Paglaum Consolidated Multipurpose Cooperative (PCMPC): From Humble Beginnings to a Hall of Hope
Founded in 1993 through the merger of two cooperatives, Paglaum Consolidated Multipurpose Cooperative (PCMPC) began with only 168 members and limited capital. What sustained the cooperative through its early struggles was a shared vision: to uplift lives through unity, discipline, and self-reliance.
Starting with basic savings and lending services, PCMPC gradually expanded into merchandising, tailoring, housing, and agricultural trading. Despite strong pressure to borrow capital, the Board of Directors upheld a firm policy of building the cooperative through internal resources. Members collectively increased their share capital, particularly to support copra trading—an industry deeply rooted in the community where most members are coconut farmers.
Government support played a catalytic role in PCMPC’s growth. Assistance from the Department of Agriculture, including a coconut dryer and later cargo trucks, enabled the cooperative to reach broader markets such as Davao City. Additional support under the Philippine Rural Development Project further strengthened its trading operations.
Today, PCMPC has grown into a medium-sized cooperative with 869 members, rising capitalization, and a consistently increasing net surplus. Members enjoy concrete benefits such as free hauling of produce, competitive buying prices, incentives, and annual patronage refunds. These services have directly contributed to higher farm productivity, improved household income, and better quality of life for members and their families.
Guided by its core values—Service Orientation, Honesty, Enthusiasm, Equality, Transparency, and Solidarity—PCMPC continues to expand its reach with support from CDA, PCDO, MPEC, and development partners such as Grameen, Rabobank, and GIZ. After more than three decades, PCMPC remains a living testament that through cooperation, there is always hope.
Upper Biangan Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (UBFACO): Leadership, Unity, and Farmer-Centered Growth
The roots of the Upper Biangan Farmers Agriculture Cooperative can be traced back to 1994, when the United Church of Christ in the Philippines initiated a community-based credit union aimed at fostering economic development. Despite peace and order challenges in its early years, the cooperative endured through unity and strong community support.
By 2010, the cooperative began acquiring essential farm equipment such as tractors and hauling trucks, allowing members to expand production and improve market access. In 2022, it formally evolved into the Upper Biangan Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (UBFACO), engaging more actively in agricultural trading and processing, including investments in coconut-based processing machinery.
At the heart of UBFACO’s success is people-centered leadership. Cooperative leaders maintain close engagement with members, ensuring that decisions reflect collective needs and aspirations. This participatory approach has strengthened trust and encouraged members to adopt good agricultural practices, diversify crops, and explore new income-generating opportunities.
Membership in the cooperative has also improved access to government programs, as institutional support is more effectively channeled through organized associations rather than individuals. Through fair pricing, improved market systems, and continuous capacity building, UBFACO has enabled its members to achieve greater economic stability.
The cooperative’s experience underscores a vital lesson: technology and systems matter, but meaningful leadership and genuine connection with members remain the foundation of sustainable cooperative growth.
Sta. Catalina Multipurpose Cooperative (SCMPC): Four Decades of Resilience and Inclusive Development
Sta. Catalina Multipurpose Cooperative (SCMPC) was established in 1983 in response to a severe drought that left farmers without harvests, food, or income. Exploitation by traders further worsened the situation, prompting church leaders and community members to organize a parish-based micro cooperative with an initial share capital of only PHP 7,000.
From this modest beginning, SCMPC steadily grew while remaining faithful to its mission of helping members rise out of poverty. Today, the cooperative manages over PHP 230 million in assets and operates a diversified portfolio that includes trading, processing, and marketing of rice, corn, coconut, copra, and dehusked nuts. It has also ventured into livestock, dairy buffalo, swine, and poultry production, maximizing local resources and strengthening resilience.
Members benefit from fair pricing, incentives, accessible credit facilities, equity loans, and social protection services such as insurance and emergency assistance. Despite volatility in the agricultural sector, SCMPC has maintained stable markets and plays a key role in public nutrition by supplying iron-fortified rice to the Department of Education’s School-Based Feeding Program. It is the only licensed producer of this product in Region XII.
After more than 42 years, SCMPC continues to be guided by transparency, honesty, commitment, and strong Christian values. Looking ahead, the cooperative envisions harnessing agricultural raw materials—particularly rice—through appropriate technologies to support renewable energy initiatives. Its long-term goal is to become a leading model of a sustainable and inclusive cooperative enterprise in the Philippines.
