Philippine Asian News Today Vol 19 No 20 | Seite 10

Now nearing its eighth year anniversary , the One Filipino Cooperative ( OneFilCoop ), firstever Filipino cooperative established in British Columbia ( B . C .), proudly looks back at its achievements and vows to expand its services to help its members cope with affordability issues . OneFilCoop was launched on Oct . 31 , 2009 , after a series of consultations among the Filipino community organizations in Metro Vancouver , including the Multicultural Helping House Society , Filipino Social Workers Association of B . C ., Filipinos in Richmond Society , and Filipino Parent Support Circle , who formed a task force to map out the creation of a Filipino cooperative .

The co-op aims to enhance the lives of its members and draw strength from their numbers , in keeping with the Filipino custom of bayanihan . According to their website , “ it ( the co-op ) is founded on the principles of self-help , responsibility , equality , democratic governance , focus on services to members , equitable distribution of benefits and

earnings , and commitment to community growth and development .”

Tony Calderon , president of OneFilCoop , said the organization has grown from 35 members , with a capitalization of a few thousand dollars in 2008 , to its present standing of 250 members and a fund of over $ 300,000 . “ Our cooperative has been adopted by other

like-minded Canadian- Filipino organizations in B . C . and Saskatchewan ,” Calderon proudly relates .

FIL COOPERATIVE ONE HOUSING SOCIETY

OneFilCoop General Manager Jojo Palencia , meanwhile , announced the creation of an offshoot program , One Housing Society , a non-profit association incorporated to help members deal with the housing crisis in B . C . “ We ’ re glad that this bold idea came to fruition last year . It was in November 2016 when the housing society was incorporated ,” Palencia said . One Housing Society “ envisions itself as a

pioneering Filipino housing management organization

and an effective and efficient owner-operator of affordable housing units in B . C .,” according to its website . Its objectives include providing affordable housing market opportunities for its members and eligible low- income residents , and managing a non-profit housing facility to help deal with B . C .’ s worsening housing crisis . It ’ s dream is to build and operate a coop housing for Filipinos in Metro Vancouver .

To top this off , Calderon said One Fil Coop offers other services like micro-lending , remittance , Fly-Now-Pay-

Later program , Damayang Pinoy ( Helping Filipinos ), networking , job posting and referral services , and social development . He stressed that membership in OneFilCoop and One Housing Society is voluntary and open to all Filipinos in Canada . “ We as a community are mostly new to Canada . We help each other seek financial stability and integration into Canadian society .”

Another important benefit for members is the fund ’ s surplus profits . “ In the past few years , we have been returning profit share

and patronate refund to our members ,” Calderon said . The cooperative also provides non-monetary benefits to its members like socialization in picnics , parties and excursions ; lessons from workshops and lectures ; and enhancement of skills .

Acknowledgement to the writer Ms Mary Ann Mandap and to the Canadian Filipino Net . A group of Canadian Filipinos passionate about raising the profile of Filipinos in Canada by providing news and views about Canadian Filipino communities across the country .

injuries . The problem with this

advises Divina , please show

a d d i t i o n a l

claim is that it is based solely

some guts and character

classrooms ,

only nameless and faceless

and start telling the truth . If

we no longer

“ credible sources ” who , like

you have to do time in jail ,

have

to

the call that did not happen ,

do so . It will help you reflect ,

implement

can be assumed to exist only

and apologize sincerely . A life

a

shifting

in Kapunan ’ s

imagination .

was lost . Yes , there is life after

schedule . All

Ouch !

Aegis !

our students

What about the Rules

* * *

are now in

of

Court

prescribing

full

Good news department .

whole

day

confidentiality of disbarment

When

a

7.2

magnitude

c l a s s e s , ”

cases ? Note , Lorna called

earthquake hit Cebu City in

S

N

E

S

a press conference on a

October 2013 , San Nicholas

p r i n c i p a l

disbarment complaint she

Elementary School ( SNES ) in

D o n a l d

and Patricia Bautista filed

Brgy . Duljo-Fatima suffered

C r i s o l o g o

against Divina and 20 other

heavy destruction .

reported .

Divina Law Firm lawyers in

Eight of their classrooms

Built in

relation to the Smartmatic

were

destroyed

by

the

1927 , SNES

contract with the Comelec .

earthquake , so SNES had

is

one

of

Was

that

disbarment

to

implement

morning

the

most

complaint purely for media

and

afternoon

shifts

to

p o p u l a t e d

mileage ?

accommodate

all

classes .

public elementary schools

Divina has filed countercomplaints

This pitiful situation went

in Cebu City with a total

in Quezon City

on for four years until the

enrolment of 3,191 pupils

and Manila against Kapunan

Philippine

Amusement

from Kindergarten to Grade 6 ,

and Bautista , the estranged

and

Gaming

Corporation

including Special Education

wife of Comelec chair Andres

( PAGCOR ) donated a fourstorey

( SPED ) classes .

Bautista , for libel and for

, 20-classroom building

Casino

Filipino

Cebu

violations of the Anti-Cyber

to the school .

branch manager Ricardo Uy ,

Crime Law .

The

new

multi-storey

who attended the turnover

It ’ s getting curiouser and

building which was recently

ceremonies of the school

curiouser , as the Cheshire cat

turned over to SNES now

buildings

in

SNES

and

said in Alice in Wonderland .

houses

854

pupils

from

ZES shared PAGCOR ’ s role

In the meantime , frat brods ,

Grades 5 and 6 . “ With the 20

in nation-building and its

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