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AWCF and its six member-organizations have started hosting eight young professionals, five women and three men, for the second round of the Project “Capacity-Building for Gender and Co-operatives in Asia” as part of the South-South Exchange Programme of Fredskorpset (FK) Norway.

The recruitment process of selecting and matching the AWCF-FK participants was organized by AWCF between July to August 2009 in coordination with the home and host organizations: the Center of Agricultural Extension Volunteers (CAEV), the Credit Union League of Thailand (CULT), the Credit Union Promotion Club (CUPC), the Forum for Indonesian Cooperatives Movement (FORMASI-Indonesia), the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), and the Socio-Economic Development Organization of Cambodia (SEDOC).

After the formal contract signing of Participant Agreements in September 2009 and preparations for the posting abroad including turn-over of work responsibilities at their respective home organizations, the AWCF-FK participants attended and successfully completed the “13th Fredskorpset Preparatory Course in Asia” held 5-26 October 2009 at the SD Avenue Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

The second batch of AWCF-FK participants who are undergoing the exchange posting since the last week of October 2009 and will return to their home organizations in August 2010 are:

Ms Maria Theresa Mariano-Saliendra, more fondly known as Tess, is a project assistant of AWCF and is now doing her exchange with CAEV as a co-operative trainer/facilitator.  She has a bachelor’s degree in Management and has experience working with the marginalized sectors through community organizing in rural areas particularly with farming communities. Tess is expected to contribute to the project objectives of helping the CAEV staff improve their knowledge and skills on the English language, information technology (IT), and facilitation and social mobilization. Her main tasks are a continuation of the primary work done by Ms Francisca Pilayan in CAEV during the first round of the project, which are designing and organizing basic and advance English courses, and moderating and facilitating courses. She is likewise going to organize English writing courses, help in the preparation and production of project reports, and assist in IT-related activities such as website management.

Ms Evelyn dela Cruz has been working for more than ten years as administrative assistant/technical assistant in AWCF and is at present assigned in CUPC as systems specialist. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration major in Management Accounting and is an information communication technology (ICT) specialist having been trained under the “Information Technology for Southeast Asian Co-operatives (it@coops) Project 2004-2007”. Evelyn is expected to contribute to the project objectives of helping CUPC in establishing an integrated IT and accounting system by providing training on IT applications in financial systems, loan portfolio, and gender disaggregated data to CUPC staff and leaders. She will likewise continue the preliminary work done by Mr. Dennis Locanas during the first round of the exchange, which is the maintenance of the MYOB accounting system and check writer program. Her tasks also include the installation of an IT system that would allow CUPC to manage and monitor data such as loan applications and loan repayments, and to assist in the setting-up of ICT-related business development services.

Ms Maribel Gulay is employed as a training officer for the Training and Consultancy Group of NATCCO and is currently posted as a communication specialist in CULT. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration major in Marketing and Management and is an active training facilitator/resource person for the Credit Union Competency Courses for board directors and chief executive officers. Maribel is expected to contribute to the project objectives of improving the English skills of staff in CULT and in primary credit unions, and in developing CULT as an information center on Thai credit unions for its Thailand-based and international partners. Her main tasks are the development and conduct of laddered basic and advance English module courses, learn about gender mainstreaming, and the editing of profiles of the primary credit unions who had participated in the English Presentation Skills Enhancement Workshop, which is a continuation of the initial work on English language teaching done by Mr. Russell Tabisula during the first round of the exchange in CULT.

Mr. Pinit Thong-on, who also uses the nickname Gas, is a deputy branch manager of the CULT Phetchaburi Branch Office whose current exchange placement is in NATCCO as a finance officer. He has a bachelor’s degree in Economics major in Co-operatives and recently completed his Law degree studies. Pinit is expected to contribute to the project objectives of helping CULT expand its current financial services. His main tasks are to learn about NATCCO’s central fund system, financial services management, and gender mainstreaming programs of the federation. His exchange posting will add to the learning of Ms Natchamon Thali on NATCCO’s automated teller machine (ATM) and Western Union money transfer services from the first round of the project.

Mr. Vu Dang Quy is a technical staff and project officer of CAEV and is now doing his exchange as a communication assistant with NATCCO. He has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering major in animal genetics and breeding, and has been trained in marketing, agricultural extension, and animal husbandry in CAEV. Quy is expected to contribute to the project objectives of improving the facilitation and social mobilization skills of CAEV staff based on a participatory approach, including strengthening and developing capacity to moderate and to facilitate specific programs of poverty alleviation and rural human resource development. His main tasks are to learn about various IT applications, gender equality, and enterprise development, as well as to develop facilitation skills using IT applications.

Mr. Sok Kimsay has been working as an assistant administrator and field staff in SEDOC and is at present assigned as human resource development staff in AWCF. He has a bachelor’s degree in management and has completed several levels of English language training in Cambodia. Kimsay is expected to contribute to the project objectives of strengthening SEDOC’s organizational management capacity as an NGO/social development organization and that of organizing and strengthening a co-operative federation. His main tasks are learning about the management structure and operations of AWCF and NATCCO, and about mainstreaming gender in co-operatives in addition to the collection of training modules and manuals related to gender and organizational and human development. His exchange will complement the learning of Mr. Say Rada on NATCCO’s micro-finance program methodologies and approaches from the first round of the project.

Ms Yem Saveth is an account assistant in SEDOC whose current exchange placement is in CULT as a credit union promotion officer. She has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and has had training in accounting. Saveth is expected to contribute to the project objectives of professionalizing credit unions in Cambodia through improved credit union management, strengthen financial management, and use of an appropriate accounting system. Her main tasks are learning about credit unions’ promotion, set-up and operations, accounting cycle, and financial management and financial database. Her exchange posting will supplement the learning of Ms Lem Rachana on CULT’s credit union programs and accounting systems from the first round of the project.

Ms Eva Moenisa was employed at the Administration Project of PT Habbamas Consultant and Trading in Indonesia prior to joining FORMASI for the AWCF-FK Exchange Project. She is currently posted as co-operative development officer in CUPC. She has a bachelor’s degree in animal agriculture major in food technology of animal products and has had English language training in Indonesia. Eva is expected to contribute to the project objectives to develop FORMASI’s capacity on facilitation, information dissemination, and co-operative/credit union management. Her main tasks are to learn the role of CUPC in co-operative/credit union development in Malaysia and that of the gender equality programs of CUPC.

Included in the main activities of the AWCF-FK participants during the posting period are the following: learning about the host organizations’ management, structure, and operations; learning about the co-operative/credit union movement of the host country; basic and conversational language lessons of the lingua franca of the country; and the preparation and submission of monthly progress reports.

According to Ms Angelita Valdez, AWCF-FK project coordinator, the eight AWCF-FK participants have been deployed to their respective departments within the host organizations and are productively doing their assigned tasks. 

AWCF has completed the Project “Development of Gender Equality (GE) in Co-operatives in the Philippines” funded by the Swedish Cooperative Centre (SCC) with the conduct of a trainers training and a seminar for co-operatives in Northern Luzon.

Aside from increasing the number of gender trainers in the primary co-operatives, the “Training of Trainers on GE in Co-operatives” held last November 15-19, 2009 at the Bayfront Hotel, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Olongapo City, equipped the 16 participants (eight females and eight males) with proper knowledge and skills needed to effectively plan and implement gender education and training in their respective organizations.

Ms Julienne Marie Dalangey, training officer at the Northern Luzon Federation of Cooperatives and Development Center (NORLU CEDEC) based in Baguio City, facilitated the sessions on basic training concepts, training methodologies and approaches, and training course design. Ms Bonnie Bernström, SCC consultant, led the sharing and deepening of gender concepts and Sweden’s gender equality experiences. In addition, AWCF’s Ms Salome Ganibe with Ms Angelita Valdez, executive director and program coordinator respectively, facilitated the workshops on preparing the GE Training Modules and Plan for 2010 and the demonstration by the participants of modules on GE Training.

In addition, more than 50 participants composed of board directors, committee officers, and co-op managers (around 80% women and 20% men) representing 30 co-op organizations including representatives from the Ilocos Sur local government unit and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) provincial office attended the “Public Awareness Conference on GE in Co-ops”. The seminar, hosted by the Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives (NSCC), was held November 20, 2009 at the NSCC Cooperative and Microfinance Training Center, Caoayan, Ilocos Sur.

The program was focused on the sharing of gender equality experiences in Sweden by Ms Bernström and those by the three Project pilot co-ops, namely Sta. Cruz Savings and Development Co-op (SACDECO), Sto. Domingo Development Co-op (SDDC), and Tubao Credit Co-op (TCC). Through the activity, AWCF was able to generate more interest and possible future collaboration on gender equality activities among the participants from the primary co-ops.

