The History

It all started in February 1991 when a small group of NIA Region IV employees conceived the cooperative idea at the time NIA was organizing farmers into Irrigator’s Association (IA) which would eventually be organized into a cooperative as its business arm. Thirty-four (34) employees volunteered to organized themselves, attend various trainings and seminars at the University of the Philippines (UP) at Los Baños, Laguna; and, paid-up Php 34,000.00 as initial fixed deposits.

In August of the same year, NIA Region IV Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative or NEMCO was born bearing CDA Registration No. MLA–1050. On ad hoc capacity, 7 members of the Board of Directors supervised credit operation of the cooperative in a vacant NIA building permitted for use as its office. NEMCO as it exists today has seven (7) elected Board Members; six (6) functional committees; and, able management staff.

Starting as simple lending, NEMCO now offers various loan types including production loans; bank-like services for savings, time and special deposits; grocery store; food catering; and, also bidding on supplies and materials for NIA. Audited Financial Statement for 2020 shows NEMCO’s current assets amounting to about Php207Millionwith loan receivables from all forms of loans granted to members. Aside from low interest rate, members enjoy easy installment plan, provision for capital build-up, ready access for emergency needs, high interest return on capital or fixed deposits and patronage refund. Its membership also grew from 34members in 1991 to 6,630 (2,359 regular members, 4,333 associate members) ending 2020.

NEMCO started its employment generation when it entered a contract agreement with Art Nature Phils. in 2006. It involved ventilation of wigs for its partner-customers in Japan. In 2008, NEMCO launched Rice Productivity Program, a government project that will provide financial and training assistance to farmers through the initiative of Land Bank of the Philippines. Also, the coop entered into various contract agreements with Art Nature Manufacturing and Eljohn Travels and Tours. Before the year 2009 ended, NEMCO opened its Microfinance Project and Agricultural Store at Brgy. Labuin, Pila, Laguna catering to member-farmers of the cooperative. A tie-up with St. Jude MPC with its funeral service, dairy cattle farming, catering service, Small Enterprise Project, and rice trading were also some of the business ventures of the cooperative.

By 2010, as compliance to Philippine Republic Act 9520, NEMCO conformed to all its requirements and hereby issued its new Certificate of Registration, CDA Reg. No. 9520-04006905.NEMCO had its amendments of Articles of Cooperation and By-Laws approved by CDA. Included in the amendments is the area of coverage of the coop formerly only selected towns in Laguna, now the whole of Region IVA (CALABARZON) and IVB (MIMAROPA).

The community where NEMCO belongs also experiences the benefits of its existence through the various programs and services it extends. Some of these are scholarship program, cash donations to LGU’s activities, sponsorship to some community programs, donations for brigada-eskwela, tie-up for a wheelchair distribution activity, and many others.

Another milestone happened in 2019 as the cooperative launched its newest baby, the NEMCO HOUSING PROJECT. Another business project of the coop intended basically for its members and employees who are dreaming to have decent homes for their families and loved ones.

Products and Services

NEMCO firmly believes that it has touched many lives, not only of its members, but its community as well, in so many ways. The initiative it has done for many years has achieved tangible results like increase in household income or creation of jobs.

1. CREDIT SERVICE

It was in 1991 when NEMCO started its credit service by offering its members various provident and production loans. While some of the members used their loan proceeds to sustain their everyday lives, some used the money by supporting their businesses. Through the years, many of these businesses flourished and expanded, making it the source of livelihood of their respective families.

2. BANK-LIKE OPERATION (SAVINGS AND TIME DEPOSITS)

The bank-like operation of the cooperative is one of the services of NEMCO that is being patronized well by its members due its attractive interest rates both in savings and time deposits. Through this service, depositors earned as much interest compared to other commercial banks which they also use for their own needs and businesses.

3. SPECIAL LIVELIHOOD PROJECT

NEMCO Special Livelihood Project started in 2006 through a Memorandum of Agreement between Japanese investors with company address located in Brgy. Sto.Tomas, Batangas City, the Art Nature Manufacturing Phils or ANMP. This livelihood project of the cooperative employs more than100 workers who are out of school youth, mothers, fathers, and students who are from Pila, Laguna and its nearby towns. These workers whom we call Ventilators create wig/wiglets made up of natural and synthetic hair fibers especially made for the Japanese customers.

4. RICE PRODUCTIVITY PROGRAM

The farmers are our most loved people here at NEMCO. Because of the Rice Productivity Program of the cooperative, the farmers can avail loans every season which they can use for land preparation and agricultural needs. Payment of loans, with very low interest rates, is done right after the harvest of palay. In 2019 with two planting/harvest seasons, NEMCO was able to released loans to 271 farmers.

5. SMALL ENTERPRISE PROJECT

• GROCERY STORE
  • The birth of NEMCO Grocery Store happened when the COVID-19 pandemic started in March 2020. Customers, due to pandemic, no longer need to go out of their houses to buy their essential needs because of the availability of NEMCO’s Online Shopping. Orders and purchases are done through the coop’s social media platforms. The grocery store caters to all the needs of the community, member or non-member, for pick-up or for delivery, and open from Mondays thru Saturdays or even Sundays if the needs arise.
• WATER REFILLING STATION
  • Because water is a basic necessity, our service to the members of the cooperative continues. Be it mineral, purified, or alkaline water, NEMCO will deliver your needs right on your door steps.
• NFA RICE OUTLET
  • NEMCO is also an accredited NFA rice outlet since 2017. The cooperative also sells commercial rice to its employees, members, and the community as well.
• PHOTOCOPYING SERVICE, CATERING SERVICE, ONLINE TICKETING
  • These services of the cooperative do not just add income to NEMCO, but also create employment to some individuals especially during special occasions. On-call personnel who are skillful when it comes to catering service matters are immediately coordinated with during special events.

