Brotherhood-inspired transport co-op

BROTHERHOOD, as one of the inherent principles that thrives in every member of the Cordillera Brotherhood Transport Service Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CBTS MPC), founded this organization from grassroots level towards achieving its vision. This organization is known for its undeniable comradeship, thus they call themselves “brothers”.

The CBTS-MPC started as Cordillera Brotherhood Transport Group (CBTG), an association of taxi drivers organized sometime in 2008 and became a cooperative on June 6, 2016. The primary source of income of the members is driving. Closely related to this profession is the daily maintenance need of a vehicle which is car wash, vulcanizing, and other automotive repairs necessary for maintenance of a vehicle. Income in the vocation of driving is very variable and security of the job is quiet low. Hence, there is a need for additional income generating project for the members and to improve the level of their job security.

The cooperative commenced with an idea of establishing a one-stop shop auto service center where all members of the group can patronize. Through partnership with Barangay Lower Quirino Hill, a request for a community livelihood project fund from the Department of Labor and Employment was granted for purchase of needed materials, equipment and auto supplies. This was not also realized without bayanihan of the members. The service center is currently located at Balangabang, Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet. Services offered, among others, are car-wash, vulcanizing, break and clutch rebonding, and basic need auto supplies. Most of the members are indigents and they are working as car washers or mechanics whenever they don’t have vehicles to drive.

While the cooperative initially considered income generating services for its members, social cooperative responsibility must also be integrated. So that the cooperative, aside from automotive services, is recently engaged in Beekeeping practices which finds more interest to the cooperative members, as honeybees are of great help in the preservation of biodiversity, and beekeeping products have intrinsic health benefits, not to mention various economic remunerations derived from such livelihood. Beekeeping is a feasible source of income in the locality since the Cordillera region features a diversity of flora as sources of pollens and nectars. The practice of beekeeping helps in conservation of the environment as bees aid in cross pollination of plants resulting in greater agricultural productivity. Thus, there is major potential for poverty alleviation and empowerment of the people through the practice of beekeeping.

For interested individuals, the cooperative offers basic and advance beekeeping trainings and they are accepting membership especially for those involved in the transport sector. You can visit their office form Monday-Friday at Old Hope Bldg., Km 5, La Trinidad, Benguet and look for Manager Clifford Batnag.

Let the spirit of brotherhood that established this cooperative be an inspiration worthy of emulation to other organizations.

(Today’s column of your son is a contribution of one of the promising transport service cooperatives operating in La Trinidad.)