AWCF in cooperation with MISEREOR, Germany has started the project “Poverty Reduction and Empowerment of Women through Enterprise Development in CVL Countries” last 15 September in Khvav commune, Samrong district, Takev province, Cambodia. Ms Salome Ganibe and Ms Angelita Valdez, executive director and program coordinator of AWCF respectively, led the training on “Gender and Co-operative Development Orientation” for the Khvav Commune Financial Community until 19 September in coordination with the Socio-Economic Development Organization of Cambodia (SEDOC). There are 28 participants (15 females, 13 males) composed of the financial community group leaders, the village chief, and the commune chief.

The Khvav Commune Financial Community was organized in April 2005 with support from SEDOC and the Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU). There are currently 798 members, and that SEDOC’s Executive Director Mr. Sil Vineth together with commune leader Mr. Yun Yong have been doing member mobilization activities to increase the membership to 1,000 by the end of the year 2009. The group’s name would be changed by next year to Khvav Commune Credit Union as proposed by ACCU.

In addition, the Credit Union Foundation Australia (CUFA) has been providing technical support since 2008 to the financial community and has expressed to give financial assistance towards the construction of a building to serve as the office of the credit union. This undertaking is fully supported by the Khvav commune authority, Mr. Khiev Bot. The Khvav commune has 18 villages with a total population of 15,266 people.

Philippine co-operative managers and leaders, driven by their desire to strengthen the co-op’s social responsibilities through mutual benefit and welfare services, recently participated in the second overseas study visit organized by AWCF on 10-14 August in coordination with the Credit Union League of Thailand (CULT), AWCF’s member-organization in Thailand.

There were 12 participants, four females and eight males, from the Abra Diocesan Teachers Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (ADTEMPCO), Benguet State University Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BSU-MPC), Sta. Cruz Development Cooperative (SACDECO), Sto. Domingo Development Cooperative (SDDC), and the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO). The study visit program involved credit union field visits and learning about the general services and mutual benefit assistance (MBA), more commonly known as welfare programs of CULT, Klong Chan Credit Union, and Union Life Insurance, which are in Bangkok, and the St. Peter Credit Union, located in Nakhon Pathom province.

At CULT, the discussion revolved around its four welfare products, which are loan protection, life savings, bonding, and cremation. On one hand, the presentation at Klong Chan’s revolved around its products on share capital, four types of savings account (regular and special savings) four loan products (regular, special, emergency, and housing), welfare services, and insurance services. For U Life, the talk covered its services on life and non-life insurance for individuals, all types of co-ops, and the general public. On the other hand, the sharing at St. Peter covered its five strategic plans, with the fifth one focused on the 11 types of welfare services given to its members.

SACDECO vice president Mr. Alexander Raquepo and SDCC general manager Mr. George Tadena both pointed out that the participants were all amazed that the primary credit unions are able to provide free welfare services to its members. They added that upon their return to their respective co-ops, they will review their own benefit packages and find ways to improve the service. Msgr. Nilo Peig of ADTEMPO summarized their learning by pointing out that “co-ops should give more emphasis on savings not loans, emphasize on delivering various services to members, and the importance of a good management system for the success of the co-op”.

The study visit participants were also treated to sightseeing activities in the Ayutthaya Historical City, a boat cruise along the Chao Phraya River, a visit to the Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung Shrine, and an elephant show at the Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo. The three AWCF exchange participants posted in CULT under the Fredskorpset (FK Norway) project served as part of the secretariat and joined in the learning activities of the study visit.

For the months of March to June 2009, the AWCF-FK Exchange Program participants can be described as relaxed and eager to work. Having passed their period of adjustment, they are now focused on achieving their respective project tasks.

Major achievements of the group for this period include acquisition of visas allowing them to stay with their host country until the third week of October, the last week for the in-country immersion phase of the Exchange Program. They have also started enhancing and/or finalizing the different manuals they developed that will serve as compilation of their learning and/or instructions. As General Assemblies (GA) are usually held within this period, they also had the chance to compare and learn how other national organizations organize their annual meetings. For monitoring purposes, regular meetings between the FK Program Managers and the Exchange Program participants were held to help the latter implement their work plan.

Let’s take a quick look on the other activities they’ve accomplished for this period:

 

Mr. Russell Tabisula

Communications Specialists

Credit Union League of Thailand, Ltd. (CULT)
THAILAND

 

 

 

 

 

Ms Annalyn Salvaleon

Mutual Aid Benefit Officer

Credit Union League of Thailand, Ltd. (CULT)
THAILAND

 

 

 

 

Ms Lim Rachana

Credit Union Promotion Officer

Credit Union League of Thailand, Ltd. (CULT) THAILAND

 

 

 

 

Ms Natchamon Thali
Financial Officer, NATCCO
Asian Women on Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) /
National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) PHILIPPINES

 

 

 

Mr. Say Rada
Micro Finance Officer
Asian Women on Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) /
National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO)
PHILIPPINES

 

 

 

Ms Francisca Pilayan
Co-op Trainer/Facilitator
Center of Agricultural Extension Volunteers (CAEV)
VIETNAM

 

 

 

Mr. Dennis Locanas
Systems Officer
Koperasi Kredit Pekerja-Pekerja (KKP)-
Credit Union Promotion Club (CUPC)
MALAYSIA

 

As part of enhancing AWCF’s enterprise development program, AWCF met with CARD BDSFI (CARD Business Development Service Foundation Inc.) last June 25, 2009 for an exchange of knowledge and experience in setting up business development service/center benefiting women. The meeting enabled AWCF to learn and appreciate how CARD MRI (Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions) evolved from being a microfinance institution (MFI) to a network of institutions empowering rural women while being assured of its sustainability. The meeting also paved the way for AWCF to share its experience on micro enterprise development in Asia involving co-ops and credit unions.

AWCF was represented in this meeting by the AWCF Secretariat headed by Ms Salome Ganibe, Executive Director while CARD BDSFI was represented by its CEO, Mr. Aristeo Dequito and its Operations Manager for CARD Business Development Services, Mr. Julius Adrian Alip.

CARD BDSFI is the fifth institution under the CARD MRI group, a microfinance institution (MFI) known as the largest microfinance bank in the Philippines with the biggest number of clients. CARD BDSFI provides customized business service to at least 800,000 CARD clients from Laguna, Quezon province, Masbate, Oriental Mindoro and Marinduque.   

As a result of the “Strategic Planning Workshop for Gender Equality in Co-operatives” held June 2-4, 2009 at Bay Front Hotel, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines, AWCF Consultant Ms Brenda Batistiana, led AWCF in developing a GE tool for the rapid assessment of gender equality (GE) in co-operatives. Pre-testing of the GE tool will be from June to July 2009 to selected NATCCO network affiliates.

Ms Batistiana is part of a technical working group (TWG) composed of selected Strategic Planning Workshop participants namely Mr. Alexander Raquepo, Vice Chairperson of Sta. Cruz Savings and Development Cooperative (SACDECO); Ms Sylvia Paraguya, Chief Executive Officer of MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center (MASS-SPECC); and Ms Emelina Santos, Manager of Member Relations and Networking Group (MRNG) of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO).

An AWCF team conducted gender equality (GE) monitoring in two of its GE pilot co-ops last June 15-22, 2009. Headed by Ms Angelita Valdez, AWCF Program Coordinator, co-ops visited were Sta. Cruz Savings and Development Cooperative (SACDECO) and Sto. Domingo Development Cooperative (SDDC) both located in Ilocos Sur. These visits were aimed to monitor the co-op’s level of implementing their GE plan of activities and to help them assess the GE impact through meetings and conversations with selected co-op members and officers.

In April 18, 2009, Ms Valdez also conducted a similar monitoring activity when she visited Tubao Credit Cooperative (TCC) located in La Union. TCC is the third GE pilot co-op for the AWCF-SCC Project “Development of Gender Equality in Co-operatives in the Philippines”.

With the increasing request for sharing the results of the Project “Development of Gender Equality in Co-operatives in the Philippines,” AWCF held a “Strategic Planning Workshop for Gender Equality in Co-operatives” to formulate a tactical plan that will share the results of the Project to other regions in the Philippines particularly in Visayas and Mindanao. The workshop held June 2-4, 2009 at Bay Front Hotel, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines was attended by the Board of Directors (BODs), committee officers, managers and key staff of six co-operatives representing the NATCCO network, AWCF’s member-organization in the Philippines. The event gathered 19 participants and secretariat (74 percent women).

The workshop resulted to the development of six GE strategic plans to be implemented from 2009-2012 by each of the participating co-ops. They also came up with their GE integrated organizational vision and mission statements to be presented to their respective Board of Directors (BODs) for approval and implementation.

Other outputs resulting from the workshop include: a) identification of a common strategic GE plan, and b) development of a GE matrix containing a list of GE indicators to be used in developing a GE tool for the rapid assessment of GE in co-ops. The participants ended the workshop by affirming their commitment to share their new learning to their respective co-ops and to continue advocating GE not only within their co-ops but also within their co-op’s sphere of influence.