6. FUNERAL SERVICE (TIE-UP WITH ST. JUDE MPC)

Through referral by NEMCO, the bereaved family of the departed member of the cooperative receives discounted price if they choose St. Jude Funeral Service.

7. FARM SERVICE PROVIDER

In 2012, farm equipment was awarded to NEMCO by the Department of Agriculture. Because of this, the cooperative is able to lend this equipment to our farmers at very minimal service fees.

8. HOUSING PROJECT

Another milestone happened in 2019 as the cooperative launched its newest baby, the NEMCO HOUSING PROJECT. Another business project of the coop intended basically for its members and employees who dream of having decent homes for their families and loved ones. It is located in Purok 1, Brgy. Labuin, Pila, Laguna with lot area of 11,310 square meters, divided into 60 units, called NEMCO VILLAGE.

           Rather than seeing those in poverty as a market for goods, NEMCO’s solution basically lies in understanding how to help those living in poverty create their own businesses. Here in our cooperative, production loans are readily available for our members. With very easy to accomplish requirements and presentation of workable business plan, the members will be able to start-up or sustain their own businesses. Production Loan (For Palay and Hog Raising), Small-Scale Business Loan, Rice Production Loan, and Negosyo Loan are among the loan windows available in NEMCO.

           Aside from the availability of loans for members, the cooperative has been keeping its almost 15 years sub-contracting agreement with Art Nature Manufacturing Phils (ANMP). NEMCO Special Livelihood Project is a business/service created by the cooperative providing employment to our community. By way of WIG Ventilation, mothers/fathers, out of school youth, and some students who are living in Pila, Laguna and nearby towns are able to earn money for a living.

          Also, with the creation of some of NEMCO’s businesses, many individuals were able to benefit and be employed to support themselves and their families. With the upcoming construction of NEMCO VILLAGE, a huge number of skilled and unskilled workers will definitely be hired.

          Most importantly, through the years, this cooperative is able to provide employment to many individuals, young and old, professionals and non-professionals. As of the moment, thirty(30) regular employees are working in this prestigious company.

Financial Viability

                The presentation below shows NEMCO’s 5-year financial status, a proof that the cooperative is able to generate its own income sufficient enough to meet its core operating expenses and financial obligation as well as being able to invest in its future growth and development.

Year	1 2016	2 2017	3 2018	4 2019	5 2020
Net Income	2,541,307	2,825,661	3,274,246	3,522,802	1,368,197
Total Assets	148,008,780	153,371,048	180,915,747	197,071,328	207,646,627
Total Liabilities	105,527,822	109,818,596	134,144,620	141,520,837	151,047,078
Paid-Up Capital	37,104,043	38,478,700	41,200,000	50,065,398	52,701,464

Long-term sustainability in today’s environment requires a dedicated focus on strategic goals, an eye toward the future, the ability to be flexible, and a persistent focus on the needs of your clients. Above all, strong company leaders will remain focused on smart growth, stay informed of industry trends, and possess an unwavering willpower to guide the company ever forward in order to adapt, survive, and most importantly, succeed.

With that, NEMCO commits to a higher form of quality products and services through its long-term plan and being able to balance the need to generate income, at the same time being concerned about conservation, protection and restoration of the environment, and having the organizational capacity to continue to achieve its enterprise goals.

Adaptability

We believe that the initiative done by NEMCO through the years must have been successful since some of these have been adapted by others or shows promise of being adapted.

            It was in the year 2010 when NEMCO bagged the most prestigious award for cooperatives as it was hailed 1ST PLACE IN GAWAD PITAK NG LAND BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES PARA SA PINAKATANGING KOOPERATIBA. Since then, the cooperative consistently won in the said award-giving body. NEMCO was also placed as HALL FAMER in TOFARM Awards sponsored by JCI Phils.

            From then on, countless numbers of cooperatives coming from different parts of the country, from North to South, had made their LAKBAY-ARAL to NEMCO. And not only that, one (1) batch from Mongolia and seven (7) batches of cooperative leaders who travelled all the way from Thailand also paid visit to our cooperative in order to study and adapt our best practices in terms of operation and management.

            NEMCO is also continuously implementing its KOOP KAPATID PROGRAM since we believe that we all in the cooperative sector must help one another. In this program, the cooperative is giving assistance to our small brothers either on the technical aspect or financial matter.

Best Practices

• Every day conduct of Pre Membership Education Seminar
• Membership Classification Policy
• Voluntary Payment
• Complete Policies
• Continuous Training of Staff and Officers
• Big Brother-Small Brother Program or Koop Kapatid Program

Covid-19 Pandemic

With the spread of the COVID-19, the world has faced a time of extraordinary uncertainty. It is a time when things that were previously unimaginable are now a reality. It has caused the mandatory shutdowns of non-essential businesses and the confinement of millions of people to their homes. The impact is unevenly distributed for households, workers and businesses; further worsening inequalities that already exist. Cooperatives, their employees, members and communities have also been deeply impacted, although unequally depending on the sectors and the stage of the spread of the virus in their region or country.

In this time of adversities, NEMCO remained committed to its mission to be of service to its members and its community. It has supported various groups and individuals, members and non-members, people of all ages, by way of financial, moral and material assistance ever since the start of pandemic. Cooperative members and its employees have shared equally the benefits brought by NEMCO.

PREPARED BY:

ROMEO E. MALINAWAN

Administrative Officer

NORMILYN P. JAVIER

General Manager