MCPI welcomes Mindanao-based Gata Daku coop

The need for cheap and affordable consumer goods in the locality motivated the 32 pioneering co-operators to pool their resources and put up a consumer store in Barangay Gata Daku, Municipality of Clarin, Misamis Occidental. In March 1992, and with an initial capital of only PhP32,000, Gata Daku Multi-Purpose Cooperative (GDMPC) came to be. In 1994, the cooperative provided loan facility to its members for palay production and agri-livelihood projects through Land Bank of the Philippines’ relending program.

Having weathered operational challenges and initial losses, GDMPC’s management and staff have instituted changes and established systems and procedures that set the course for the cooperative’s growth and expansion. Their commitment to the organization’s mission “to provide excellent services to empower members and communities” is instrumental in bringing GDMPC to 202 barangays in 26 cities and municipalities of Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga delNorte, and Zamboanga del Sur.

GDMPC has made availableproducts and services such as microfinance, agri, and all purpose loans; and savings, ATM, and money transfer services to answer the needs of its close to 18,000 members. Add to that are the number of non-financial services such as feeding, community clean-up, and development and housing programs to name a few.

The cooperative has put in place practices and systems – in Social Performance Management, Competence and Succession Plan, Remedial Management, and Performance Management System, to cite some -that can be attributed to the steady growth of the organization. Its performance has been recognized by awards including NLDC Most Outstanding Finalist in Mindanao (2007); SIPAG Awards Most Outstanding Partner in Mindanao (2008 and 2010) and National Winner (2010); Most Supportive Cooperative in the Implementation of CARP in Region X (2009); SIPAG Awards Special Citation for noteworthy performance in promoting outreach (2009); and Most Outstanding Cooperative in Mindanao (2011 and 2013).