The workshop was attended by four primary co-ops, Sta. Cruz Savings and Development Cooperative (SACDECO), Sto. Domingo Development Cooperative (SDDC), Tubao Credit Cooperative (TCC) and Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LMPC); a secondary co-operative, MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center (MASS-SPECC); and a national level co-op, the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO); and was facilitated by Ms Brenda Batistiana, AWCF Consultant, with assistance from AWCF Executive Director Ms Salome Ganibe and AWCF Program Coordinator Ms Angelita Valdez.

The green light is on for the second round of the Asia South-South Exchange Program as FK Norway (Fredskorpset) and the AWCF network finished the “Asia South-South Exchange Program Partners’ Planning Workshop” held May 26-28, 2009 at The Heritage Hotel, Manila. The 3-day meeting allowed the project stakeholders to do the preparatory work for the 10-month exchange program that includes review of the matching of partner proposals/HRD (human resource development) needs of each organization, budgeting, finalization and signing of the Partnership Agreement.

The meeting was attended by 16 decision makers representing AWCF, FK, CAEV (Center of Agricultural Extension Volunteers), CULT (Credit Union League of Thailand, Ltd.), CUPC (Credit Union Promotion Club), FORMASI Indonesia (Forum for Indonesian Co-operative Movement), NATCCO (National Confederation of Cooperatives), and SEDOC (Socio-Economic Development Organization of Cambodia).

This exchange program is designed to propel solidarity and cooperation between and amongst the AWCF network and to enhance the network’s capacity in the delivery of services to its members. This is a five-year human resource development project that started in 2008 with funding support from FK Norway.

As part of enhancing the staff's awareness on gender issues affecting them and their co-operative, the Abra Diocesan Teachers and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (ADTEMPCO) held their first Gender Sensitivity Training (GST) last April 9-10, 2009. Held within the co-op's premises, in attendance were 23 co-op staff and officers (43 percent women) headed by Fr. Edmund Barut Jr., ADTEMPCO's Chairperson, and Ms Irene Bringas, ADTEMPCO's Manager.

Topics such as sex and gender differentiation, gender roles, gender issues and its effects on co-ops, and visioning for a gender responsive co-op were discussed. Resource persons include Ms Salome Ganibe, AWCF Executive Director; Ms Angelita Valdez, AWCF Program Coordinator; and Mr. Alexander Raquepo, Gender Advocate and Vice-Chairperson of Sta. Cruz Savings and Development Cooperative (SACDECO). They were also joined by, Ms Natchamon Thali of Credit Union League of Thailand, Ltd. (CULT) and Mr. Say Rada of Socio-Economic Development Organization of Cambodia (SEDOC) who are currently assigned at NATCCO as part of the 10-month exchange program between AWCF and FK Norway.

Despite May being a busy month for AWCF, the Secretariat was able squeeze in three activities to intensify its networking and linkaging work in the Asian region. Last May 12, 2009, AWCF representatives headed by Ms Angelita Valdez, AWCF Program Coordinator, met Mr. Balthas Seibold, Senior Project Manager of Capacity Building International, Germany (InWEnt) to refine the planned activities for “it@coops Reunion” scheduled on October 2009. The reunion will not only involve decision makers from the three national umbrella organizations but will also re-convene the main project actors—the IT Specialist from Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines—as they represent their primary co-ops/credit unions/organizations.

Simultaneous with this meeting is the Training Workshop on “Economic Empowerment of Rural Women in Asia through Green Co-op Entrepreneurship” attended by Ms Salome Ganibe, AWCF Executive Director, as one of the resource persons. Held May 10-13, 2009 in Seoul, Korea, the training workshop allowed Ms Ganibe to share her expertise on gender equality, transformative leadership and co-op development to help the participants identify support services intended for women. The activity also paved the way for AWCF to establish new ties with the Seoul Foundation of Women and Family (SFWF), a Korea-based organization focused on creating policies, establishing networks, and implementing practical programs that will increase the happiness of Korean women and children. The workshop was supported by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Ms Ganibe then proceeded to Lao PDR to meet selected officers and staff of the Foundation for Integrated Agricultural and Environmental Management (FIAM). A meeting on May 20-21 was held to explore partnership on enterprise development for selected groups of women supported by FIAM. The meeting produced positive results as FIAM, through its Consultant, Mr. Saner Hoonghual, agreed to take part in AWCF’s project with MISEREOR, Germany to be implemented between 2009 and 2010. Another meeting for the other stakeholders of this Project namely the Center of Agricultural Extension Volunteers (CAEV), Vietnam and the Socio-Economic Development Organization of Cambodia (SEDOC), Cambodia took place at the AWCF office on May 29, 2009.

AWCF rejoices with Ms Norma Pereyras, AWCF’s Vice President for Internal Affairs, as she receives the first batch of “Unsung Women Heroes Awards” given by the Soroptimist International of the Philippines Region (A Foundation), Inc. in remarkable ceremonies held last April 16, 2009 at the Abelardo Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City.

Ms Pereyras shares the Awards with 11 other women from different fields of service representing the grassroots and the marginalized sectors of society. The Awards given to non-Soroptimist International of the Philippines Region (SIPR) members were in recognition of women who, with great fervor and little fanfare, have made it their life’s work to uplift the well-being of other women and girls in their communities. The Awards honor women who, despite scarcity of resources and challenging conditions, engage in laudable projects that improve the lives of women and girls whilst inspiring and empowering other women.

According to Ms Pereyras, the award is a fitting celebration of her 31st year of doing volunteer work especially that this is her first international award. She cited her work as a Rotarian, as a Girl Scout and as a cooperator especially at Tagum Cooperative as the key contributions that has endeared her to the organizers of the Awards. She affects the lives of women and girl co-op members by being a trainer, gender advocate, leader and a model in numerous capacities such as Vice President of Tagum Cooperative (one of the successful and multi-awarded primary co-operative in Davao del Norte), a Board of Director (BOD) representing the Women Sector of the National Confederation of Cooperatives or NATCCO (one of the strongest financial co-operative network in the Philippines), and as AWCF’s Vice President for Internal Affairs and as 1^st Vice President of ACCU (Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions) which are organizations working at the international/regional level.

Supporting Ms Pereyras during the awarding ceremony were Ms Salome Ganibe, AWCF Executive Director; Ms Angelita Angeles Valdez, AWCF Program Coordinator; Ms Aster Peňaranda, Finance and Administration Coordinator; and Ms Inga-Lill Hammer, Swedish Cooperative Centre’s Project Manager who was in the Philippines at that time for a project-meeting with AWCF.

Swedish Cooperative Centre (SCC) has a newly assigned Project Manager for the AWCF-SCC Project “Development of Gender Equality in Co-operatives in the Philippines” n the person of Ms Inga-Lill Hammer, SCC Project Manager. She met the AWCF Secretariat headed by its Executive Director, Ms Salome Ganibe from April 15-17, 2009 for a “Gender Equality Project Planning Workshop” held at the NATCCO Main Office at Project 4, Quezon City.

The meeting enabled the Secretariat to personally update Ms Hammer on the results of the 2008 activities that has mainly benefited the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) and three of its pilot primary co-ops based in Luzon. In preparation for the upcoming years, they reviewed and discussed the project objectives and planned activities for 2009 while project application and continuity for 2010-2012 was also talked about. The meeting was topped by the signing of Contract and Memorandum of Understanding for the year 2009.

In celebration of Women’s Month, AWCF joined the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) in a seminar promoting gender equality (GE) at the workplace. The seminar entitled “Promoting a Gender-Fair Workplace” was held on March 25, 2009 in CoopNet Center and Hostel, Quezon City, Philippines and was attended by 12 co-operatives.  The seminar made it possible for the participants to see the advantages of integrating gender perspectives in their human resource (HR) policies. In her presentation, “Gender Equality in Co-operatives,” Ms Salome Ganibe, AWCF Executive Director, encouraged the participants to promote gender equality in their respective co-operatives by mainstreaming gender fairness in co-op policies, systems, and structure hence encouraging an effective advancement of the co-op staff. According to Ms Ganibe, gender equality—or the equal treatment of women and men—will benefit co-ops as this result to increased productivity, creation of a positive co-op environment, and creation of powerful and progressive results within the co-op. To confirm the positive impact brought by practicing GE in the workplace, especially within the co-op setting, four speakers shared the activities and strategies they did as they enhanced their existing HR policies with gender perspectives. The co-op experiences were shared by Mr. George Tadena, General Manager of Sto. Domingo Development Cooperative (SDDC); Mr. Alexander Raquepo, Chairperson of Sta. Cruz Savings and Development Cooperative (SACDECO); Ms Emelina Santos, Head of NATCCO’s Member Relations and Networking Group; and Ms Angelita Valdez, AWCF Program Coordinator, presenting the GE experience of Tubao Credit Cooperative (TCC). The seminar ended with the topic “Promoting Gender Fairness in the Workplace: Experiences of other Organizations” presented also by Ms Santos. As she shared the GE practices already being practices by some well-known business organizations, she challenged the participating co-ops to replicate of adapt these practices in their own organizations. She stressed the fact that although investing in people will require use of the co-ops’ resources; in the end, the co-op will gain more as taking care of the co-op staff—the primary link between the co-op members and the officers—will mean improved delivery of co-op programs and services.   

