ILOILO – The recently-concluded provide-wide lockdown cause some business establishments here to stop their operations due to poor revenue. Owners could no longer cope up with their rent, pay their utility dues and the salaries of their employees. Before expenses ballooned, they have to stop for a while. There was no telling when they would be back though.
Cooperatives faced the same threat. Prior to this corona virus pandemic, most credit cooperatives were already facing liquidity problems due to the failure of members to repay their debt. The pandemic made it worst for some but there were also those who thought outside the box to lessen its impact.
For instance, in New Lucena, covid-19 did not stop the operations of Pinili Development Cooperative. It has devised ways to shift the course or ways they do business so they could rise above the threats posed by covid-19.
Instead of closing, its management and staff enforced stringent precautionary measures (face mask wearing, regular sanitation, wash area, etc.) in their business dealings, and adopted a flexible work schedule, including the no-work-no-pay scheme.
In anticipation of the lockdown, PIDECO directors approved to release the pro-rated 13th month pay of their management staff, according to manager Wilfredo Labaro. A hazard pay was also given to the staff who continued working during the quarantine.
To avoid unnecessary travel and ensure proper social distancing, PIDECO became the authorized disbursing agent of regular conditional cash transfer and social amelioration program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to reach 590 4Ps beneficiaries in New Lucena.
The personnel of Botika ng Kooperatiba, also owned by PIDECO, were given additional pay during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period to ensure continued service. It also complied with Bayanihan to Heal as One Act by providing borrowers with the three-month loan moratorium.
“Wala ka rin namang makukuha sa kanila (You can’t get anything from them). Di sila makapagbayad kasi nga ang mga drivers di naman makapagbyahe (They can’t pay because the drivers cannot operate). Dati dati hanggang sa bubong ng jeep may pasahero sila (Before even their roof has passengers). Ngayon tig sasampu na lang (Now it’s just ten). So saan sila kukuha ng perang pambayad? (So where will they get the money to pay?)Kaya ang ginawa naming nerenew na lang ang utang para maging active ang account nila (so what we did was, we renewed the loan to make their accounts active),” Labaro said.
PIDECO was among the stakeholders of the local government of New Lucena that responded quickly during their relief operations. The cooperative contributed 20 sacks of rice, 600 cans of sardines, 600 pieces of noodles and 200 cans of corned beef as relief assistance to poor families affected by the lockdown.
Their restaurant also continued their catering operation to supply the demand for food during the meetings of New Lucena’s Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office. It also provided the food for the town’s front liners and persons under monitoring (PUI).
“Kaya pala nating mga Filipino na magkaisa sa gitna ng pandemia (we, Filipinos, can unite amidst the pandemic). Kahit na hirap na hirap na tayo (even if we are struggling), tumutulong parin tayo sa iba (we still help others),” said Labaro when asked of things he realized during this pandemic.
PIDECO was able to minimize the impact of this pandemic to their businesses by preparing their operations to shift to the new normal.