Homegrown Baguio-Benguet Community Credit Cooperative (BBCCC) is one of the 13 Philippine companies awarded by the prestigious ASEAN Business Awards in Hanoi, Viet Nam last Nov. 13.
BBCCC is one of the three awardees in the new category, “Combating Covid-19,” for its contribution in the prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic throughout the ASEAN region.
The BBCCC’s Covid-19 response is based on a seven-point action framework, which include employee safety and care; member safety and care; reliable service; special assistance to members; sustainability and viability; and special assistance to the community and support in Covid-19 efforts.
The BBCCC extended assistance through quick response to calls for help coming from institutions directly involved in the fight against Covid-19.
The BBCCC also offered direct assistance and livelihood opportunities to help mitigate the effects of the pandemic and help in recovery under a post-Covid-19 scenario.
BBCCC also partnered with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of the Interior and Local Government, the local government of Baguio, and the private sector for assistance under its corporate social responsibility initiative.
BBCCC donated personal protective equipment to the Baguio-Benguet Medical Society, DSWD frontline workers, fuel subsidy for vehicles for contract tracing of the DILG, and Covid-19 kits.
It also gave direct financial assistance to individuals and their families, grocery packs and rice to student scholars, food packs to PWD members, rice assistance to PUV drivers, caddies, masseurs, beauticians, hotel staff, and factory workers.
The BBCCC also issued moratorium on loan payments, early distribution of dividends and patronage refund, and rent moratorium; offered survival and recovery loans, additional grocery loans, and special emergency assistance loan.
Sacks of rice were also distributed to the local governments of Baguio, Benguet, La Trinidad, and DSWD.
The coop likewise initiated livelihood assistance projects such as distribution of seedlings, fertilizers and vegetables, training on rag making, setting up of a BBCCC market place for products and services of members, and business consultancy for members.
The two other awardees in the same category are Multisys Technologies Corp. and PayMaya Philippines.
The other Philippine companies that received awards are Potato Corner (SME Excellence-Growth Award), Motorline Trading Inc., 3d Container & Packaging Philippines Corp., and Titan Barong of Lumban (SME Excellence-Employment Award), Stylist in Pocket Technologies (SME Excellence-Innovation Award), Foodsphere Inc. (Family Business Award), Halo-Halo de Iloko (Inclusive Business, Knowledge Partner Award), Wellmade Motors and Development Corp.(SME Excellence-CSR and Family Business Awards), and Rossana Ladaga-Llenado of AHEAD Learning Systems Inc. (Woman Entrepreneur Award).
The ABA is a prestigious international-level event held annually by the ASEAN Business Advisory Council since 2007.
The ABA award is just one of the many awards bestowed on BBCCC. Other awards are the Most Outstanding Credit Cooperative in the Philippines in 1985 and 1992 and the most recent, the 2019 Productivity Olympics regional winner in the Cordillera and 2019 Productivity Olympics national winner for service small category. – Rimaliza A. Opiña