Time really passes by so fast as five months has already passed when AWCF signed a contract with Fredskorpset-Norway (FK) for the South-South (Asia) Exchange Program entitled “Capacity-Building for Gender and Co-operatives in Asia.” Hence, a 2-day Midterm Review Meeting was held on March 17-18, 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and was attended by nine participants headed by Mr. Sacha Jotisalikom, FK Representative Asia, and Ms Salome Ganibe, AWCF Executive Director. The meeting focused on updates and assessment of the seven exchange program participants deployed in four AWCF member-organizations namely Center of Agricultural Extension Volunteers (CAEV), Vietnam; Credit Union League of Thailand, Ltd. (CULT), Thailand; Credit Union Promotion Club (CUPC), Malaysia; and National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), Philippines.  The meeting enabled Mr. Dennis Locanas, AWCF/NATCCO who is currently assigned at CUPC, to give a short presentation and sharing on his learning and experiences for the past months. Glimpses of the activities of the seven participants were also presented through audio-visual and PowerPoint presentations. On top of these, the meeting enabled the host and sending organizations to share their insights and evaluation on the benefits, issues, and challenges they faced as part of implementing the exchange program. Everyone returned home feeling contented on the result of the midterm meeting while looking forward to the second round of the exchange program.

The 2008 “Transformative Individuals and Organizations Asian Cooperative Award” or Asian TrIO Award will be given this March 2009 to a co-op leader and a cooperative, both from the Philippines. The TrIO awardee for the individual category is Ms Evelia R. Sator, member of the Board of Directors of Tagum Cooperative (TC), Tagum City, Davao del Norte. Organizational category awardee is the Center for Community Transformation Credit Cooperative (CCTCC), Manila. The Asian TrIO Award, now on its third year, honors co-op leaders and co-ops who strive to make a difference and a transformation in Asian co-ops, for the present and future generations. The award is handed out by annually by AWCF.

The Asian region hosts a large number of the world’s co-op organizations. Women are half, or even more than half, of the total membership of these co-ops. Co-ops have been motors for business start ups and employment creation among people who have pooled together their meager resources in order to help one another through co-ops.

Nominees for the Asian TrIO Award come from AWCF’s member-organizations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. These members are among the largest national networks of co-ops in their countries. The Award seeks to confirm that the practice of transformative leadership (TL) by individual women and men co-op leaders and co-op organizations brings about positive change in the co-op membership, and in the communities and societies to which the leaders and co-ops belong. Like the Award’s previous winners from Thailand and also the Philippines (with the TC organizational winner in 2006), the 2008 awardees best exemplify the tenets of TL, as advocated by the AWCF, that is: being “development-oriented, issue-focused and gender-sensitive” or “DO IF GS.”

What is “DO IF GS”

The global co-op movement that has existed for slightly over a century has an influence that encompasses all sectors of economic and social activity. Co-ops bring together over 800 million people globally. Over the past decades, co-op enterprises worldwide have secured the livelihood of nearly three billion people, or half the world’s population. The international co-op movement was born as a response to the growing poverty and oppression of workers during the Industrial Revolution. Co-op businesses (as the economic means) were established to address social needs (social goals). These early co-ops worked hand in hand with trade unions in helping those who lost their jobs or those who were earning very little by helping them start some economic activity, and by helping address economic and social inequalities through political action like education on workers’ rights.

Relevance in the modern world

The current recession sweeping the globe and affecting, even altering, the lives of virtually everyone on this planet is bringing massive unemployment and poverty, much like what happened during the Industrial Revolution. In this modern-day crisis, the co-ops’ rich history, values, and principles provide the backbone as they continue to offer the same security and stability that they have given their members all these years. The members expect that co-ops will protect them from globalized changes that affect even the local communities. People of limited means go to their co-ops for credit for short-term needs; for capital and other support as they engage in micro-, small- to medium- enterprises to improve their livelihood. Trusting in the reliability and strength of their co-ops, people deposit their savings that eventually grow and help secure their future. Continuing education and training for members is one of the pillars of the co-op movement. Members grow not only economically but also socially as they develop themselves through learning opportunities on co-op topics and other matters that concern them as individuals, their families, and their communities.

Today’s world places a demand on the co-op to continue being relevant and making a difference in people’s lives. A co-op cannot be strong if it exists in a vacuum, insulated from what is happening within and outside of it. A co-op cannot also be strong if it has a weak leadership, not able to direct the co-op amid different issues that affect the organization and the membership. The call is for a co-op organization and leadership that can transform and steer the co-op and the membership to the highest level of cooperation that will continue to ensure a sustainable enterprise. An enterprise that the people themselves own and control—a dynamic organization that steadfastly fulfills its dual economic and social roles. Transformative co-ops and transformative co-op leadership are a potent combination. Fortunately, some co-ops and co-op leaders have been enlightened about TL, and are leading the way for more co-ops and leaders to adopt this kind of leadership. The AWCF honors with the Asian TrIO Award those who have made their mark in transforming people’s lives. The Awards for Ms Sator and for CCTCC will be handed out to them by AWCF at the general assemblies of TC and of CCTCC in Tagum City and Pasig City, Philippines, respectively.

Evelia R. Sator—a transformative co-op leader

Ms Evelia R. Sator is a Board Director of TC, a primary co-op in Tagum City; and former Chairperson of TC and of MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center (MASS-SPECC), a federation of Mindanao co-ops, based in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental. TC and MASS-SPECC are members of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), Philippines.

Ms Sator came from a poor family. Her mother was an elementary teacher, and her stepfather was a farmer. They lived far from town and her school, which she reached by walking many kilometers everyday. Despite their low status in life, Ms Sator is proud to say that she was able to finish her college studies. In fact, she had her first encounter with co-ops when she was in college at the St. Mary’s College in Tagum, 1968. An encounter that has lasted up to now for 36 years, an involvement in co-ops that has fortified her conviction that co-ops are the hope of people who want to improve their impoverished condition. For people who can embrace the co-op philosophy, principles, and values; can entrust the co-op with their share capital and savings, however small; can manage well a loan that they can get from the co-op for daily needs or for business, the co-op is one of the best ways to a better life. Ms Sator has embraced co-ops, has become one of its vigilant leaders, and is sharing to others her transformation.

A long-time cooperator

In college, Ms Sator was elected president of the Youth in Action, the youth arm of the school’s Social Action Center, which was spearheaded by the Maryknoll Fathers. She actively led and joined many activities of her group, including conducting an information drive about co-ops in schools in Tagum. Ms Sator and her group sponsored the showing of films about co-ops, and they organized the Youth in Action Savers Club among students in the three schools. Treasurers from each school collected the students’ savings for deposit in the Tagum Credit Union, now Tagum Co-op. Her group was the first ever to have been granted savings passbooks by its co-op federation, the Davao Federation of Non-Agricultural Cooperatives (DAFENACO).

After graduation, she taught at the Maryknoll High School, also in Davao. After two years, she went back to Tagum, became a TC member, and became a lecturer at TC’s pre-membership education seminar (PMES), which is for prospective co-op members. To enrich her knowledge about co-ops, she volunteered to attend training conducts held by DAFENACO and MASS-SPECC. To reach the training sites on time, she usually had to take bumpy bus rides, some lasting for 10 hours. Roads were bad in those days. Some training also took two months. But her conviction for co-ops gave her the strength to leave her husband and young kids behind for her training.

In 1975, she co-authored the first PMES handbook for Davao del Norte co-ops. She considers this as one of her significant contributions to the co-op movement. She became a member of DAFENACO’s  pool of trainers. She lectured on co-ops not only in her own co-op but also in other co-ops in the province. In her stint as co-op lecturer around the province, she says that membership increased in TC as well as in other co-ops.

She continued to share her co-op knowledge on print as well. In the late 1980s, she was one of the TC Education Committee officers who wrote modules for members’ ownership meetings. The modules helped deepen discussions during ownership meetings in TC as to the real meaning of why people join co-ops. Commitment, loyalty, and involvement of members in TC were strongly emphasized.

Ms Sator continued her growth as a co-op trainer. In year 2000, she took part in the “Credit Union Trainers Empowerment (CUTE)” training of the Credit Union Empowerment and Strengthening (CUES)-Philippines. CUES-Philippines is the co-op outreach project in the Philippines of the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), based in the USA. The project seeks to transform co-ops into responsible financial institutions providing financial services and education to the poor. Ms Sator became a volunteer CUTE lecturer. Sometimes, she took a leave from work for her to conduct a co-op lecture or training. She was also taking her doctorate degree in education when she first became a CUTE lecturer. Thus she worked on her assignments and research papers at night during out-of-town lectures.

In 2002, CUES-Philippines gave her a scholarship to study development education (DE) in Australia. She says her study enlarged her understanding about co-ops and her work in DE. She became a Certified Development Educator (CDE) and a Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE).

