LAGAWE, IFUGAO – – Ifugao Global Entrepreneurs Multi-Purpose Cooperative (IGEMCO) general manager Godfrey Dominong is studying the possibility of creating additional satellite offices and display centers in the province.
This is among the possibilities that the Lagawe-based IGEMCO is looking into should its board of directors give their nod to the said proposal, Dominong told the ZigZag Weekly.
This development if pursued and realized shall be viewed as another milestone of the 7,000-member IGEMCO.
The idea to further expand its reach in this upland Cordillera province came into the heels of the opening a new office of its Diffun satellite office. Diffun is a town in Quirino province.
The new Diffun office is located just adjacent the old one. Along the national highway and in front of a gasoline station, it is still conveniently situated at a major two-story building. Its account officer is Cheryl Ambonon. “We moved to a bigger office in answer to the unprecedented growth of IGEMCO here and to provide the best services possible,” Ambonon said.
A few days later, IGEMCO opened its new display center in Lamut town of Ifugao. IGEMCO easily accounts for a significant number of its members in this farming municipality.
There are also satellite offices in Hingyon and Banaue towns.
“Maybe in a couple of months from now and it depends on the decision of the Board of Directors,” Dominong said.
“There are certain considerations to be tackled in our meeting,” he added.
In an exclusive interview with the ZigZag Weekly, Dominong in underscoring the vitality of cooperatives in the countryside pointed out that “plans are afoot to create at least two satellite offices this year.” However, no specific towns were mentioned by him.
To date, there are no satellite offices in Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista, Hungduan, Kiangan, Mayoyao and Tinoc towns.
As of January of this year, IGEMCO has attracted the attention of folks in Maddela, Quirino and Solano, Nueva Vizcaya to join the cooperative. License papers of prospective quarters in these two towns are reportedly in order.
The IGEMCO has also ventured into the construction and agriculture supplies business.
Dominong said the provision of better services to members remains a priority.
“We assure everyone of meaningful and productive actions of our officers for firmer acceleration of prosperity among members and their loved ones,” Dominong asserted.
The holding of key assembly meetings in March of this year is expected to heightened interest of members on IGEMCO’s forward-looking plans in the coming years. Assemblies are scheduled in Diffun, Banaue, Hingyon, Lamut and Lagawe.
“I would like to urge each one to participate actively in our assemblies, starting first in Diffun, Quirino on March 6,” Dominong said.
This early, Dominong has voiced his optimism that most members are likely to respond affirmatively to his call.
“I also appreciate their all-out support and active participation in IGEMCO’s various projects, events and activities throughout the past year,” he motioned.
The dissemination of valuable information to the public through the IGEMCO Times is another major project of the cooperative.
“The publication’s role to establish the widest participation of members in IGEMCO’s programs, projects and activities is so important,” he stressed.
The IGEMCO Times has been established to encourage members to be key players in community and nation-building tasks and keep a watchful eye on their needs, wants and sentiments on key concerns affecting them.
IGEMCO, Dominong pointed out, is becoming an important partner of the Ifugao provincial government, in particular, and the national government, in general, in ensuring financial inclusion in Philippine society.
This thinking would be most helpful to members of IGEMCO, many of them are poor. Financial inclusion is currently one of the top elements of the officialdom’s sustainable development agenda. Traditionally, cooperatives as this one are seen as instruments in improving the conditions of the people. Presently, cooperatives are indispensable tools in curbing poverty incidence in marginalized communities. Conversely, the IGEMCO and many other cooperatives here have integral role in upgrading the socio-economic life in Ifugao, one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines.
Fortunately, IGEMCO will not grow tired of helping the poor, sick and needy. Over the years, the IGEMCO- through Dominong and the other dedicated officers, was involved in various socially-oriented undertakings that pushed its interest in promoting the well-being of the people.
Many trust and fervently hope that officers have passionate longing and commitment to serve them dutifully and faithfully well shall continue as such way beyond the all-important March assemblies. The need to know who are doing so among the officers shall be determined in a web of relationships from time to time. This is how important actions for the common good are.
A number of Filipinos have joined cooperatives in order to overcome financial difficulties and invest a good deal of their hard-earned money in the absence of commercial banks in rural areas.
One of the major cooperatives in Ifugao, IGEMCO has unsurpassed track record, serving as inspirations to many others. It has no choice but continue striving for initiatives geared at giving its members quality lives. Given this situation, there is still hope for folks who have experienced being overlooked or neglected by the government. **By Anthony A. Araos
