By Bong Pedalino
Maasin City (29 December) — Several groups of women banding themselves into enterprising guilds under the Self-Employment Assistance – Kaunlaran (SEA-K) program of the provincial government converged at the DILG gym here December 27 to mark the first anniversary of their unified multi-purpose cooperative.
At least twenty SEA-K associations from this city alone were joined with their representative counterparts from other towns like Padre Burgos, Malitbog, Bontoc, Sogod, Liloan, and San Juan.
It was learned that each organized SEA-K group was composed of no less than ten and no more than thirty members, mostly women, although some men were seen actively joining the activity.
The first anniversary carried for its theme, “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” and was graced with the presence of Virgie Idano, the Chief, Operations Division of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Tacloban.
Gov. Rosette Lerias, the guest speaker, extolled the women for their industry and honesty, saying that being a member of the association has helped the family one way or the other in meeting its needs.
She noted after a cursory look at the income statements of the different groups that the total cash of the organizations combined reached over P1 Million — from a P5,000 per group contribution as a start — aside from the seed capital provided by the province.
Other than the financial rewards, the economic activity spurred by the women’s cooperative through the associations was also a factor in the strengthening of families as everybody was involved in the small and micro-enterprise, Gov. Lerias said.
“Congratulations, I’m very happy and proud that the SEA-K, as programmed, we really implemented in our province became truly successful and fruitful most especially because of you for giving it the proper attention,” Gov. Lerias told the gathering of women, speaking in bisaya dialect.
“And now we see it, the first in the Philippines, this one, our SEA-K Cooperative Bank, the only one in the Philippines, Congratulations,” she added. (PIA-Southern Leyte)
PIA!
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