She further honed her co-op lecturer-trainer skills when MASS-SPECC and NATCCO sent her as participant to an in-depth trainers’ training on facilitating skills, held in Manila. With all this training, she continued to be a sought-after co-op lecturer for MASS-SPECC in Mindanao. With MASS-SPECC’s guidance, Ms Sator produced a two-day training design for effective directorship. The training was later conducted in some co-ops.

But there was more to Ms Sator other than being a well-known co-op lecturer and trainer. She also became an elected officer, sitting at various times in the TC’s Credit Committee (CreCom), Election Committee (EleCom), and Board of Directors. She also served as Chairperson at some point in these three TC bodies. As EleCom officer, her committee amended some provisions in TC’s Bylaws regarding qualification and disqualification of co-op officers; promulgated the procedures in the conduct of elections; created election precincts; and appointed election deputies. These actions meant to improve and better safeguard TC’s election of officers. TC wanted to elect better and more committed officers. It had, after all, learned its lesson from a crisis that hit the organization in the 1990s. Certain officers connived to illegally disburse funds, which almost ruined TC. The other officers stood up to these corrupt officers, who faced lawsuits and were later expelled. The remaining TC Board and committees’ officers courageously faced the task of reviving their Co-op. There was the danger of massive withdrawals since some disheartened and nervous members opted to withdraw their money and cancel their membership in TC. Some officers like Ms Sator put in additional funds to TC to prevent shortage of money for withdrawals by the members. She recalls that it was a big challenge to convince the members not to abandon their Co-op, and to believe in the efforts of the remaining officers to let it survive. TC did survive that turbulent period in its history.

Ms Sator became TC’s Chairperson in 2003. TC had just been newly branded as “FOCCUS-Brand Cooperative” by CUES-Philippines, with FOCCUS meaning  “Finance Organization Achieving Certified Credit Union Standards.” It meant that TC had complied with the prescribed and stringent international financial standards set by WOCCU for “world-class co-ops.” TC gained even more respect from the community and local government units that acknowledged TC as a co-op that truly protects, secures and provides more yield to the money and investments of its members. TC also conducted a massive education campaign for the “Model Credit Union Building (MCUB) Technology” to further build members’ trust and confidence in their Co-op. The MCUB is one of the two initiatives of CUES-Philippines for co-ops that it assists, the other being the Savings and Credit with Education (SCWE) that aims at promoting capacity-building of women. In 2003, Ms Sator spearheaded the approval of a new loan type for TC, the Instant Loan Bonanza. The loan had mechanics to protect the Co-op against delinquency. At that time, TC also registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) the Tagum Co-op Women’s Livelihood Association, Inc. (TWLAI). A livelihood program for women in TC was finally installed.

At present, Ms Sator is Chairperson of TC’s Personnel Committee that assists the Human Resource Division of the Co-op in formulating personnel policies.  She also takes charge of a committee tasked to study the strengthening of the Loan Protection Plan for members. 

Ms Sator likewise volunteered to be the board coordinator of TC’s SCWE Program Committee. SCWE was earlier initiated under CUES-Philippines, but monitoring and evaluation were later left to TC’s field agents. SCWE supports business start-up for housewives who do not have income and are not co-op members. Lately, SCWE also began to help non-working men, to give opportunities to both sexes. TC and the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP), of which Ms Sator is the Dean of the USEP Tagum-Mabini unit, had signed a memorandum of agreement for SCWE. The USEP provides free livelihood training for SCWE members, and TC provides the materials needed. There are gender and development seminars, livelihood skills training, the annual assembly, field day (with livelihood demonstrations), and market day (where other co-ops are invited to come, and the SCWE participants sell their products). SCWE participants also vend their products during their assemblies. All these activities were done to enliven the SCWE that was then having slow loan repayments, increased delinquency, and no innovations in education and training activities. Ms Sator became the adviser of the SCWE field agents. She says that her exposure visit to the Credit Union League of Thailand (CULT) in 2006, organized by AWCF, inspired her to introduce these events and activities to SCWE. Upon her return to TC from her trip, she conducted a research on the women’s training needs and also challenged SCWE’s field agents to do some evaluation of their own. The field agents were asked to formulate policies, programs, and activities that will maintain the interest of the women in their business, increase savings, obtain zero delinquency, teach the women new skills, and recruit new participants. Aside from spearheading SCWE activities, Ms Sator also started the conduct of family enrichment seminars to which husbands of the SCWE participants were also invited.

Ms Sator’s involvement in co-ops continued to flourish outside Tagum City. She was one of the organizers of the Women in Cooperatives (WinC)-Region XI in Mindanao and became its Interim President in 2005.  She became a member of MASS-SPECC’s EleCom, and then MASS-SPECC Chairperson in 2007. She concurrently serves as Board member of MASS-SPECC representing Region XI and also a representative of TC as a primary affiliate. Another foreign trip further expanded her co-op exposure. In 2007, she attended a conference of the Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU) in Indonesia. She was inspired to implement in TC her learning from this conference

Under her watch as Chairperson of MASS-SPECC, this regional federation was finally able to carry out the Gender and Development (GAD) Program among its member-co-ops in Mindanao, with help from NATCCO and TC. Furthermore, MASS-SPECC adopted the idea of putting up a display shop at the MASS-SPECC Hostel in Cagayan de Oro City for products produced by co-op members, especially women, from different co-ops. This was an important marketing support for the women’s products.

Ms Sator proudly states that she is the first TC member and officer to receive the “Most Outstanding Member” award given out during the Co-op’s General Assembly (GA). She has received this award for a number of times from the Co-op, and also as the first member-officer multi-awardee because she was given three prestigious awards in 2008. Her recognition was based on criteria set by the Co-op’s GA to encourage members to patronize services and be involved in activities. Ms Sator was recognized as a model co-op member and officer.

She relates that her experience and involvement in co-ops have molded her into someone with a vision and goal in life.  She views her accomplishments as her legacy to the next generation.

Consultation, decision, and action

Ms Sator says that as a co-op leader, she is always open to suggestions from peers, the members, and the management staff. She studies and weighs things for her to come up with wise decisions. She believes that respecting and recognizing the importance of each member, staff, and officer builds trust and confidence. Members, particularly, go to the Co-op to put in their hard-earned money to be managed by officers whom they can trust.

Ms Sator says that she often strikes up casual conversations with everybody in the Co-op where she presents her ideas and gets initial feedback on these especially in relation to the members’ needs. This way, she gains courage to pursue her plans, knowing that her ideas are relevant and responsive to the members’ expectations. The bottomline, she says, is that improvements in the Co-op will result to a better life for everybody. Plans and actions should consider the different sectors being catered to by the Co-op, she adds, which are the poor and the well-to-do, women and men, young and old, and other sectors. Therefore, since the Co-op’s

membership come from a cross-section of society, she is conscious that nobody gets preferential treatment over the others, that everybody is served and treated equally according to the needs felt by each sector. 

She may always be fired up by her ideas and raring to put them into action in TC, but there are cases where other people may not be won over to her side. If others oppose her ideas but she believes that as a leader she is moving in the right direction, she asserts and argues her case, without necessarily offending the other side. She says that she opts for an intellectual discussion and dialogue to bring out the best results among dissenting opinions. She believes that success will not happen if someone gains enemies and not friends in an organization. Thus when she presents her ideas to TC and to her fellow officers, she is careful not to be carried away by her emotions that will make her say unsavory words not expected of an officer.

Although she loves to indulge in conversations and discussions to promote ideas and views, Ms Sator says that talking is not enough. Being a model for others is a powerful way to convince others to support their Co-op. For instance, she is the first one to add to her share capital and to her savings in the Co-op if the objective is to encourage members to deposit more. She thus provides herself as an example for other members to show them that they can trust their Co-op with their precious money. The amount of deposit does not matter too much as does the value to the members of saving in the Co-op. Consequently, Ms Sator explains, the members will be exposed to other Co-op services, and with proper orientation and guidance, they will also avail of these services for their own benefit.

This co-op leader believes that transparency is the best policy, particularly in her dealings with TC. It is better to be honest that to be discovered as dishonest, she says. Transparency erases doubts from members and results to better management.

Ms Sator says that she is open to constructive criticism and can accept any of her shortcomings. But she wants to be able to explain her side if problems crop up so that others will also know her views. Her conscience will thus be clean and unburdened, she states. 

Her leadership style is geared to the benefit of everybody in the Co-op. She says that some policies, for example, may contradict her own views. But she will still abide by these policies because these were borne out of the consensus of the decision-making body of which she is a part. As part of a decision-making body, she takes full responsibility for the decisions made, even if there is realization later that her previously suggested ideas would have been the more appropriate ones to adopt.

As she uses a consultative and participatory approach to resolve problems and issues in TC, she ensures that stakeholders’ views and suggestions are consolidated to arrive at the best applicable solution. She says that this approach is the most effective for tackling the hardest problems that she as a co-op leader is expected to respond to satisfactorily.

Ms Sator says that as a leader she recognizes different individuals’ own abilities, competencies, and knowledge that can contribute to a co-op’s development and progress. With proper guidance and motivation, these individuals can become more productive and effective in their work.

