During a virtual event in October, ICMIF member CLIMBS Life and General Insurance Cooperative unveiled a memento that would be displayed in the new CLIMBS’s Philippines Corner at the Rochdale Pioneers Museum in Manchester, UK. This is recognition to all Filipino cooperators and cooperatives and cemented its place in history at the birthplace of the Cooperative Movement.
The memento is a testament of a sustainable and resilient cooperative movement in the Philippines. It is an apparent collective culmination of CLIMBS member-owners and other stakeholders’ commitment, hard work, and dedication which is a fitting celebration for CLIMBS’s 50th anniversary.
Liz McIvor the Manager for the Co-operative Heritage Trust of the Rochdale Pioneers Museum unveiled the memento during a virtual event “Cooperative Talks 2021 – The Cooperative Identity in the 21st Century”, organised by CLIMBS, through the CLIMBS Institute of Management (CIM) and the NaFeCOOP.
Ms McIvor spoke about the rich history and the importance of the Co-operative Heritage Trust to the Cooperative Movement. The cooperative identity and the cooperative movement have been ingrained in Filipino culture for thousands of years, and it is only fitting that CLIMBS would be the epitome of both in the Philippines.
Read more about the design of the memento here.
The Honorable Undersecretary Joseph “Joy” Encabo, Chairperson of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) in the Philippines was the keynote speaker during the Cooperative Talks 2021 event.
In his speech, Mr Encabo emphasised that “a strong and stable cooperative is defined by its members’ faith and trust in it” and the importance to unite under one common goal, “We work as one because we know that together we can respond to any and all trials that confront us, and that together we smile and feel our success, which fill our hearts with jubilation of all our successes.”
During the virtual forum, a panel of local and global leaders discussed topics in line with the event’s title and theme, such as: ‘What does the cooperative identity mean to you?’, ‘Do you think the cooperative identity can help us solve some of the global issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic?’, and ‘How will the cooperative movement build a sustainable community? Will the cooperative movement be a relevant factor in how we solve some of the global issues that we have today?’
ICMIF was represented on the panel by Ben Telfer, Vice-President, Business Intelligence. During the session, the panellists tackled prevailing local and global issues and innovative solutions in advancing the cooperative movement beyond 21st century with focus on developing the next generation of leaders.
The other panellists included the Honorable Assistant Secretary Vidal D. Villanueva III, Head of Credit & Financial Services, Banking, Insurance, & Credit Surety Fund Cooperatives Cluster for the CDA; Mr Neil Calvert the CEO & Principal; Dr Sarah Alldred the International Programs Manager, for the Co-operative College in the UK; Rev Father Elmo Manching, CLIMBS Chairperson, representing Metro Ormoc Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative (OCCCI); Mr Alexander Raquepo, the Chairperson of Sta. Cruz. Credit and Development Cooperative (SACDECO) and the National President of the COOP-NATCCO Partylist; Mr Lloyd Madriaga the Research Development & Marketing Officer for Oro Integrated Cooperative (OIC); Ms Shine Miranda, the Chairperson for the Youth Laboratory Cooperative (Tagum Cooperative); and Mr Noel D. Raboy the President & CEO of CLIMBS Life & General Insurance Cooperative.
