Bakakeng Sur, Baguio City
Background:
Our group, which eventually developed into FARAD, was the first to make school chairs. This was made possible with the close mentoring and guidance of Peter. Thus, we served as an ‘exposure area’ for the first members of SIKAP. We had always been very eager to share our “success story” with other co-PWDs and readily went to other areas as far as Davao City to share our skills in chair making. It gives us a great feeling of fulfillment that we were able to help set up the federation in this way.
FARAD was registered at the CDA on October 1, 1996. We were only 20 members then. Cooperativism was a new path for us but we were very confident that we could accomplish things together including the seemingly impossible at the beginning!
FARAD’s internal dynamic
Presently, FARAD has 52 members. Most of us are in Baguio City while others are in La Union and Vigan, Ilocos Sur. The main focus of our cooperative at present is membership consolidation instead of expansion. We give greater attention to the strengthening of our present membership and would like to maintain a deep sense of cooperativism among our membership while ensuring that every member has an opportunity to earn for her or his daily needs and for one’s family. For this reason, expanding our membership is a second priority at the moment.
Twenty-seven of our members are involved in chair-making. Ten have families and live in separate quarters near our workshop. Most of those who are single live in common quarters which the cooperative has provided for them near the workshop. The group members agreed to contribute a certain amount per meal since food is cooked collectively. The cooperative takes charge of the payment for electricity and water. Everyone’s income is based on piece-rate. Depending on one’s output, individual salaries can range from P200-P400 per day.
Our members who are not involved in chair-making have their own family business. Some repair watches, cell phones and photo copying machines while others are engaged in jewelry-making. Our cooperative’s service to them is by way of providing loan assistance for starting their family businesses. At times, the cooperative also provides referrals, sponsors or customers for them.
Although expanding our membership is our second priority at the moment, we never turn down any PWD who requests our help. In fact, we go out of our way when we hear that there are PWDs who badly need our help. We have some new members living in our common quarters. The newest member, Abraham Sakiwat or Abe, attempted to commit suicide twice before he came to FARAD. Abe, who became a member of FARAD in the last quarter of 2004, met an accident which paralyzed half of his body. He has written his lifestory in the earlier part of this book.