FIFTEEN YEARS in operation! That’s how long the One Filipino Co-operative has served the Filipino community in BC. It’s humble beginning to collectively pool resources to brace the impact of financial crisis that hit our community and the world in 2008 has now grown into various programs and services that respond to the needs of the growing members.
On October 26, 2024 FilCoop will celebrate this huge milestone in the company of Founders, Directors and Officers, Members, Staff, and friends and supporters. As we celebrate this great achievement, we also reflect on what role we play and what needs do we solve, and what is the best way FilCoop can contribute to the collective strategic agenda to uplift the vulnerable sectors of our society especially our fellow Filipino Canadians. Are we still needed and relevant?How valuable is our impact to the communities we serve?
We envisioned to enhance the lives of fellow Filipino Canadians through the co-operative or bayanihan effort and foster community growth and development. We operate on the basic tenets of self-help and mutual-cooperation to improve the quality of life and increase economic opportunities of the owner-members we serve. FilCo-op faced challenges in ways of doing business, but we made sure to make people at the heart of what we doto build a more resilient and inclusive community, We can proudly say that we did have valuable impact to the lives of our members. We are celebrating not only the 15thyear of our founding, but more importantly the 15 years of impactful service to the Filipino community and society in general.
One Filipino Co-operative of BC officers and members can look back with pride at its story, which was nurtured and woven through the years despite all obstacles and adversities by many of the original participants in the community consultations. Many officers and members continue to serve voluntarily, and it keeps growing with 450 regular membership base and more than $400,000 capitals.
Perhaps, the best way to portrait OneFilCo-op at this stage of its story is in its myriads of programs and services that continue to develop the potentials of its human resources and economic resources. It has expanded from loans to Damayang Pinoy, Fly now Pay Later and TELUS Telecom Programs, Remittances facilitation, Social Development and Team Building, Service Vehicle, Study Now Pay Later, Save Now Pasyal Later and has laid the foundation for One Housing Society – its affordable housing initiative.
One FilCo-op begun as a collective response to brace the impact of economic meltdown, but emerging needs, challenges and opportunities continue to confront the co-operative. The battle to improve members’ lives and future is never easy, but the extraordinary volunteerism and family spirit makes it manageable and holds FilCo-op’s decade slogan still true. “Matutulungan ka na, Makakatulong ka pa…Kayang-Kaya Kung Sama-Sama!”
It is but fitting that we also celebrate our birth and important milestone on the Co-operative Month and be inspired by other successful co-operatives. We too aim to get bigger and go stronger and we promise to always find innovative solutions to the issues surrounding our members and be a force to reckon with, especially in our dream of affordable housing – the long-expressed need of our members.