| TCC STA. Cruz, Davao del Sur Branch | | | | Smart tower. There are three pawnshops in the |
| Is there a way for Operational Survival? | | | | place, one burger machine, two internet cafes, |
| At Present | | | | three medical clinics also offering birth assistance, |
| Slow economic progress in the place might not be | | | | two dental clinics and 3 schools, a public |
| due to its geographical location but the culture | | | | elementary, a private high school and a public high |
| instilled in the minds of the people, few | | | | school. They could also see a manufacturer of |
| landowners holding vast hectares of land, choice | | | | mineral water and two gasoline stations, one |
| of investing elsewhere and the peace situation. | | | | undergoing construction. As they travel far from |
| Toril Community Cooperative, Sta. Cruz Branch or | | | | not too public market (It was just 8:30 in the |
| TCC is now on its 6th year of operation with | | | | morning), one could find two industrial plant and |
| more than 500 members, wherein half of them | | | | office, one is a banana chip company and the |
| are inactive. During the March 2010 annual | | | | other, COCO Plant engaged in coconut processing. |
| meeting, TCC Sta. Cruz branch's operational | | | | The place displayed as a dwelling of faith. Several |
| results were negative. There were speculations | | | | churches like the Iglesia ni Kristo, Baptist, UCCP, a |
| that after five years of existence, management | | | | born again church, and the Roman Catholic church |
| might close its operations and find another area to | | | | (undergoing reconstruction) are visible. |
| do business. | | | | After the tour, the group settled in the branch |
| Understanding the problem situation lead TCC | | | | office and conducted an interview with the |
| Audit Committee to conduct a study of Sta. Cruz | | | | branch's OIC. They were astonished to know that |
| Town as an economic zone. Sta. Cruz Town is | | | | the lending activities of the cooperative is now |
| the oldest town in Davao del Sur but lagging | | | | capacity-based which is harder for the OIC to |
| behind in terms of economic progress compared | | | | consider. Capacity - based means the granting of |
| to other towns like Digos, Padada and Bansalan. | | | | loans will not be anymore be considering its share |
| From Davao City, it will take one hour and a half | | | | capital as before as long as they will have real |
| to reach Sta. Cruz. If you take the trip from | | | | estate collateral particularly land title. |
| Digos City, it will take half an hour to reach the | | | | The market for the place can be exhausted but |
| place. It has approximately 26,000 residents in its | | | | the following have to be considered as |
| 4 zones comprising the town area and 80,916 in | | | | hindrances.a. Most of the workers (more or less |
| Astorga, considered to be a part of the town. | | | | 90%) particularly in th industrial firms are |
| Most of its income generating activities are | | | | employed in contractual basis and take home pay |
| agriculture, industrial and small businesses. | | | | are not enough to accommodate additional |
| For the members of the TCC audit committee, | | | | debts.b. Industrial plants with regular employees |
| the plan to visit the town is valuable to the | | | | have their own credit cooperatives like the Coco |
| recommendation intended for the closure of the | | | | Plant and San Miguel Corporation.c. TCC's products |
| branch. | | | | are not the residents' preferences. |
| During the last BOD meeting where the audit | | | | New Hope |
| committee reported about branches' operations | | | | After several days of brainstorming, analysis and |
| (Sta. Cruz and Calinan) it was agreed to take | | | | queries from government agencies and |
| some final observations about its decision on the | | | | commercial entities, the committee saw hope for |
| Sta. Cruz branch, the reason for the committee | | | | the cooperative's survival. Some government |
| to give it a visit, maybe justify its decision to | | | | agencies are willing to tie themselves with the |
| close the branch or find other ways to sustain it. | | | | coop through MOAs. These MOAs will strengthen |
| The visit was realized last August 7, 2010. The | | | | the collection from agencies' employees who will |
| first impression that the group had when they | | | | be granted loans by the cooperative coupled with |
| entered the road to the area was "it is really | | | | several assistance on livelihood management. This |
| sleeping". In the terminal where buses from | | | | move will be both beneficial to the two parties |
| Davao to Digos or from Digos to Davao take a | | | | wherein a guaranteed collection will be assured by |
| stop over to fetch passengers, were very few | | | | the cooperative as they catered to the additional |
| travellers waiting for buses. They also caught | | | | needs of the government employees in the area. |
| sight of another cooperative occupying one nook | | | | Feasibility studies will also be conducted to ensure |
| of the terminal area. They learned that the | | | | the viability of many endeavors. The cooperative |
| cooperative has been existing long before TCC | | | | can ask coordination from different education |
| penetrated the place. | | | | institutions where one of the members of the |
| They continue to roam around before going to | | | | audit committee is employed full time. |
| the branch office. Along Brioso St., they sighted a | | | | It might still be a long way for the cooperative to |
| rural bank, TruBank, and the only bank doing | | | | sustain as a business organization but with the |
| business in the place. It is rural bank named | | | | bright minds working behind, it might fulfill its long |
| TruBank. At the end of the street, one can find | | | | range plan to penetrate at least one third of the |
| the water district which is close to the sea., and a | | | | Sta. Cruz market. |