, Atty. Lowell Andaya, Atty. Felix Araula, Jun Euraoba, Mary Magdalene Villegas, Marina Mendoza), CEO Flordeliz Bokingkito, Branch Managers Mildredo Umbac (Dumaguete), Gaspar Arbas Jr. (Sibulan), Teodomero Almaida (Bais), Andrian Flores (Guihulngan), Felix Pino (Bayawan), Marie Pasco (Siquijor), Kerwin Catubig (Kabankalan), Anakim Balbon (San Carlos), and Liberato Engcoy (Carcar), with Board Sec. Epifania Sonjaco.

Challenging task

The task is huge but DCCCO takes courage and consolation by what the scriptures says: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9).

Providing opportunities to those who have less in life is one way of showing Godliness. DCCCO is not just equipped to perform this function, it is also ready to enable every family man to put food on the table so that he may not think of rising up in arms and fight against the government and place his entire family at risk.

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Author’s email: [email protected]

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