LAKAS BAYANIHAN CREDIT COOPERATIVE MARKS ITS FIRST DAY OF OPERATIONS WITH RIBBON CUTTING AND OFFICE DEDICATION

On October 8, 2021, The Lakas Bayanihan Credit Cooperative marked an important milestone as it celebrated its grand opening with a Ribbon Cutting and office dedication ceremony at the second level of the PNP Multi-Level Carpark Building, Camp Rafael T. Crame, Quezon City. No less than The Deputy Chief for Administration (TDCA) Philippine National Police (PNP) PLTGEN JOSELITO M VERA CRUZ was the Guest of Honor and Speaker (GOHAS) representing Chief PNP PGEN GUILLERMO LORENZO T ELEAZAR.

The program started at 2 O’Clock in the afternoon with a ribbon cutting at the main entrance of the newly refurbished office. PLTGEN Vera Cruz was assisted by the LBCC Chairman of the Board LTGEN JAIME S DELOS SANTOS (Ret), Vice Chairman PMGEN RODOLFO S AZURIN JR and Board Member PBGEN STEVE B LUDAN who took time to travel all the way from Cagayan Valley where he serves as the PNP Regional Director. Special guests included representatives from our partner China Bank Savings and insurance partner . The office dedication was administered by Pastor Nilo Cacela.

In his inspirational message, PLTGEN VERA CRUZ congratulated the LBCC officers and board members present for their hard work and dedication in making the Lakas Bayanihan Credit Cooperative a reality. He expressed his optimism on the future of the Cooperative on its mission and vision of enabling its members particularly the members of the uniformed services, in achieving a better quality of life, uplifting their economic and financial well being, and responding to their financial needs. Having a cooperative founded on social and economic upliftment of its members is indeed a worthy undertaking, and is bound to succeed in every way possible. Indeed, his message is a fitting tribute for all the hard work and sacrifices of the officers and members of the LAKAS BAYANIHAN CREDIT COOPERATIVE.

The Beginning: Search for a Worthwhile Cause

The event marked the realization of years of hard work initiated by the Chairman of the Board, LTGEN Delos Santos who, in his capacity then as the Chairman of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association, Inc. (PMAAAI) in 2017. Assisting him in setting up a worthwhile cause was PMGEN Rodolfo Azurin Jr, then President of the PMAAAI. They were able to generate funds from several fund-raising initiatives with the participation of several PMA classes. With the assumption of the next set of PMAAAI Board and with PBGEN Ludan being elected as the next PMAAAI President, the outgoing officers convinced the new set of officers to continue the plan to set up a cooperative that would serve the needs of our men in uniform and their dependents. THus was born the concept for the LAKAS BAYANIHAN CREDIT COOPERATIVE which initially targeted officers and men of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Expanding the Cause

With the initial seed capital pooled from the earnings of the different PMA alumni classes, the past and present officers and the various class representatives met and decided to invite officers from the other uniformed services like the LAKANs or graduates of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA who serve in the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and Bureaus of Fire Protection (BFP). The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) was also included as its officer corps also included PMA alumni or Cavaliers.

In September 2020, this initial group of Cavaliers and Lakans formed the initial core of membership to the LAKAS BAYANIHAN CREDIT COOPERATIVE and attended the very first Pre-Membership Education Seminar (PMES) facilitated by the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA). The first set of seven (7) Board Members were elected and CDA approved the establishment and accreditation of LBCC on March 10 2021, with an initial authorized capitalization of FORTY MILLION PESOS (PHP 40,000,000.00).

By the middle of CY 2021, the initial Board of seven (7) members was expanded to fifteen (15) with the adoption of a new Articles of Cooperation and By-Laws. PBGEN Ludan also initiated the formation of the first Cooperative Management Team that was tasked to undertake the necessary ground works for the operationalization of the LBCC. By June 2021, the Board formally approved the formation of the management team of five (5) members This Management Team, headed by a General Manager (GM), an Assistant GM and three (3) staff members now forms the core of the executive organization or management team which also serves as the secretariat of the Board.

By September, 2021 the LBCC was able to conduct two more PMES that saw the attendance of over three thousand nine hundred (3,900) prospective membership applicants from the AFP, PNP, BJMP, PCG and BFP. They are now in the final process of approval, a clear indication that LBCC is well on its way towards full operational capacity. The LBCC also submitted its application for accreditation with the PNP CAAD to enable the cooperative to collect payments for loans of PNP by means of automatic salary deduction from the PNP Finance Service.

Charting the Future

At this point, the LAKAS BAYANIHAN CREDIT COOPERATIVE is poised to carve its own niche as it seeks to provide excellent service and assist its members towards a better future. A future where every member’s quality of life is made better and more sustainable in the midst of an ongoing global pandemic. A pandemic that has severely affected our lives. We now aim to ease the suffering of those affected members and increase their chances of overcoming financial worries. With the spirit of cooperativism in mind, LBCC is clearly focused to extend all necessary support and assistance to all members. All while keeping interest rates competitive and lower than most institutions, offering better interest on savings, and furthering our goal of financial stability and sustainability in all our undertakings