Toledo City
Background:
Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains…
The story of our beginnings is something that warms the heart. We started in 1991 as an association with 16 founding members, orthopedically handicapped.
Our goal was to provide better opportunities for the disabled persons. The Atlas Mining Consolidated Development Corporation (ACMDC) management supported us with free use of facilities of AMCHA members in ARC and Gas Welding for company-assisted projects in assembled wheelchair and crutches. The company association of abled persons gave us P35, 000.00 for the said activities.
We faced our biggest challenge in 1994, when ACMDC closed their operation and terminated employees. We hung on. Luckily, the blessing begun to pour. In 1995, the German Foundation, Christoffel Blinden Mission gave us technology in manufacturing school chairs and desk and P210, 000.00 as capitalization (interest free). The Toledo City government allowed us free use of the Old Motorpool Building on a 500 square meter lot and P50, 000.00 cash assistance from the provincial government of Cebu for renovation of the place. Plus, the 3rd District Congressman of Cebu gave us wheelchairs worth of Php 60,000.00 for employees of livelihood projects. Since 1996 up to present, blessing continues to pour, we got loan from Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) under Tulay 2000, bulk orders of tables and chairs from the university of San Carlos, University of Cebu and Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) then. The sense of family among the members was strengthened. We did trainings, livelihood projects and activities together. The idea of cooperativism started in 1995, AMCHA was registered with Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) on Feb. 4, 1998 with registration no. CBU-1877 as AMCHA Toledo Multi-Purpose Cooperative.
More regular customers were added to our growing list of satisfied clients like Mary Help of Christians, Toledo Gullas College, Cebu Institute of Technology, and University of Southern Philippines, Cebu City government through Local School Board (LSB) and many more from walk-in customers for metal furniture’s of plant stands, steel beds, window grills and others.
Then, we got our biggest honor as our efforts were rewarded in the 1998 RCBC SIKAP AWARDS for best Livelihood Project for the Handicapped with P200,000.00 cash award.
From 2000 up to present, orders and repeat orders, trainings, 3m credit line from Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and grants amounting to 150,000.00 from the 3rd district Congressman of Cebu continues. We have formed a strong relationship between our benefactors and clients – they know we are only one’s they can rely on.
AMCHA Toledo MPC has proven itself to be sound. Our capital Build-up (CBU) upon registration was only Php 6,570.00 with only 30 regular members. Now it has reached to Php 540, 914.64 with 115 regular members as of December 31, 2003.
Most of all, the bond among our members is now deeply rooted. The willingness to contribute, the trust and confidence among our members, give us the strong resolve that nothing can keep us from fulfilling our dreams.
In our quest to uplift our members, we provide the following:
- Monitor the implementation of:
- Magna Carta for Disabled Persons (R.A. 7277)
- Accessibility Law (BP 344)
- Employment opportunities to:
- Person With Disability (PWDs)
- Any immediate members to the family with PWDs as long as he/she will support the needs of concerned PWDs.
- Lending services
- Provident services
- Mortuary Aid
- Provident services
- Provide skills training, assistance for higher education, assistance in the marketing of products made by PWD and auxiliary aids and services
- Social enhancement for the preparation of PWDs integration to society
- Sports Development
- Networking/Linkages with other Cooperatives, Non-Government Organization, Government agencies, People’s Organization and Local Government Units
- Chairman : Mr. Jimmy Villamero
- Manager : Engr. Reynaldo Merida