VIENTIANE 2008:
PHILIPPINES
The ‘ILAW NG TAHANAN’ MULTI-PURPOSE COOPERATIVE & ‘BAYANIHAN’ ECONOMY
Marcelina G. Silvestre
Chairperson, INT Multipurpose Cooperative
Dumarais is a rural village in the province of Tarlac, where PATAMABA members had been organized and formed a multi-purpose cooperative called, “The ILAW ng TAHANAN”, which relates to the role of women in ancient times as the “light of the homes”. “BAYANIHAN Economy”, a Filipino term for Solidarity Economy, has long been practiced in this community where people help one another in times of needs or crisis.
The INT Multipurpose Cooperativegrew from the PATAMABA Tarlac Chapter that was organized way back in 1992, with twenty rural women homebased workers, including a few widows, engaged in food processing (taho [soya curd]making, meat processing, peanut butter, salted eggs), duck raising, doormat, slipper and rug making, etc. as economic activities. In 1994, it received a grant from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to purchase 5 sewing machines for making curtains, rugs and bedroom slippers. The INT Multipurpose Cooperative was registered with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) in 2002. On December 19, 2003, INT MPC was awarded by the Cooperative Bank of Tarlac Province as model center because of a successful 100% repayment rate. In 2004, through a project funded by OXFAM Hongkong, INT MPC was selected as one of the pilot areas of the project which implement and advocate social marketing and fair trade. The cooperative was granted Php 100,000 as marketing fund for product development and sales promotion.
As a group enterprise and a cooperative, officers have designated functions to ensure smooth operational flow, specially in providing credit assistance to members. Before the start of every meeting, members recite the “Sampung Utos”, or the organization’s own version of the “Ten Commandments”, as an affirmation of their commitment to the values and objectives of the organization.
Aside from enhancing the skills of rural women in the field of entrepreneurship/livelihood while simultaneously attending to their multiple responsibilities at home and at work, the INT MPC has widened the horizon of rural women members. They were able to save for the future and realized the importance of savings mobilization and social security and protection. They have developed self-confidence and became strong advocates of women’s economic, social and cultural rights.
The INT MPC is proud of its achievements and the various linkages it has developed through the years. Affiliation with HomeNet Philippines Network and with a rural women’s network enable advocating for the rights of homebased and other workers in the informal economy, and rural women’s rights to food security, and reproductive health, respectively. Moreover, the INT has gained recognition from the Tarlac Confederation of Cooperatives; accreditation from the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Tarlac; and representation in the cooperative board in the province. The INT was also awarded “Best in Processed Food Products for Peanut Butter Production” by the Department of Agriculture, with cash reward from the Department of Agrarian Reform. It also awarded by the San Miguel Corporation as exemplary women’s cooperative practicing fair trade principles and promoting organic foods.
PROBLEMS AND LESSONS LEARNED
There is a need to develop group capacity on small enterprise management, lobbying and advocacy skills. At the grassroots level, workers still need awareness on the situation of rural women. Budget for capacity building (on the cooperative system), and purchasing of food processing equipment and tools is insufficient. Women need more assistance for marketing and product promotion. Then there are natural calamities and disasters that disrupt work schedule and income generation.
Recruitment of new members to the cooperative has been a continuing endeavor. The need for paid staff to boost the administrative capability of the organization has been identified and the organization is looking at the possibility of realizing this. The organization will pursue capacity and skills training of officers to expand and formalize operations.
WAYS FORWARD
Members hope to realize the institutionalization of a social protection scheme through the cooperative, and the integration of gender issues in community organizing and in enterprise development. Right now, solidarity exists - in production, partnership and collaboration with different stakeholders. The Ilaw ng Tahanan Multi-Purpose Cooperative looks forward to a sustainable development towards empowering its women members and capacitate them in all fields of development. In terms of advocacy work and skills upgrading, the following will be implemented: a) Campaign for the passage of Magna Carta for Workers in the Informal Economy; b) Integration of occupational safety & health in the enterprise development program; and c) Capacity building, and skills upgrading on social enterprises and livelihood
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