She commits to continuing to develop and enhance her own leadership skills. There is always room for improvement for a leader, she avers. Not all may be born leaders but if one wants to become a leader, she or he can do so with determination, perseverance, ambition, and, most importantly, self-confidence, she states.

On being a transformative leader

Ms Sator believes that through self-help and group action, a co-op becomes the people’s vehicle to economic freedom and a happier life. But to initiate change within the co-op and the community, she had to improve and change herself first. Participating in co-op activities, and doing her duties and responsibilities as a member and officer is her commitment to the co-op, she states.  

Being active in lecturing about co-ops enables her to introduce change. For instance, budgeting is one of her favorite topics. Having observed that some Co-op members focused on borrowing and not saving, she has emphasized in her lectures how members can save and also pay their loan obligations to the Co-op on time, which are important to the sustainability of TC or any other co-op.

As an officer in the TC EleCom that made improvements in TC’s election processes, she brought to fore her advocacy for clean and fair co-op elections, for a level playing field for candidates—with emphasis on willingness to serve as diligent and committed officers.

Gender advocacy is also one of Ms Sator’s missions in life. Under her leadership and officership, and with support of her fellow gender advocates, TC has also become a co-op that is gender-sensitive and a champion for gender equality. TC has allocated resources that has enabled its gender advocacy to move forward at a brisk pace with a clear direction and tangible results. TC’s gender advocacy began in 1990 when some of its women leaders joined other women leaders from co-ops nationwide in women in development workshops. These workshops were conducted by NATCCO, AWCF, and national women’s groups in the country. Some of TC’s male leaders also attended a similar workshop later. Gender activities in TC were started after these workshops but for some reasons, these efforts were shaky, and had almost seemingly hopeless beginnings. But TC persevered, and its gender advocates did not lose hope. The gender activities were continued and battles were won, such as the inclusion of women in development and family enrichment topics in the Co-op’s PMES, starting from 30 minutes and expanding to full-length discussions.

Later, TC’s Gender and Development (GAD) Program and Family Enrichment Program (FEP) were more concretely realized and made greater impact on the membership and on TC itself. Ms Sator’s leadership steered TC to this direction. TC has successfully integrated the GAD Program and FEP, with a yearly budget, into its education and training program, and on every phase of the lending products and services for the members. TC has also included in its Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation a provision for at least one seat to be allotted for the women sector in the Board. There will be no instance, therefore, that TC’s Board will be dominated by men.

The first time that Ms Sator was elected officer in TC, she recalls that she initially doubted her capability and capacity to carry out her duties amid the intricacies of leading a co-op. She was intimidated by the presence of more seasoned officers in TC. She was apprehensive of voicing her opinions amid fellow officers who were men. She assessed her beliefs and understanding of co-ops vis-à-vis her personal goals and motivations, and merged these with the expectations and responsibilities of being an officer. She immersed herself in the co-op way of life to be able to practice what she preached, she says. After 36 years of being a cooperator and a co-op leader—in TC, a primary co-op that started in 1967 with PhP80 in share capital and 35 members, which grew to 37,774 members, with about 70 percent women; and more than PhP660 million in assets, and in MASS-SPECC—she says that she has certainly overcome her own apprehensions. Her self-confidence and her sense of belongingness and commitment to the co-op are things that no one can take away from her.

The future of co-ops

As a co-op leader who has witnessed the downs and ups of the co-op movement, Ms Sator believes that co-ops will continue to flourish, thrive, and spread worldwide. Co-ops will always be there for people who want to improve their lives by helping one another and working together. She has seen in TC and in other co-ops many committed, dedicated, steadfast, intelligent, and egalitarian co-op leaders who will make this possible. She says that they are catalysts because they spread cooperativism in their own places and in other parts of the world. She admires them, and they inspire and encourage her to be more committed to her co-op work.

She also believes that continued expansion and increase in membership will give co-ops greater confidence and power to present development plans to the government. More laws will then be formulated to strengthen and protect co-ops as they continue to serve people. The increased recognition of the co-ops’ contribution to development will make the government involve the co-ops more in consultations, plans, and implementation. Government will see co-ops as an organization necessary to nation-building.

In relation to this, co-ops will continue to innovate to satisfy members’ evolving needs. She foresees the merging of co-ops in the same line of service, which will further strengthen co-ops, and make them more sophisticated and beneficial to more people in more areas of the country. But she says that actions like this need further studies and deep understanding of the issues confronting co-ops. Changes should not divide the loyalty of co-op leaders as to levels of co-op affiliation. Cultures and values should be respected. Collaboration, and not competition, should happen among co-ops. The co-op movement’s worldwide expansion will be facilitated by richer international linkages and coordination, and more regional and international conference and summits. Cooperators want their co-op philosophy, principles, and values to be continually strengthened as these will be the guiding light in every corner of the world for all co-op members and even those outside the movement, Ms Sator says. Peace and harmony for all nations can be achieved in the co-op way, she adds.

Co-op leadership and management, she believes, will learn to adopt changes and trends in information and communication technology (ICT). Co-ops, big and small, will benefit from ICT, such as the time and money saved in transactions; better image for co-ops; and even more trust and confidence from the members.

Center for Community Transformation Credit Cooperative—a transformative co-op

In this Co-op, the haves and have-nots, the established and the downtrodden are helping one another to be enriched economically, socially, and spiritually—even if some had said that it could not done. The Center for Community Transformation Credit Cooperative (CCTCC)’s objective is to develop and support entrepreneurial skills of the poor, especially women, through micro-finance (MF), training, and strengthening of Christian values.

The Co-op was founded in Manila, 1998, by organizers from the Center for Community Transformation (CCT) led by by Ms Ruth Callanta. CCT itself is a development organization started in 1992 by Ms Callanta and her like-minded friends who believed that "unless the hearts of people who implement and benefit from development programs are changed, true and lasting development is unattainable." They believed that development endeavors should be Christ-centered and –anchored, and that people’s empowerment can be best achieved by enriching their spirituality. The CCTCC as a social development initiative, has become the platform for Ms Callanta’s strategy for Christ-anchored transformational development.

Ms Callanta, as the Co-op General Manager, spearheaded the transformation of the MF program into a cooperative because of her conviction. She believed that a co-op, as a self-help development organization, meets common economic, social, cultural and spiritual needs and aspirations of the members. A co-op can promote the Christian values of equity, justice, people's participation, solidarity, and social responsibility within the members’ Christ-centered faith communities—a vision that Ms Callanta shared with her colleagues.

There was time that the officers in the Center for Community Transformation had thought of turning the MF program into a bank for the poor for greater efficiency and profitability. But this possibility was ruled out because in this set-up, only few people will benefit from the surpluses. However, as a co-op, the MF program will deliver benefits directly to the members and associate members, the latter being the main clients of the MF program. The co-op structure will facilitate, at the same time, the ownership of the CCTCC by its associate members, which compose the majority of its membership.

Beyond the call

Ms Callanta explains that the CCTCC was registered with the Philippines’s Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) in 2003. It complies with the requirements of the Philippine Co-op Code, and more. Its structural framework transcends that of how co-ops are more popularly known, understood, and operated. CCTCC was founded and is being managed as a faith-based social enterprise while other co-ops are largely operated as secular enterprises. While other co-ops are governed or managed at the local or zonal level, CCTCC is managed from its Manila head office, the better to set the tone for national transformation. CCTCC services Manila, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Palawan, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Iloilo, and Capiz. The bulk of the work is done by over 400 Co-op Project Assistants (PAs), spread across 150 branches. The PAs render oversight work for the members’ loan requirements. The PAs are assisted by the Co-op’s community servant leaders in transacting business with members, keeping books of accounts, following up past due accounts, and inculcating in members the value of credit worthiness and financial accountability. PAs also attend to the spiritual development needs of the Co-op’s more than 6,000 fellowships or Bible study groups.

CCTCC champions cooperativism in the implementation of credit programs for the members. But its credit and other financial services are not end-goals but are platforms for holistic services, Ms Callanta states. To assist the poor who compose CCTCC’s large associate membership base, it brings together Filipino business people as its regular members. These regular members utilize their Christian philanthropic values, and contribute personal resources for poverty reduction without expecting anything in return. They have waived their rights (as well as that of their families and heirs) to any profit from the Co-op, as evidenced by a legal document that they have signed. They are content with the privilege of serving the Lord and His people in and through CCTCC as a social enterprise.

At first glance, the Co-op’s membership composition might seem an aberration. But the Co-op’s associate members who are the most needy are indeed the ones benefiting from the Co-op’s gains, with support from the regular members. Who can dispute that fact?

