“ALONE I am weak, but with others I am strong”, so goes the cooperative tagline.
Short Cuts met this famous group of words in 1974 when he was only in the second year in his administration as the town executive of LGU Valencia. Cooperative leaders in the locality visited his office if only to invite him to join as one of the original shareholders of a new cooperative in the town.
After knowing the organizers of the cooperative, Short Cuts had to give his go-signal.
As a consequence, he led the group to all the thirty five barangays in the municipality in order to campaign for membership. Eventually, the group was able to muster a sizeable number of members.
And in the first organizational meeting that was held, Short Cuts was easily elected Chairman of the Board.
From 1974 up to 1981, Short Cuts was always unopposed into the election of the chairmanship of the Board of Directors. And, within that span of time, the Valencia Credit Cooperative was smooth sailing in its operation.
Such a condition was not only known in the province. It was easily recognized in the whole of Region 7. In fact, it was chosen as one of the first five best cooperatives in Region 7.
But the “health” of the cooperative was not as healthy as it was founded when it entered another fiscal year in 1982.
The cause of the unhealthy atmosphere?
The first election after Martial Law (1981 elections) greatly affected the growth or even the life of the cooperative.
Short Cuts lost in his reelection bid in that election. And, he attributed much his electoral debacle to his co-shareholders in the same cooperative because many of them preferred his opponent.
So that in the following 1982 Board elections of the cooperative, Short Cuts refrained himself from being a candidate.
Incidentally, Short Cuts’ decision to defer his candidacy greatly moved more than a majority of the total membership to the extent that many requested for his continued stay in the cooperative.
However, Short Cuts never gave in to their request.
He had to leave the cooperative!
So, the same cooperative was already under a new Chairman of the Board starting 1982.
And, what happened next?
At the close of fiscal year 1983, or a year after a new Chairman of the Board was elected, the same cooperative closed!
For what reason or reasons?
NABANGKAROTA, NABANGKAROTA, NABANGKAROTA ANG COOPERATIBA!
Two (2) years later in 1985, Short Cuts was elected member of the Board of Directors of the Cooperative Bank of Bohol. Ultimately, he was chosen Chairman of the Board. To this date, he is still a member of the Board of the same COOP Bank.
And last December, 2023, Short Cuts was chosen chairman from among the more than 200 members of the Valencia Cansibao Coconut Farmers Agriculture Cooperative. The same Coconut Farmers Cooperative began its operation last Thursday, January 18 when its new office and store were blessed.
