CRUZ SAVINGS AND DEVELOPMENT COOPERATIVE (SACDECO)
In 1982, confronted with low production, and the need of providing loan assistance to the constituents of Sta. Coop orientation and Pre-membership Seminars were held with the assistance of the Tagudin Credit Cooperative and the Department of Agriculture. CRUZ CREDIT COOPERATIVE was registered with BACOD on December 18, 1984 with Reg. RI-F-109 th
rough the initiative of the late Mr. Raquepo Sr. who was the first General Manager of the cooperative. It was confirmed by the Cooperative Development Authority on February 14, 1991 with Confirmation No. 362. The first big break came when the coop sponsored a MUTYA NG KOOPERATIBA in December 1987 as a capital build up scheme where at least half a million pesos (PhP500,000.00) was raised. This was followed by a sacrificial merienda in April 1989 where the coop achieved an increase of three hundred thousand pesos (Php300,000.00) in additional fixed deposit. Again a raffle and draw followed in July 1989 generating four hundred thousand pesos (Php400,000.00) as share capital. Continuous capital build-up greatly enhanced and expanded the services to its members. The main line of business of the Cooperative was credit being the need of the times. Savings and time deposits were encouraged and solicitation of outside support was made. Grants were extended, and the cooperative entered into contract with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to further support the members. In April 1990, a land with a building was purchased as proof of its progress which became its main office leaving behind the former schoolroom office in the compound of Sta. Cruz Institute. Resources and services increased through the years motivating the Cooperative to go MULTI-PURPOSE thus renaming it the STA. CRUZ MULTI-PURPOSE COOPERATIVE (SCMPC) through the amended Articles of Cooperation and By-laws which was duly registered with the CDA on July 4, 1994. Bounded by some difficulties in managing several programs and services, a big shift for the cooperative started in January 2003. The focus of operation became savings and credit. The services and programs extended were: Savings, Credit, Youth Tipid Movement (YTM), Mortuary Aid Program (MAP) and Scholarship Program. Capital Build Up and savings mobilization is a continuous activity of the cooperative. Because of this shift in operation, to a single-purpose, the Cooperative amended its name as STA. CRUZ SAVINGS AND DEVELOPMENT COOPERATIVE (SACDECO) on May 22, 2006. MILESTONES:
June 2006, when SACDECO HONGKONG CHAPTER was organized through the efforts of the BOD members and OFWs in Hongkong. Initial members of only six (6) then, now there are more than 100. With the ardent desire of the BOD and the management to expand further, the area of operation was again amended to include four (4) provinces in Region I: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan. Seven branches were launched thereafter: Santiago Branch (Ilocos Sur) and Bacnotan Branch (La Union) on September 8 and Sept. 18, 2006 respectively, the San Fernando City Branch (La Union) on March 16, 2007, a MICOOP Branch in partnership with NATCCO, the Bangar Branch (L.U.) on August 8, 2008, the Santa Branch (I.S.) on October 8, 2008, Asingan Branch and Villasis Branch (both in Pangasinan) on October 28, 2009. And being able to recruit more members beyond the aforementioned area of operation, SACDECO in 2010 general assembly approved a wider area of operation, now to the whole of Luzon. January 10, 2011, another branch was launched in Bayambang, Pangasinan. A satellite office at Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija was opened October 14 of the same year purposely to serve the members near the municipality. SACDECO did not stop reaching out the lives of people. May 10, 2012 when San Jose Branch was opened. Expansion continued through the four more satellite offices opened last July 25, August 24, September 25 and November 16, 2013 in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, Umingan and Mangaldan, Pangasinan and Pidigan, Abra respectively. Another milestone of SACDECO for the year 2014, Pinili branch at Pinili, Ilocos Norte opened on June 2, 2014. We dedicated Mangaldan SO as a full branch on July 26, 2014 and Cuyapo Branch on July 27, 2014. Bauang Satellite Office of Bacnotan branch opened on August 19, 2014 and Narvacan SO transferred to another office on August 28, 2014. On March 5, 2011, SACDECO turned over the San Fernando City MICOOP Branch to the Sugpunan ti La Union Credit Cooperative. SACDECO went high tech by realizing its dream of an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) which was launched on August 8, 2008. This is the 1s t COOP ATM north of Manila. It is also the 1st ATM in Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur. SACDECO