Some 150 owners and operators of junkshops in various municipalities of Pampanga have organized themselves into a credit cooperative as they completed a one-day pre-membership educational seminar on cooperativism.
Provincial Cooperative and Entrepreneurial Development Officer (PCEDO) Mamerto Gatus said that the junkshop owners were oriented on the importance, principles, success factors, structures and other pertinent information on the organization and establishment of a registered provincial cooperative.
This developed only a week after the heads of junkshop owners associations in the municipal level went to PCEDO and asked its assistance in organizing themselves into a provincial credit cooperative, Winston Cruz, senior cooperative development specialist narrated.
Cruz, together with Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Provincial Manager Carol Miguel, provided the participants with the needed inputs on how to organize and maintain a successful cooperative in the seminar held at the Benigno Aquino Memorial Hall.
Cooperatives enjoy benefits and privileges such as securing low-interest rate loans from lending institutions and given priority in project contract bidding with their members receiving regular dividends from interest earned from paid-up capital and patronage refund.
Cooperative development is one of the priority thrusts of PCEDO as it continuously conducts capability building and empowerment activities for the members of the various organizations including maintaining and strengthening linkages with national government agencies and non-government organizations with cooperative programs.
PCEDO reports show that the province has more than 200 registered cooperatives comprised of 43,678 members with more than P1.7 billion pesos of total assets.
These cooperatives have P678 million pesos paid-up capital and P394 million member savings deposits.
Cruz said that one of the highlights of the seminar was the election of the group’s provincial officers who later took their oath of office before Governor Lilia G. Pineda at the provincial capitol.
Elected officers were: Jesus dela Cruz of the City of San Fernando, chairman; Ronald Domingo of Lubao, vice-chairman; Alan Ocampo of Sta. Rita, secretary; and Ma. Nenita Roman of Guagua, treasurer.
Elected members of the board of directors are: Alfredo Ayuyao of Magalang; Pacifico Torres, Sta. Ana; Manuel Paras,Angeles City; Leopoldo Villanueva, Apalit; Ernesto Cada, San Luis; Bienvenido Alfonso, Guagua; Arturo Bondoc, Mexico; Diego Montemayor, Floridablanca; RomeoGamboa, Arayat; Luciano Yabut, Candaba; Capt. De Jesus, Mabalacat; Rey Sadono, Porac; and Nancy Tagubansa, Sto. Tomas. (Erlinda T. Yutuc, Pampanga PIO)
