People empowerment: More pronounced in Lamac Multipurpose Cooperative

The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) defines a cooperative as “an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise. It is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit.” Some individuals with business orientations define it, however, “as a business owned and controlled equally by the people who use its services or who work at it”. While the former definition is generally adopted and the latter has been considered with skepticism, it will remain inarguable that both definitions promote people-empowerment.

Today, however, cooperatives are more appropriately guided by their own core values and propelled by their vision and mission than just mere definition. Sadly though, despite these openly declared commitments and the unceasing support of the different non-governmental organizations as well as the constant regulation of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), a handful of cooperatives failed.

Failures are more evident on cooperatives that are formed at the instance of the landowners. These are cooperatives that are formed by the landowners to allegedly own the lands that are covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).    Apparently landowner-controlled, these cooperative will soon own (in paper) and manage these tracts of land. In reality though, the beneficiaries’ designation as owners and managers of the land they used to till and currently nurture are not even worthy of mentioning for bio-data purposes. Absolutely, these landowners still continue to control and manage these lands.

However, despite these unpalatable developments, other agricultural-based barangay cooperatives thrived and have earned multitudes of accolades. One of these multi-awarded and very accomplished institutions is Lamac Multipurpose Cooperative (LMPC). 

LMPC has humble beginnings. Started in 1973 as “Lamac Samahang Nayon”, a group of 70 tenant-tillers and small farm owners joined an orientation and initially contributed P50.00 each. Managed by members/volunteers, with P3,500.00, they started the operation of Consumer/Marketing Services. Due to leadership problems, however, Lamac Samahang Nayon evolved and young professionals took over management under a new organization, Barangay Lamac Organization on Management Effectiveness System Inc. (BLOMES Inc.). Despite all faced challenges, on March 13, 1992 the Samahang Nayon was transformed and registered into a full pledge multipurpose cooperative under the BLOMES Inc. management.

With the all out support of the members and the Local Government (LGU) who provided the lot in a strategic place of the town, a new branch office building was erected and inaugurated on December 10, 2000.

In the early months of year 2001, LMPC was able to establish linkage with Capital Credit Union (CCU) thru the twinning coop program of Canadian Cooperative Association (CCA) thru VICTO. A group of Canadian coop leaders came to visit LMPC to experience the Filipino coop way of life. In the same year, four of the LMPC coop leaders paid a return visit to Canada to share and exchange views pertaining to coop development.

On June 29, 2001, the LMPC was able to establish the Toledo Branch Office after the amendment of LMPC’s territory to a district-wide (3rd district) activity from a municipal-based operation. Its entry point was the expansion of the MAP and HELP project (since LMPC became the conduit of PCFC and CARE Philippines).

In the year 2002, the Balamban Branch office was established. It initially catered to the members of the Municipalities of Balamban, Asturias and Tuburan.

Due to the increasing demand, in 2004, the Board of Directors amended the area of operation of the cooperative to cover the entire province of Cebu. As soon as it was approved, LMPC established a branch office in Minglanilla to serve its members in the municipalities of Minglanilla, Naga, and the city of Talisay.

In 2005, Tuburan Sub-office was established to assist its members in Tuburan and Tabuelan. Likewise, on the same year, Lutopan and Barili Sub-offices were built to serve its members in the vicinity. 

Early part of the year 2006 another two sub-offices were opened. These are Carcar Sub Office for its members in the southeastern side of Cebu and Bogo Sub-office for the needs of its members in the northern part. To serve its members in the southern part of Cebu, it opened another office in Oslob.  

To serve its members in Metro Cebu, the sub-offices in the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu were established in the latter part of 2006 and 2008 respectively.

Today, Lamac Multi-purpose Cooperative is operating, among others, 14 business offices in the entire province of Cebu, and a resort, a water system, a demo farm, a piggery, a bakeshop, a rice mill and a grocery store in Barangay Lamac, Pinamungajan.

All these achievements anchored on LMPC’s more pronounced vision and mission as well as its core values which goes by the acronym, LOVE, for Loyalty, Oneness, Valor and Empathy. 

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