was also the first (1st) in the second district of Ilocos Sur to launch Gender Sensitivity Program, empowering women into leadership or Gender Awareness. At present, SACDECO is the strongest advocate and practitioner of Gender Equality in north of Luzon with a Gender Sensitive Human Resource Manual. The continuous growth of SACDECO is now beyond restraint through its affiliations and partnership with National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), Metro South Cooperative Bank (MSCB), Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives (NSCC), Northern Luzon Federation of Cooperatives (NORLU CEDEC), Ilocos Sur Cooperative Bank (ISCB) Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Asian Women in Cooperative Development Forum (AWCF), and Small Business Fund Corporation (SBC). And as SACDECO believe in the necessity of investment, it is the highest primary coop investor at ISCB, NSCC and NATCCO. To boast of, SACDECO is attracting many primary cooperative visitors mainly to know the prime reasons for its success. And the best practice that SACDECO could relate is its utmost care to its members /their investments (Share Capital) are consistently given dividends and Patronage Refund (PRs) at a rate higher than inflation rate. SACDECO has gained the trust and confidence of its members. Just dividends and patronage refunds are rewarded to them. The staff and officers alike are equally taken care of. All are given the opportunity and privilege to grow professionally and personally in the cooperative. Young memberships are valued through the Youth Tipid Movement (YTM) and the Aflatoun Program. Community services and programs is the coop way of reaching and helping both members and non-members in its area of operation through Medical Mission, in-school feeding program, tree planting, medical assistance for indigents and donations to schools such as computers, chairs, medals, prizes for raffle and draws, water system projects, Adopt-A-School project, sanitation and others. SACDECO has started to become a “one-stop-shop” cooperative with the following allied services: ATM, Western Union Services which include availability of NSO documents, Cooperative Assurance Center (CAC) to answer life and non-life insurance of members, and iGroup (in partnership with PhilHealth), e-Fly website ticketing and booking (June 30, 2014 when SACDECO in partnership of NATCCO Travel and Tours), SSS Bayad Center (October 31, 2014 when SACDECO signed MOA in partnership of SSS). It is very compliant on all rules and regulations imposed by the regulatory agency/ies of government. The code of conduct is strictly implemented. In fact, a quarterly Moral Regeneration Program session is being conducted and weekly (every Monday) devotion is being done in all offices to strengthen the staffs’ faith and relationship with God. All officers were trained on Credit Union Directors’ Competency Course (CUDCC) and Cooperative Governance, and key management officers have undergone Credit Union CEOs’ Competence Course (CUCCC). In addition, the officers are sent to different seminars which are helpful in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities. The rapid expansion and growth of SACDECO are attributed to the functional and thinking Board, competent management and staff, operational compliance and adherence to the rules and regulations, increasing support by the general membership and strong linkages. One usual query of members is: What is the assurance that SACDECO would not go bankrupt? Membership to the Stabilization Fund of NATCCO is the answer. No deposit will be lost. And for these unconditional successes of SACDECO amidst the many challenges, innumerable Plaques and Certificates of Recognition had been awarded to the cooperative. On top of all these recognitions/awards which SACDECO had received, it is honored to have produced the former representative of the Coop-NATCCO Partylist, Cong. Jose R. Ping-ay, a former Chairperson of the Board of Directors. Likewise, SACDECO was able to achieve the 3rd, 2nd and 1st place in the Landbank GAWAD PITAK for Non-Agri Category in 2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively and received the Hall of Fame award last August 08, 2013 at Landbank Plaza and Ginintuang Award on August 08, 2014. Lately, December 08, 2014 we are awarded by Villar Sipag Award Foundation as one of the TEN (10) most outstanding enterprises on poverty reduction with cash prize of P250,000.00. Indeed, SACDECO continues to be a strong financial intermediary and catalyst of growth in the countryside. From the mere 25 cooperators since its inception, the cooperative has now more than 50thousand including youth savers. And from its PhP5,000.00 initial capital, the long dream of SACDECO to reach the Billion Mark was attained on February 2015.
