THE new batches of officers of the Oversight Committee of the Baguio City Credit Surety Fund (BCCSF) were inducted into office last Thursday, September 5, 2017. The oath of office was administered to them by City Mayor Mauricio Domogan. Witnessing were the Mayor’s office staff and visitors.
The new Chairperson Angelita Gayados led the group of ten officers consisting of Ofelia Chammog of the Baguio Finest Cooperative as incoming BCCSF Secretary, and the rest as representatives of their respective organizations. Treasurer Dina Camba was absent due to conflict of schedule.
Founded in 2013, BCCSF prides itself of having ten member institutions, mostly cooperatives. The lead institution, of course, is the City Government.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas developed the Credit Surety Fund Program with the theme “Sustaining Economic Growth through Increased Credit Flows”. The focal point is the pooling of contributions of government and non-government organizations, notably the Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank of the Philippines, the Industrial Guarantee and Loan Fund, and donors from the public and private sectors.
According to the enabling act that established it, it is a trust fund to enhance the credit worthiness of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) which find difficulty in obtaining loans from regular banks because of lack of collaterals, credit knowledge or credit track records. Thus the Fund serves as security for loans extended by banks to MSMEs instead of acceptable collaterals. The first of three members who availed of the proffered chance is the Blessed Association of Persons Foundation Inc. (BFI) conjointly with its sister organization, the Barp Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Barp-MPC or BMPC). So with the Baguio Finest Cooperative and Wasdinsumya Lending Cooperative. Mayor Domogan charged the inductee officer and their members to attract other institutions or units to join them and expand their ranks.
In relation to the repayment of the above mentioned of Barp loan, which Barp has started to do after one “reconstruction”, BFI and BMPC have conjointly launched the “Mano Po” fundraising campaign to get the help of those who have a heart and mind for the welfare of the elderly as well as those to take care of them until “final departure”. The loan has been able to put up the Barp Center for the elderly at Upper Buhagan Road (formerly Bokawkan Road) at Cresencia Village Barangay, Baguio City.
Now at its finishing touches, it will act to service the elderly not only from our local areas but even from abroad. It has been observed that it is when people can no more work that they need help the most. Barp social workers can attest to this. It is not surprising if the volunteers among them, particularly the coordinators can tell stories that at times elicit teary response to the innate goodness of mankind amidst the seeming dominance of evil deeds.
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On Thursday morning, September 7, 2017, residents from Camp 7 and Loakan barangays responded to the call of barangay officials and congregated at the Camp 7 Barangay Hall. The throng came for a consultation meeting with concerned representatives of the Baguio Water District (Bawadi), like Engr. Calpito, and the Department of Public Works and Highways, regarding the water drilling operation that Bawadi has “suddenly” started at the Lower West portion of the Bued River without adequate prior information to Camp 7 and Loakan constituencies. The gardener farmers, in particular, were alarmed for any possible unforeseen adverse effects to their traditional means of livelihood.
Led by Barangay Captain Constancio Danao, who rushed from the untimely wake of his demised cousin in Nueva Vizcaya, it was revealed that the project was not preceded by satisfactory information dissemination.
“We are not against development; in fact, we are eager to help government to develop our beloved City but the plan should be well coordinated 'sana' with us in the barangay so that we can appropriately inform our citizens who might really be economically affected adversely.”
Nevertheless, he welcomed and thanked everybody who sacrificed their time to attend.
Kagawad Marcelina Pucdo, for her part, bewailed the “lack of” the presentation of a clear comprehensive city development plan.
Kagawad Antonio presented the danger of the farming/gardening ground getting dried because of the expected 24-hour drilling of water as what happened in Amparo and Kitma where traditional gardeners went to just sell away their lands because of lack of garden and drinking water from springs as an offshoot of continuous commercial pumping.
A number of agricultural lot owners just had to sell their lands to moneyed buyers, especially foreigners. A follow-up consultation meeting was the resultant option.