Twenty-two cooperatives are this year’s recipients of the Villar SIPAG Awards on Poverty Reduction for their role in improving the quality of life of its members, especially in the countryside.
The awardees each received P250,000 in cash from the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG). The Villar family composed of former Senate President Manny Villar, Senator Cynthia Villar, Vista Land CEO Paolo Villar, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar handed the awards to representatives of the cooperatives coming from different parts of the country. Two cooperatives which received special citations were granted P150,000 each.
The awarding ceremony was held at the newly-inaugurated The Tent at Vista Global South in Las Piñas City. The occasion coincides with the celebration of the birthday of Manny Villar, who was also former Speaker of the House of Representatives and founding chairman of Villar SIPAG.
“We hope to be able to encourage them and provide support to their projects.”
“The indispensable role of cooperatives in the realization of our people’s common aspiration especially in the rural areas should be recognized. Through this award that we give out yearly, we hope to be able to encourage them and provide support to their projects,” Sen. Villar, director of Villar SIPAG, said.
From 24 members, the Kooperatiba Naton Multipurpose Cooperative now has more than 1,600 members.”
One of the awardees is the Kooperatiba Naton Multipurpose Cooperative which was established in 2004 with 24 members in Iloilo and an initial capital of P7,000. They started as a store selling rice and groceries to their church members. Now they have more than 1,600 members and assets worth more than P81 million.
Also among the awardees are cooperatives that provide support to farmers and fisherfolks through cheap credit and other forms of assistance.
The 2019 winners of the Villar SIPAG awards on poverty reduction are:
1. KILUS Foundation Environmental Multi-purpose Cooperative (Barangay Ugong, Pasig City)
2. Margins, Church Social Enterprise (Manila)
3. Pag asa ng Paglaya Multipurpose Cooperative (Poblacion, Muntinlupa City)
4. Lagawe Multi-purpose Development Cooperative (LMDC) (Lagawe, Ifugao)
5. Suyo Multi-purpose Cooperative (Suyo, Ilocos Sur)
6. Alliance of Land Bank Assisted Cooperatives (ALBACOPA) Federation of Cooperatives (Sta. Maria, Pangasinan)
7. Saint Joseph Multi-Purpose Cooperative-Belance (Dupax Del Norte, Nueva Viscaya)
8. Watch Life Workers Multi-purpose Cooperative (Mariveles, Bataan)
9. Batangas Egg Producers Cooperative (BEPCO) (San Jose, Batangas)
10. Shoreline Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (SKKI) (Naic, Cavite)
11. Luntian Multi-purpose Cooperative (Tiaong, Quezon)
12. Entrepreneurs Alumni Development Cooperative (EADCOOP) (Daraga, Albay)
13. Kooperatiba Naton Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Tigbauan, Iloilo)
14. Association of Negros Producers, Inc. (Bacolod City, Negros Occidental)
15. Abuyog Saint Francis Xavier Credit Cooperative (AFCCO) (Abuyog, Leyte)
16. People’s Micro-Finance Corporation (Tumaga, Zamboanga City)
17. Labason Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Zamboanga Del Norte)
18. King Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Davao City)
19. Mangagoy Fishermen’s’ Multi-purpose Cooperative (Bislig, Surigao del Sur)
20. Mantibungao Agrarian Beneficiaries Farmers’ Cooperative (MABFC) (Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon)
Meanwhile,special awards were given to Bigay Buhay (Building Lives) Multi-purpose Cooperative of Novaliches, Quezon City; and Mansalay Farmers and Fishermen Multi-purpose Cooperative (MAFDECO) of Roxas, Oriental Mindoro.