Gadwin Handumon gets Biden and Filene Awards in UK
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – Gadwin Handumon of Paglaum Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Misamis Occidental was awarded the Joe Biden Educator Award and the International Filene Award for Leadership on 23rd of November 2019, Manchester Marriott Victoria & Albert Hotel, Water St, Manchester, England, United Kingdom.
According to a member of the judging panel, “Mr. Handumon’s accomplishments are many and well worthy of recognition. Any one of the “purposes” he has championed as part of the multipurpose co-operative would merit praise but his efforts across numerous such purposes demonstrate his success in not just talking about but putting into effect “his love of service to the community”. The Development Educator community should be proud to have him as a member.”
The awards are considered prestigious, for “the pathfinders of the cooperative credit union movement worldwide . . .”
The awards are given by the International Credit Union Leadership Development & Education Foundation (ICULDEF).
The ICULDEF raises funds to enable active credit unionists to attend Credit Union Development Educator courses that upskill them and assist in their endeavours to bring the ethos and ideals of credit unions to their communities and wider world.
Awardees must pass through a stringent set of criteria that asks for the progressive co-op track record of candidates, evidence of succession planning, enhancing the reputation of co-ops, and the growth of the co-op’s business.
The ICULDEF defines “Development Educators” as “natural pathfinders of the co-op movement everywhere. They see a societal need and endeavour to satisfy it. Often their sheer natural exuberance and passion create a slipstream and they pull others along with them to fulfil a project. This demonstrates leadership skillsets through example, far more potent than by authority alone.”
Handumon was founding leader of Paglaum Multi-Purpose Cooperative in 1992 with 35 hopeful parents and workers of Paglaum Community Development Foundation, Inc. (PCDFI). With the initial capital of Php 2,000.00 pooled resources, the cooperative was established as an economic arm of the foundation and started to buy and sell rice.
By 1996, the co-op reached its first million. Today, its assets amount to Php1.1 Billion, growing 20% since 2015.
Paglaum MPC now has 84,286 members served through 20 Offices including Head Office, Branches, Coop Owned Enterprises and Subsidiaries in Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Central Visayas.
The co-op began by serving farmers and still does today.
In 1998, Paglaum MPC was one of the recipients of the National Food Authority (NFA) project on Farm Level Grains Center (FLGC), implemented all throughout the country, with a complete package of postharvest facility that includes rice mill, a warehouse and dryer. The grant was a recognition of the noble role that Paglaum MPC performs in uplifting the economic conditions of farmers. Palay trading became highly successful. The fair price offered by the cooperative helped farmers increase income from rice production. Presently, Paglaum MPC FLGC III is one of the few successful implementers who have sustained operations over a long period of time. In 1999, Microfinance program using the Grameen approach was launched attracting more members with micro-enterprises to the cooperative. Membership increased significantly, mostly women micro-entrepreneurs.
In year 2000, Automated transaction was implemented to accommodate the bulk of transaction through the Microbanking System. As the installation took place, transactions were reduced by more than half the time. Coincidentally, it was also in 2000 when the whole world was worried about the Y2K Bug, however, automation was highly-successful in Paglaum. The automation signaled coop’s readiness to reach out to more members outside of Plaridel. Oroquieta City and Calamba branches were opened in 2000.
In 2001, Paglaum was selected as one of the cooperatives to receive technical assistance through the SEDCOP FI-1&2 (Socio-Economic Development through Cooperative Project Financial Intermediation) program. The program worked with coops, including Paglaum MPC in the enhancement of its systems and procedures, focusing on Financial Management, Credit Management as well as Marketing and Human Resources Management. In the same year, the PDP-LP (Paglaum Development Program for Landless People) first grand assembly was held and the modified Grameen approach was used. The PDP-LP is now the CUMI (Credit Union Microfinance Innovation) Program
In 2007, Paglaum MPC and the province of Misamis Occidental collaboration under Governor Loreto Leo S. Ocampos was the National winner in the search for the Most Outstanding Cooperative – LGU Partnership Award. This award was a testament of the strong tied between the coop and the LGUs in the implementation of programs and services that directly benefit Misamisnons. The coop expanded in Zamboanga Del Norte through the opening of Sindangan Branch. Ozamiz Branch was also opened. Plaridel’s first Automated Teller Machine (ATM) was launched through Paglaum’s Pinoy Coop ATM offered by MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center. Paglaum MPC the first cooperative in Misamis Occidental to acquire the Pinoy Coop ATM.M
In 2008, Paglaum MPC embraced Social Performance Management through social and financial audit of the cooperative. In addition to caring for members, the coop sees another window of innovation through promoting renewable energy through the Micro-Solar project, which targets off-grid barangays, piloted was Barangay Pedagan, Mahayag, Zamboanga del Sur. The rural electrification project was in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE). Overall, Paglaum MPC recorded a total of 48 solar home systems for the 248 households that benefited from this program. Year 2009 saw the opening of the first branch in Zamboanga Sibugay, in the municipality of Liloy. It was also in 2009 when the cooperative launched its Mutual Benefit Association, Inc. (MBA). This move was triggered by the rapid growth of coop membership, which also increased rapidly the transactions for the members’ mutual benefit coverage and claims. The second ATM machine was installed at Calamba Branch.
Year 2010, Paglaum MPC created the Research and Development Division or Nexen, which specifically provides IT-based programs and systems to the cooperative. Initially, this team developed the Comprehensive Human Capital Operations System more popular known as the HRMAX. As soon as the system was successfully installed and used in Paglaum MPC, the team then offered this product to other cooperatives and institutions in the Visayas and Mindanao. In less than 2 years since Nexen was established, the team has already sold HRMAX to 10 clients. The other product that Nexen offers is the ISave Bankers System, which is very useful to the cooperatives and other financial service providers. On the other hand, the coop’s Micro-Banking system, which is provided by MASS-SPECC shifted to Windows-based from the previous DOS-based system.
In 2011, General Manager Gadwin E. Handumon was unanimously elected as Chairperson of MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center, an alliance of cooperatives in Mindanao. The year started with the acquisition of PLASECO (Plaridel Service Cooperative) on January, 16. PLASECO is a local telecommunications service provider in Plaridel. To ensure continuous service of PLASECO, Paglaum MPC has taken over the management. More specifically, the month of April marked the groundbreaking ceremony of the 4-Story building of Paglaum MPCM. The building symbolizes the fulfilment of the hopes and dreams of all the members whose lives have been changed by the cooperative in one way or another. In 2012, Paglaum MPC inaugurated its 4-Story building.
On September 2012, Paglaum MPC acquired the Rural Bank of Plaridel (RBP) now Bank of Hope Inc. The takeover of Bank of Hope Inc by Paglaum is seen to boost the position of the rural bank in the market, strengthening the ability of RBP to attract more clients, depositors and borrowers alike because it has the backing of a good name, and that is Paglaum.