Atty Mordino R Cua: A tribute to the father of coop movement in the Philippines

By JOE PALABAO
THE demise of Atty. Mordino R. Cua, a great cooperative leader, father of the cooperative movement in the Philippines, epitomizes his more than 50 years of persistent efforts to promote cooperativism in Mindanao and in the country and has done a monumental contribution to its economic growth through the cooperative sector.

A man of faith. His life is too large, too generous and too encompassing to fit into the pages of the cooperative history of the country today.
His love for his family and deep sense of spirituality has always been the life force in his work, the motivation for this volunteer work and the bridge to his own family and sustained by the hope that the gaps will be narrowed with time, more experience and understanding of life’s complexities.

While teaching humanities and business in the 50’s at Xavier University, his early life was dedicated to the cooperative movement of the Philippines particularly Mindanao and his inflexible commitment to the development of cooperatives in the country.

There is a little known fact in his life: he was imprisoned for some time at the onset of martial law in the 70s because of his obstinate refusal to abandon the recognized basic democratic principle that infuses cooperatives whereby every member has the right to be heard and to participate in the decision making processes. Such principle was, however, the very antithesis of martial rule.
Mords with Sen. Nene Pimentel collaborated and worked together on the passage of the Cooperative Code of the Philippines (RA 6938) and the Cooperative Development Authority Act (RA 6939) that now governs cooperatives in the country.
The cooperatives in the country today has become an economic force contributing billions of pesos to the development of the country and its economic growth can be recounted to the odyssey of his cooperative life and work with Fr. William F. Masterson, S.J. starting from Ateneo Cooperative Credit Union in the 50’s with 91 members in 1962 and had a total deposit ofPhp28,292 now FICCO, one of the biggest coop in the country today with 3.85Billion in resources and over 92,000 members with 52 branches all over Mindanao. The organization of Oro Cooperative Credit Union in the 60’ s with 72 members and a total deposit of Php 1,066.00 now Oro Integrated Coop with 564Million in resources and over 43,000 members with 12 branches in Northern Mindanao and one in Tagbilaran, Bohol.

Mords was responsible for the organization and founding of CLIMBS in 1971, now COOP LIFE Insurance and Mutual Benefit Services, duly licensed to operate by the Insurance Commission, and the only cooperative insurance in the country tagged as the Grassroots Insurance with a total assets ofP307,958.00 covering the insurance needs of cooperatives all over the country. It has expanded its business to include non-life insurance products, and recently established its sister company called the “COOP LIFE Assurance of the Philippines” or CLASP.

In 1977, he was responsible for the organization of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) a coop apex bringing together five cooperative training centers all over the country led by MASS-SPECC together with VICTO, NORLU, BCDC, T AGCODEC. The objective then was to provide and improve the education and training program of primary cooperatives and its affiliated centers. And at that time, NATCCO leaders already felt to have adequate attention to legislation work towards obtaining favorable legislation for cooperatives in the country.

Mords, as a cooperator once said “I have struggled through the ‘ years with the question: ‘Aside from economic concerns, shouldn’t we be interested also in addressing socio political questions. The source of this uncertainty was the principle of political neutrality, which cooperatives adhere throughout the world. But could it be that this principle was also responsible for our being somewhat “isolated” from the task of building democracy and contributing to social change in our country.”

A paradigm shift in the education and training programs of the cooperatives would now include socio-political analysis and the use of dialogical approach to learning wherein the participants’ personal experiences should be stressed rather than hypothetical cases. His concerns now was cooperatives should address not only members’ economic needs but also the politicaL social and cultural problems of our society.

In 1998, through his initiatives, NATCCO finally made the decision to participate in the elections under the party list Coop NATCCO, got the required two percent of total votes entitling the apex to one representative in the House of

Representatives. Criz Paez became our first representative in Congress. In 2004, Coop NATCCO again participated and proved that it still had the numbers to get elected in Congress. It got even more votes and higher percentage but just enough for one representative. This seat was occupied by his son, the late Congressman. Gil P. Cua who passed several Cooperative Bills favorable to the cooperative movement and its economic growth but at the height of his career being a statesman, Gil died of cancer more than a year ago.

Indeed, Mords had lived a meaningful and fruitful life being a cooperator and has shared his life to the millions of cooperators throughout the country. Making a niche in the cooperative history and his legacy will live on and on through the continuous work of the able coop leaders of the country who tirelessly continue his work for its sustained growth to help millions and millions of Filipinos to be self-reliant and making the cooperative as a way of life.

WE SALUTE YOU, for your contribution to the economic growth of the country and for addressing the socio-political concerns of the millions and millions of cooperators in the country today.
FAREWELL, MORDS!