It was a sunny day at the Brgy. Sapang Palay Proper, City of San Jose Del Monte. Ten (10) new units of modernized jeepney and two (2) new units of bus were parked in front of the Gumamela Hall Convention Center. These units were newly purchased by the PAGUNOVA Transport and Multi-purpose Service, in line with the government’s transport modernization program.
PAGUNOVA Transport and Multi-purpose Service Cooperative invited representatives from the cooperative sector and its government partners. Among the guests present were Mr. Margarito Sello, Chairman of Sapang Palay Minuyan Loop Transport Service Cooperative; Ms. Divina Quemi, CEO of Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives; Mr. Jesus Ferdinand Ortega, Chairman of the Office of Transport Cooperatives; Mr. CJ Marbella, representative of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board; Mr. Edmundo Cadavona, Chairman of the National Federation of Transport Cooperatives; Ms. Leonila Daza, City Cooperative Officer of the City of San Jose Del Monte (CSJDM); Dir. Roberto Esquivel, Head of the City Traffic Management Group of CSJDM; Mr. Richard D.R. Tubiera, representative of the Mayor of CSJDM; other representatives from government partners like the Provincial Cooperative and Enterprise Office (PCEDO), the City Cooperative Development Office (CCDO) of CSJDM, and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of CSJDM; and fellow cooperative members of the transport service sector.
The event was also graced by representatives from the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), led by Usec. Joseph Encabo, Chairman of the Board of Directors, as accompanied by Mr. Nelson D. Evangelista, Assistant Regional Director of CDA Regional Office III.
The program was hosted by Hon. Alfredo, Barangay Councilor of San Isidro, CSJDM and started with a prayer led by Mr. Margarito Sello. It was then followed by the singing of the National Anthem and the CSJDM Hymn, and Opening Remarks by Mr. Leonardo Bautista, Chairman of PAGUNOVA Transport and Multi-purpose Service Cooperative.
Afterwards, guests were called to provide messages of inspiration to the cooperative. Each of them highlighted different points. Ms. Divina Quemi encouraged the inclusion of women in the transport sector. She also noted that the government’s programs for the transport sector intends to empower the sector and its participants.
Usec. Joseph Encabo mentioned the recent challenges faced by the modernization program. Chairman Encabo believes that the transport sector is like a family; and that in order to improve this family’s quality of life, necessary changes must be embraced. To strengthen the transport sector, different government agencies are working together to implement the necessary solutions. Usec. Encabo also reiterated the importance of proper leadership; that when leaders claim ownership of the organization, the organization starts to fail. He reminded everyone in the room that the transport sector’s tagline is ”bridging lives, connecting people”. He also said that development isn’t achieved overnight; it requires time and effort. He ended his message by assuring everyone that the CDA will support the cooperative and the sector all the way.
After Usec. Encabo’s message, everyone was asked to head to where the new units were parked. A brief blessing ceremony was conducted by Rev. Fr. Genaro Supremido, followed by the ribbon-cutting led by Usec. Encabo.
When the ceremonies were done and photos were taken, everyone was asked to return to the function hall for the continuation of the program. Another set of guests were called to provide messages of inspiration.
Mr. Jesus Ferdinand Ortega commended PAGUNOVA Transport and Multi-purpose Service Cooperative for being one of the most successful transport cooperatives in the city. He also praised the City of San Jose Del Monte for being true to its tagline, “The rising city”. As such, similar to how the city proudly shows its progress, Mr. Ortega encouraged the cooperative to show itself to the world, because it is a perfect example of a compliant and successful transport cooperative.
Mr. CJ Marbella read the message of inspiration from Mr. Nasrudin Talipasan, Regional Director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region III. He gave his words of assurance that the agency is one with the cooperative as it reaches for its goals. Meanwhile, Mr. Edmundo Cadavona shared the story of how they searched the country for any opportunity to secure loans for the purchase of these units, which, according to him, they found in Vigan. He then thanked Ms. Divine for her assistance. He ended his message by saying that when people are united, anything can be accomplished.
Ms. Leonila Daza touched the hearts of the crowd by saying that she’s aware of the difficulties that the cooperative faced and commended how well it surpassed those challenges. She then reminded everyone that the life of the cooperative is in the hands of those who manage it. On another note, Dir. Roberto Esquivel emphasized the importance of good governance. He also assured those in the transport sector that they will work hard to make sure that money extortion never becomes prevalent in the municipality.
Lastly, Richard Tubiera congratulated PAGUNOVA Transport and Multi-purpose Service Cooperative for being one of the most successful transport cooperatives in CSJDM. He also advised everyone to absorb the principles and learnings from all the guest speakers in the event, as they were all very valuable pieces of advice.
Newly appointed members of PAGUNOVA’s Board of Directors were then called to stand in front of the crowd for their oath-taking, which was led by Usec. Joseph Encabo. It was followed by the oath-taking of the committee officers, which was also led by Usec. Encabo.
Before the program ended, Mr. Leonardo Bautista wowed the crowd by effortlessly reciting the definition of a cooperative and reminding everyone of the real essence of a coop’s existence. He mentioned that his vision for cooperatives is that this sector will become the most financially successful one in the country in the future.
Prepared by:
Sgd. Dianne Marie B. Balleza
Cooperative Development Specialist CDS II
