As government leader of Ilocos Norte, Bongbong Marcos (BBM) gave me the definite impression he was a good governor (GG). The other day, via Facebook, I discovered him an unknown but good gospeler (GG) for cooperatives, which I had conceived could provide a common good gate (GG) out of poverty for Filipino farming communities!
I am reading BBM’s 800-word speech, “A Model For Philippine Cooperative Development[1]” delivered 17 October 2011 at the “Cavite Cooperatives Month” celebration courtesy of Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla. BBM’s last sentence is an eye-opener:
“How fitting and glorious that cooperatives development should find its greatest exponent here in the province where the Philippine Republic was born.”
(lower image[2] by Atty Sugar, YouTube)
Before this, I already believed the cooperative can be the most applicable and most potent vehicle for community development in this country, given millions of farmer families suffering what we Ilocanos call “gawat” – lack of money – which occurs twice yearly in-between planting and harvesting of rice. Gawat is brought about by the fact that farmers borrow money from five-sixers – they borrow 5 and pay back 6, no questions asked.
Gawat is a wound inflicted by farmers on their own families. Farmers cultivate rice, corn and/or vegetables, but do not cultivate thrift and business-mindedness.
I am a member of the Nagkaisa Multi-Purpose Cooperative in my hometown of Asingan, Pangasinan. I am a son of a farmer and I did help in the growing of vegetables in our dryland farm (bangkag) across the Chico River. Neither rich nor poor, my father did not have to resort to five-six to finance his dryland (vegetables) & wetland (rice) farming.
Millions of Filipino farmers are not so fortunate. And that is why I have been thinking that the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), an agency under the Department of Agriculture (DA), should formulate & fund a multi-Billionpeso loan program for multi-purpose cooperatives (MPCs) throughout the islands, so that the MPCs can provide loans, equipment, trainings, production, processing and marketing services to member farmers. That program I call Technical & Utility Loans & Learning Offerings & Opportunities Necessary for Group Development of Agriculture (TULONGDA). Village farmers need a complete package of assistances to rise from poverty and stay up there!
Now then, I am 100% sure BBM would be a willing father to DA’s TULONGDA. BBM had seen how hundreds of cooperatives can work for thousands of people – in Cavite. He said in his speech:
It’s wonderful and thrilling for me to see that the cooperative movement is alive and well here in Cavite. And it’s inspiring to learn that there are hundreds of thriving cooperatives in your province, and that their combined membership runs to nearly 100,000 members.
As former governor of Ilocos Norte, I know firsthand about the role that cooperatives can play in the development and wellbeing of local communities.
Cooperative Cavite country-wide cultivating cooperatives cultivating crops cultivating communities’ creativity – BBM, that will be going great!@517
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