CCTCC’s commitment to members’ participation extends from the community level all the way to the head office. The centralized structure does not hinder the CCTCC’s women-partners, who are the majority of the membership, to productively and creatively participate in, support, and lift one another to give life and movement to the organization. CCTCC offers loans for micro and small business, educational loans, and housing loans.  It has integrated into its services the public social security and health insurance programs, for the members’ greater benefit. For this, CCTCC coordinates with the Center for Community Transformation’s service, the ACCESS or “Assisting Christ-centered Communities to Enjoy Social Service Benefits.” Through ACCESS, Co-op members are able to enroll in and benefit from the Philippine Health Insurance (PhilHEALTH), and have the processing of their civil registry documents facilitated with the Batch Request System of the National Statistics Office (NSO).

On the heels of CCTCC’s achievements, the Center for Community Transformation established three more entities—Visions of Hope Foundation, for the education of children and youth; Tindahan Para Sa Bayan (Our Grocery Store), for basic household necessities at a low cost; and the Training and Development Institute, for continuing education and training in community organizing, leadership, and other topics. The Co-op and these entities are implementing structures for an integrated community development program. For instance, Co-op members who are micro and small entrepreneurs get the basics of business operations and management in the Entrep-Eskwela School of Entrepreneurship of the Training and Development Institute. The School, created in 2007, also teaches modules on financial management and accounting. Members are coached on preparing income statements, balance sheets, and cash flows that aid them in the prudent and judicious use of their loaned funds and other financial products.

CCTCC now has a total of 122,920 members (as savers and borrowers); a loan portfolio of PhP432 million; a portfolio-at-risk of 4.78 percent; and savings of PhP178 million. More than 7,000 community leaders have been trained. More than 1,700 children and youth have been given educational assistance.

Sweet success

If Ms Callanta and her co-founders in the CCTCC had listened to critics early on, the members would not have been enjoying the better life that they have now. The Co-op started with a little over 2000 participants—and a lot of negative comments from development practitioners, business people and even religious leaders. The critics insisted that the venture will not work and was not consistent with church teaching, as making profit and spiritual development should not go together: "One could not serve God and mammon at the same time." Some in the development community also said that income-generating activities were a palliative that made the poor blind to the so-called oppressive structures that caused their poverty in the first place. They disdained the idea of infusing spiritual development into community organization or poverty alleviation initiatives. Still others, especially those from the business sector, did not believe in giving credit to the poor since "they are high credit risks." At some point, Ms Callanta recalls, there were even those who said that she was out of her mind, as her “patchwork of programs” seemed to defy conventional logic and practice. But Ms Callanta, with several years of development work for the poor in Third World countries, had already experienced for herself the emptiness of a purely secular approach to development. She and the Co-op persevered. Many families and communities have since been transformed for the better, using micro-finance as the Co-op’s platform for development while integrating a full menu of services for the holistic development of women, men, and children. The Co-op has shown and continues to show that the poor can be transformed from helplessness to economic empowerment, rooted in faith in the Almighty.

Since CCTCC’s membership is mostly women (in the associate membership base), it emphasizes that its organization can be a catalyst for a strong and strategic participation of women in helping bring change to Philippine society. Women can utilize the synergy of CCTCC’s programs that concern economic empowerment, basic services, education, governance, citizenship, and cultural appreciation.

To-date, Ms Callanta explains that the greatest accomplishment of CCTCC is the transformation of the lives of the people who are themselves involved in it—from the partners/associate members (clients of the MF program) to the regular members. Aside from their better income and living condition, the associate members are now confident servant leaders of their groups and communities. As agents of change, they spread the word about their own transformation as living example of Christ’s love and mercy. Through CCTCC’s Membership Development Program, the associate members can progress to become regular members and have seats in the CCTCC’s Board. Even as they are poor, the associate members have begun to imbibe a culture of selflessness, oftentimes giving up their dividends and contributing these to CCTCC’s capital fund so that more people can be helped.

Bridging the gap

Ms Callanta is proud to proclaim that she has transformed her heart and ideals into a higher level of service for the people. Through her efforts and that of the other CCTCC leaders, many well-off Filipino business people have come to understand the situation and concerns of the poor and workers from the informal sector. In the well-to-do’s participation in the CCTCC as regular members, they give their support through their skills and finances, without any remuneration. CCTCC’s Board meets every month as it recognizes the urgent and important task of helping the poor economically and spiritually.

Sustaining the Co-op’s efforts

For sustainability, the Co-op hopes to generate equity financing or internal capital from partner/associate members themselves, rather than depend on external borrowing. Membership, despite the hard times, is expected sharply to increase in the immediate coming years. Thus more investments will flow to the Co-op. More opportunities for sustainability are the intensification of its existing financial products and services, enhancement of its membership service fund (loan and life insurance), and opening a new portfolio in supplemental loans to refinance distressed businesses of good borrowers.

Aside from financial sustainability, Ms Callanta is confident that the change and development now happening in the communities will be sustained by the partner/associate members-turned-community servant leaders. Continuous training and mentoring will enable them to implement the Co-op’s programs and services in their communities. The Co-op is also starting to organize the servant leaders into a community-based association of entrepreneurs, the Kilusan ng mga Kabayaning Negosyante (KKN). With proper training and guidance, strong faithfulness, and earnest aspiration to effect long-lasting transformation, the Co-op is positive that KKN will play significant role in nation-building and in advancing Christian values.

Efforts recognized

CCT and the Co-op have overcome and disproved biases against their faith-based and holistic approach for poverty alleviation. Many groups, including micro-enterprise and banking groups, are looking into how they can replicate the Co-op’s development approach. The Co-op’s innovations in cooperativism and credit service for development have been recognized with awards by various Philippines and international groups, and government agencies.  Ms Callanta’s work for co-ops and MF were recognized by the Ernst and Young group by awarding her the “2005 Woman Entrepreneur of the Year.”

The future

The Co-op leadership envisions the Co-op to be a sustainable, financially viable agent of transformation led by poor women who are productive, economically empowered, and who work with their husbands, children, communities, government, and other organizations for the building of livable and caring communities under Christ’s Lordship.

The Co-op is working toward this vision by demonstrating that co-ops and MF can be instruments for spreading God's love and bringing people back to Him; by having effective and holistic programs and strategies; by having efficient implementation and management policies; by sharing with others lessons the learned by the Co-op; and, above all, being a leader, manager, teacher, mentor, counselor, and disciple of Christ who is worth emulating.

An “Impact Assessment Workshop” was held on February 10-12, 2009 at Town in Town Hotel Bangkok, Thailand aimed to: a) gather and validate relative information that manifests the organizational/individual efforts that are continuously applied to promote enterprise development and are bringing forth results; b) gather strategies, processes, and best practices replicated and were applied on enterprise development, management, marketing, and ICT (information and communication technology),  and prepare action plan to put in place the recommendations on how to enhance and sustain these strategies and how future programs could be improved; and  c) strengthen networking at the regional level.

The Workshop was part of the project “Building Capacities of Women Entrepreneurs and Exploring Opportunities for Micro-Enterprise Development for Co-operatives in Southeast Asia” and is supported by the ASEAN Foundation (AF) with funding support from the Japan ASEAN Solidarity Fund (JASF).

Twenty-three women and men (52 percent women) participated in this event representing 14 organizations: five from national-level co-operatives or credit unions, two from government agencies working on the advancement of women and/or the development of co-operatives, and seven from non-government organizations (NGOs) or social development agencies (SDAs) in support of co-operatives. The participants came from nine ASEAN member-countries namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The Workshop reinforced the need to further enhance the women’s entrepreneurial skills not only with information and communication technology (ICT)-related skills for the women’s socio-economic development but enhanced with environment/eco-friendly production and marketing knowledge and skills. With the new focus, the niche on green products to be addressed by ASEAN co-operatives or organizations in support of co-ops, AWCF envisions a happy and healthy ASEAN community.

1. deepen understanding on sex and gender,
2. create greater awareness on the gender situation that affects relationships with one another as well as with the co-ops,
3. equip the participants to integrate gender in the conduct of pre-membership education seminar (PMES), and 
4. commit to be gender advocates and trainers. 

1. understand and differentiate sex and gender, determine factors that influence gender, and reflect to build awareness of the gender situation that affects relations with one another as well as with their co-op; and
2. commit to make changes in themselves and apply the new ideas to the call of bringing about gender equality at home and in the co-op.

On November 28, 2008, AWCF officially commended and informed the winners of the 2008 “Transformative Individuals and Organizations Asian Co-operative Award (TrIO Award).” Adjudged Individual Category TrIO Award winner was Ms Evelia R. Sator, member of the Board of Directors of Tagum Cooperative, Davao, Philippines. The TrIO Award winner for the Organizational Category was the Center for Community Transformation (CCT) Credit Cooperative, Manila, Philippines.

Both awardees were endorsed by the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), their umbrella organization, and which is AWCF’s member in the Philippines. The presentation of the TrIO Award will be at the 2009 General Assemblies of Tagum Co-op and CCT Credit Co-op, respectively. The TrIO Award is given to outstanding individuals and co-operatives in celebration of their efforts and abilities in making a difference within the co-op movement for the present and for the future. The Award highlight the promising transformation of these leaders and co-operatives. This is the third year that AWCF has bestowed the Trio Award, with previous winners coming from Thailand and Philippines.

