Treasure Link, now one of country’s biggest coops

Sagada coop opens payments for credit cards, tuition, air fare etc 

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA Mountain Province – A cooperative, started years ago by 18 alumni of Bangaan National High School here, is now one of the biggest coops nationwide.

Treasure Link Cooperative Society (TLCS) increased its assets by P95.6 million  due to increase of members year ending 2015  adding to a total of  3,541 regular members and  11,505  associate members/savers  and a total asset of  P329.9 million.

Reports from the 11th general assembly of TLCS March 19 this year with the leadership of  manager Shellan Addag and Board chairman Julie Tuguinay informed members of the cooperative’s financial status of the institution and its services.

Share capital increased by 53.5% or P31.1 M from 2014 and total savings deposit shot up by 38.6% from 2014.

Equity  increased by P34 million with the addition  of members and the increase of  old members’ share capital categorized by the  Cooperative Development Authority as  large cooperative.

Loans open for members especially covering mortgage, regular and micro increased by 29% or P51.9 million from 2014 with a total amount of P230.4 million. Management encourages prompt payment of loans to prevent delinquent accounts.

The P1,000 providential assistance funds in cases of sickness or death was increased to 2,000 in resolution approved by the general assembly.

Through its ATVI-Payswitch, service fee payments are opened for power, water, airlines, tuition fees, and insurance, telecoms, and credits cards among others.

Its payswitch billing enables service fees to be paid on electricity fees for BAWADI, BENECO, Davao Light, FLECO, AEC, MERALCO, and Maynila water, NEELCO, TARELCO, VECO, PELCO, Metro Cebu Water District and Subic Waters.

TLCS is also payment gateway for Dragonpay, Ensogo, PesoPay, Sulit.com.ph, and Cashsense. For Cable channels, one can pay for Skycable, CignalTV, Discovery, Pilipino and GPinoy.

One can pay at TLCS for airline tickets-Cebu Pacific, Jetstar Airlines, Air Asia, Zest Air, Skyjet and Philippine Airlines. Telecom payments are accepted with Globe, Smart, PLDT, Bayantel, ABS_CBN, Mobile  Digitel and Convergence.

TLCS accepts tuition fee payment for Ateneo, La Salle, University of Visayas, University of San Juan, and Meriam College.  Schools in Baguio will be included soon and so with Mountain Province Electric Coop. (Mopreco).

Insurance and  financial services are available for  AXA Philippines, Ayala,  Cocolife Insurance, Fortune Life, Manulife, Philamlife, Prulife UK,  Sunlife,  Prudential Life,  Great Financial,  China Trust, Paramount Life and Pioneer Life.

Government fees can be paid for NSO Helpline Plus, Pag-ibig Housing, SSS and POEA.

Credit card payments are available for Allied Bank, BPI, EastWest, Metrobank /PSBANk PNB, Security Bank and Bankard.

While this is so, TLCS  social responsibility pursue with cause projects and donations including  help for cancer patients  in partnership with Amba-Hope/Sagada  Environmental Guides Association (SEGA), school outreach program with  SEGA at Tamboan and DandanakBesao, church building at Irisan, Baguio;  support for provincial, regional and national press conferences  and sports competitions; feeding programs and  medical assistance for needy patients.

TCLS assisted 36 livelihood interest groups (LIG) under the Dept. of Agriculture- Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project- Agriculture, Agribusiness and Income Generating Project (AAIGA)-Livelihood Assistance Fund (DA- CHARMP-AAIGA LAF). The accessibility of TLCS with Sagada’s LIGs enables the LIGs located in Sagada- Madongo, Tanulong, Fidelisan, Patay, AmbasingTetep-a Norte, and Tetep-a Sur to access the financial assistance from CHARMP.

TLCS started office transactions in a modest office at the basement of Masferre’s building with two staff to its current 28 staff working in six branch offices and head office in Sagada found at a spacious office on the fourth floor of the Centrum Building.

Branch offices are located in Abatan-Baguio, Bauko, Bontoc, Mankayan, Baguio, and Besao and Money Padala partners at Horeb House, Quezon City and Holy Trinity Cathedral Multipurpose Cooperative at Tabuk City, Kalinga.

With 18 founding alumni of Bangaan National High School, TLCS started with P210, 000 share capital among its initial core members in 2003 and became a member with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) in 2005. 

TLCS placed 2nd under the Large Category Cooperative during the 2015 Regional CDA GawadParangal Search “giving the best benefits to its members and the community as a whole”.