#CoopsAgainstCOVID19
The Story of Bayanihan During WWC (World War Covid)
By: HAROLD S. GARRIDO
The COVID 19 (Corona Virus Disease) is currently becoming humanity’s biggest threat to health, economy, and even freedom, in global scale. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared this disease as pandemic, having affected millions of people around the globe. Our country is just one of the nations that has become a victim of this invisible enemy.
Needless to state, the pandemic has brought an overwhelming negative impact in the lives of the people. Companies had no choice but to close their businesses, leaving their employees jobless. With the scarce supply of food and basic necessities, the marginalized sectors were even more affected. However, our country is blessed to have organizations whose members are compassionate and kind-hearted. In their own small way, cooperatives extend assistance and try their best to reach out to people affected by the situation.
The micro and small cooperatives listed below gave support to their members and communities where their respective businesses are operating:
| Name of Cooperative | Coop-Initiated Activities/Programs/Services | Beneficiaries | Amount Spent | |
| Members | Non- members | |||
| Community Initiative Support Initiative Socio Economic Enterprise Consumers Cooperative (CIS-SEEC) | Distributed relief packs consisting of 5 kilograms of rice, canned goods, and hygienic kits | 88 | 15,000 | |
| Manapa Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries and Community Cooperative (MARBCC) | Distributed 6 kilograms of rice to 230 members and 4 kilograms of rice to 65 non-members in the community | 230 | 65 | 59,000 |
| Tagmamarkay Coconut Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (TACOFACO) | Gave 2 kilograms of rice to the entire 512 households in the barangay | 56 | 456 | 25,000 |
Community Initiative Support-Socio Economic Enterprise (CIS-SEEC) is a consumers cooperative, with registered address at Brgy. Sacol, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte. It is a relatively new cooperative, having been registered only last November 2019. The cooperative’s main business is merchandising/retailing. Despite being new and classified as a micro cooperative, it did not hesitate to help members affected by the lockdown. The CIS-SEEC conducted bayanihan activity and distributed relief packs last March 25, 2020.
The Manapa Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries and Community Cooperative (MARBCC) is a farmers cooperative, organized by the farming community of Km. 12, Purok-5, Brgy. Manapa, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte. This cooperative ventures on lending, consumer store, merchandising/retailing, and lumpia/meat processing. Despite being part of the marginalized sector, the coop allocated P 59,000.00 as donation to the heavily affected members and non- members. The cooperative was classified last year from micro to small when its assets exceeded 3 million pesos.
The Tagmamarkay Coconut Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (TACOFACO) is a micro cooperative located at Barrio Site, Purok-3, Tagmamarkay, Tubay, Agusan del Norte. This cooperative showed that being “small” in terms of assets is not the gauge in order to help. Recently, its bakery business was shut down due to the COVID crisis, but despite the heartbreaking situation, the officers remained hopeful and allocated funds to help the 512 households of the entire barangay. This is because it believes that blessings should be shared and distributed to all, no matter how small.
The foregoing bayanihan activities were successfully initiated while observing strict social distancing and wearing of masks. Members and communities were greatly thankful for the generosity of these cooperatives. They may be classified as micro and small cooperatives but with BIG hearts!
The virus may have the effect of keeping people physically or socially distant from one another, but despite this fact, these three (3) cooperatives did not lockdown their hearts. Their vision and mission to uplift the lives of their members in every way possible did not falter. They were not swayed by fear and went out of their way to help even their communities.
In difficult times like these, we must come together as one, regardless of status, gender, and beliefs. Let us give ourselves to help HEAL OUR LAND. *******
