Coop-ville, short for “Cooperative Village,” was established in 2012 to support survivors of Typhoon Sendong in Mambuaya, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental. The Federation of Peoples’ Sustainable Development Cooperative (FPSDC) owned a vacant lot in the area and, in collaboration with then-Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Chairperson Orlando Ravanera, spearheaded efforts to create a community exclusively for cooperative beneficiaries. FPSDC’s primary cooperatives in Mindanao, along with beneficiaries from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Society of St. Vincent de Paul Philippines (SSVP Philippines), and local government units (LGUs), converged to form the community.
In its early stages, Coop-ville faced significant challenges. While housing was provided for beneficiaries, the community lacked essential infrastructure such as electricity, water, livelihood opportunities, and security. Despite these difficulties, Coop-ville placed a strong emphasis on prioritizing the needs of the community over individual beneficiaries, laying the groundwork for long-term development.
Led by Officer-in-Charge Jane Sabut, Coop-ville gradually evolved into a women-led social enterprise focused on providing both housing and livelihood opportunities for its members. Over time, the cooperative introduced essential services, including savings and credit programs, as well as a communal water access system. Through this system, people in the community and nearby barangays can fetch water by paying via a vending machine, which they can then use in their homes.
Expanding into Coconut-Based Products
Handholding in Viable Enterprises, or “HIVE,” had been a brand and project of FPSDC that included networking, technologies, and products from various FPSDC partners. One of its production focuses had been coconut production. In 2020, Coop-ville began constructing a HIVE production facility specifically designed for coconut processing and completed it in mid-2021. However, attempts to rent a coconut farm in Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro, encountered difficulties due to the challenging terrain and lack of water and electricity. After a year, Coop-ville pivoted to sourcing coconut syrup from Pag-ugmad Sa Kaugmaon Agriculture Cooperative (PAGSAKA), an agribusiness cooperative that delivered around 600 kilograms of syrup from Jasaan, Misamis Oriental, to Mambuaya, Cagayan de Oro City.
Partnership with FSSI and Investing in Women
Coop-ville, a women-led enterprise, has benefitted from its partnership with the Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc. (FSSI), which offers co-investment funding with FPSDC as well as capacity building services through the Investing in Women (IW) initiative. This support has strengthened Coop-ville’s financial base, enabling them to expand their coconut sugar production and continue supporting member livelihood.
Coop-ville’s journey reflects the resilience and dedication of cooperative communities. Despite facing financial losses, leadership changes, and challenges in branding and marketing, Coop-ville has made steady progress in building a stable foundation. Jane Sabut, Coop-ville’s Officer-in-Charge, shares her perspective on their journey: “Ang greatest accomplishment namo is livelihood ug naay HIVE. Rollercoaster ang journey ni coop-ville, niabot me sa punto na nakawatan me ug kwarta, nag change ang mga officers ug wala nagkasinabot, but we never surrender, karon maka ingon ko na, sa tanan namo efforts, nag paid-off siya initially.” [Our greatest accomplishment is generating livelihood within the community and establishing the presence of HIVE. Our experience in Coop-ville was a rollercoaster ride because we reached a point where money was lost, the officers changed, and we couldn’t understand each other. But we never surrender; now I can say that all our efforts paid off.]”
Looking ahead, Coop-ville envisions becoming a fully self-sustaining community that offers comprehensive support to its members. Over the next three to five years, the cooperative hopes to establish a “pasalubong” store along the highway in uptown Cagayan de Oro, where city development is on the rise.
With continued focus on growth, Coop-ville aims to strengthen operations, expand its market reach, and ensure consistent livelihood opportunities for its members.