AWCF joined Fredskorpset, Norway (FK) and its project partners in the “10^th Fredskorpset Preparatory Course in Asia” held 1-20 October 2008 at the AIT Extension, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Thailand. Represented by its seven FK exchange participants (refer to related article), AWCF took part in numerous activities designed to prepare these young professionals as volunteers in their host countries. Organized by AIT Extension, Asian Institute of Technology in cooperation with FK, the course was aimed to introduce participants to FK and its vision, to prepare participants for living and volunteering in another Asian country outside of their home country, to provide participants with information regarding development issues affecting the Asian region, and to enable the participants to learn through collaboration and peer discussion.

To get to know FK better, the participants were introduced on FK’s work, its network and project partners, and the exchange program itself. They were also given time to analyze and discuss global and regional developmental concepts such as poverty alleviation, gender issues in development, sustainable development, community development, and media and development communication. On top of these, they were also trained to further enhance their interpersonal skills and cross-cultural communication practices, and ensure their personal safety and security through responding to emergencies and coping with personal challenges such as depression, loneliness, and trauma.

This preparatory course was attended by 25 participants representing five of FK’s project partners namely AWCF, LNTA (Lao National Tourism Agency), CAI-Asia (Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities), DRIK India and DRIK Bangladesh (Drik Picture Library Ltd.), and SLET (Sri Lanka Eco Tours).

After sealing the partnership agreement between AWCF and Fredskorpset (FK) in July 2008, AWCF and its network partners will participate in three major-FK activities to be between September and October of this year. Three activities were held in Oslo, Norway from 4 to 8 September 2008. The first two activities, "The IV International Advisory Council Meeting (IACM)" and the "FK North-South Forum" were conducted simultaneously with one another. The IACM held at Radisson SAS Scandinavia Hotel on 4-5 September served as an excellent opportunity to be acquainted with some of FK's 350 partners. In this event, they exchanged experiences with one another and provided advice/recommendations to the FK board and administration. The first day’s session was capped by the parade of the participants, participated by FK's project partners and at least 800 prominent representatives from the Norwegian society, and the “FK North-South Forum” held at Oslo’s City Hall.

Six Philippine co-operatives who are affiliates of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) participated in the first study visit organized by AWCF on 12-17 August 2008. Twenty-five participants, 17 women and 8 men, took time out in their co-op work to: observe first hand how micro enterprises are supported by credit unions/co-operatives through micro-finance and loan services; share best practices on micro-enterprise programs as tools for women empowerment and family development; and appreciate the Thai culture and tradition.

The study visit participants also noted that the CUs they visited emphasized continuous education to members, focus on members’ needs and welfare, spirituality and socialization of culture and traditions, and concern for the environment. They were also amazed on how these CUs have remained true to the nature of co-ops of doing business while providing social services yet they were able to increase their assets ten-fold. They also appreciated the Jitarrom Principles of Attention, Care, Share, and Services (ACSS) that CUs apply in their co-op programs and services.

Insights or action points gathered during the study visit include the following:

• complementary co-op products and services

-          basic business skills on credit access

-          counseling

-          training or capacity building of leaders and members

-          product development

-          product certification

-          business registration

-          business negotiation

-          business planning

-          loan packaging

-          coaching and mentoring

-          marketing

-          accounting

-          mutual aid

-          retirement benefit

• Organize groups among the co-op members (such as women, youth, farmers, and other sectors) for livelihood activities that are appropriate to each co-op situation.
• Setting aside co-op funds intended to address social responsibility, environmental concerns, and the welfare of co-op members and their families.
• Focus on human resource development (HRD) for co-op leaders and staff by capacitating co-op staff involved in micro-finance and/or credit service that provide BDS to members.

AWCF and five of its member-organizations have identified six young professionals from the Philippines, Thailand, and Cambodia to be the pioneer batch for the Project "Capacity-Building for Gender and Co-operatives in Asia" that is being implemented by AWCF in partnership with Fredskorpset Norway or FK-Norway under the latter's Asia South-South Exchange Program. These young professionals, four women and two men, were selected simultaneously in the three countries between July to mid-August 2008 through a recruitment and selection process organized by AWCF in cooperation with the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) in the Philippines; the Credit Union League of Thailand (CULT), Thailand; and the Socio-Economic Development Organization of Cambodia (SEDOC), Cambodia. From the third week of August until September 2008, the selected participants are expected to attend orientation meetings organized by their respective organizations, process their passport and visa requirements, undertake medical examination and vaccination, conduct research or gather materials and documents in preparation for their actual posting, and properly turn-over their work responsibilities with their respective organizations.

This program also requires the participants to temporarily leave their regular work and families for at least 11 months to attend a three week Preparatory Course known as "10^th Fredskorpset Preparatory Course in Asia" to be held in Thailand on 1-20 October 2008 (refer to related article) followed by a 10-month staff exchange program posting that will commence on 21 October 2008. In this period, they are expected to learn and share their knowledge and expertise on various fields including gender equality with co-operatives and/or organizations in support of co-operatives. As they return to their home countries by August 2009, they will be sharing their exchange program learning and insights with their respective organizations and officers for reporting and replication purposes. 

The first batch of AWCF-FK project participants are:

Ms Annalyn Salvaleon is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and currently the Area Manager of the MICOOP or the Microfinance Innovations for Cooperatives program of NATCCO. As Mutual Benefit Officer, and one of the Filipinos to be posted at CULT, Ann is tasked to study and understand CULT's Mutual Benefit/Protection Program as NATCCO is interested to set up a mutual benefit system in addition to its present services. As this service will cover loan and life protection of co-p members, more co-op women is expected to avail of NATCCO’s savings and credit services. 

The second Filipina in this program is Ms Francisca Pilayan, also known as Kikay. She is the Executive Assistant at Sta. Cruz Savings and Development Cooperative (SACDECO) and presently one of the Barangay Councilors of Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. She is assigned as Co-operative Trainer/Facilitator at the Center for Agricultural Extension Volunteers (CAEV), Vietnam. One of Kikay's roles is to help improve the facilitation and social mobilization skills of the CAEV staff by facilitating a course on participatory approach. She will also design a Basic English course intended to improve the use of English language by the CAEV staff. On top of these, Ms Kikay is also expected to share her gender training to CAEV members to encourage their participation, especially the female farmers, in CAEV-led agricultural extension work.

The third participant is Mr. Rusell Tabisula, part-time Writer/Documentor/Researcher for AWCF who will be assigned at CULT as Documentalist. Equipped with his masteral units in Communications in addition to his Bachelors of Arts (BA) degree in Journalism earned in the Philippines, Russell is expected to develop an English course module to be used in teaching English to the staff of CULT and also to its primary credit unions. He will also translate from Thai to English some of CULT's newsletters and website articles, training manuals, brochures, other documents. He is also expected to write English articles concerning credit union management and promotion of gender equality and women empowerment in Thailand.

Ms Natchamon Thali is currently one of CULT’s IT Specialists and Training Officers. As she will be posted in the Philippines, Tao can share with the NATCCO staff and members her training skills on gender and IT (information technology). At the same time, she can also study NATCCO's financial management services particularly the use of ATM or the automated teller machine, money transfer using the Western Union facility, and cash management to help CULT expand the financial services it offers to credit unions in Thailand. She will be posted in the Philippines as NATCCO’s Financial Officer.

The fifth participant for this batch is Mr. Dennis Locanas, one of NATCCO’s IT Specialists and Systems Officer for its Ekoopbanker Accounting System. His work in the Philippines enables him to evaluate the capability of the accounting and technical aspects of co-operatives to adapt in an automated environment. He will be posted at Credit Union Promotion Club (CUPC), Malaysia particularly with Koperasi Kredit Pekerja-Pekerja Bhd (KKP) or The Workers Cooperative Credit Society Limited, one of CUPC’s major grassroots-based credit unions in Malaysia. He is expected to assist KKP in setting up an IT system that will help them manage and monitor data on loan application and loan repayment, design a basic IT training course for its staff and leaders, and lastly, identify business development services intended for their women and youth member-entrepreneurs.

Mr. Say Rada is one of SEDOC's Field Staff tasked to assist in organizing communities and conducting trainings. Rada will be posted at NATCCO as Micro Finance Officer. His tasks include learning NATCCO's micro-finance program methodologies and approaches as well as their accounting system used in micro-finance to be disseminated to SEDOC's partner and member-organizations upon his return to Cambodia. He is also expected to take part in trainings that will equip him to be one of SEDOC’s Gender Trainers.

Last but not the least is Ms Lem Rachana, SEDOC's Field Officer who will be assigned at CULT as Credit Union Promotion Officer. As SEDOC's goal is to become a professional credit union in Cambodia, Rachana will study and adopt CULT's credit union programs, methodologies, and approaches applicable in the Cambodian setting. She is also expected to learn the accounting system used in credit unions and to identify appropriate accounting standards that they can use at SEDOC. During her stay at CULT, she will also be exposed to gender mainstreaming and transformative leadership activities and trainings.