The Second Day of the National CoMSCA Summit 2015

Joined by more than 10 clusters from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, the members and partners of the convention were more than excited to take on the second day of the National COMSCA Summit by engaging in activities learning about new things.

This was the first COMSCA Summit that had clusters from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao joined in one convention.

Community Managed Savings and Credit Assocation, or COMSCA for short, is a flagship economic development program of World Vision Development Foundation Inc. that was formed in January 29, 2009 in Cotabato. COMSCA helps in creating a local pool of capital to provide members access to useful sums that will intend the members to make short-term investments in activities that can help generate income and help in facilitating household cash-flow management. COMSCA’s goal is to provide simple savings and loans towards a community that has a hard time accessing financial services.

As of today, COMSCA has helped lots of families in increasing their incomes and improving families in education, women and children’s well-being, health and building peace in communities.

With the different clusters from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, they were willing to learn more about what COMSCA can offer as they all participated in the National COMSCA Summit’s second day which was held in Bayfront Hotel last May 29, 2015 from 8:30AM-4:00PM.

This year’s COMSCA National Summit is in partnership with Feed the Children, World Vision, Zoological Society of London and Precious Lamb Condell Foundation.

The event started off with an inspirational talk from Rev. Fr. Ronald Cutamora, the founding president of Bereka for Asia International Ministry and the senior pastor of Worship Jesus Fellowship-Cebu Philippines where he gave talks on how a member should keep positive when helping the community and families and this can help open the road to new opportunities. He ended the talk by saying “Are you ready for another opportunity?”

The first speaker was Susan Wesley of Global Savings Champion of World Vision International. She starts off with knowing that she knows there is hope for the future and better chances for the children because of COMSCA, and she stated how huge the accomplishment was. She stated that 20% of the savers, or members, in World Vision are Filipino and that they were able to save more than four million to six million pesos, and because of that, 200,000 Filipino children are living better lives and are on the road to a better future. Miss Wesley stated that one can achieve objectives through God’s great works.

The second speaker Engr. Ernesto Macabenta, PhD, who talked about COMSCA’s Innovations and updated Scale Up. If COMSCA continues to maintain the basic system and structures by ensuring that the standard is strictly followed to maintain quality implementation it will lead towards success. In terms of scaling up, he encouraged the audience to engage into group activities and community development projects as a group in order to build more members in COMSCA. The speaker asked the crowd if it’s possible to reach 1,000,000 members in COMSCA by 2020. The crowd was positive about it, and he encouraged the crowd by saying “Gagawin natin to for the Glory of God. “

A workshop was conducted where each cluster asked to share their thoughts on how to implement, advocate and achieve savers in 2020. 30 minutes later, all clusters were able to share their insights.

Happy smiles all around the event when “John Lennon”  and his mother was given recognition. 

Filomena Portales, Director of Advocacy and Communications of World Vision introduced the third speaker – Karl Satinitigan, Programs Director who represented Honorable Pablo Benigno Aquino IV, the Chairperson on Committee on Trade-Commerce and Entrepreneurship where Mr. Satinitigan gave a talk on Savings, Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Bill.

In his youth entrepreneurship talk, he stated that the average age of Filipinos is 23 years old, and this is the age where a person enters the workforce each year. The Financial Literacy Bill was approved last May 26, 2015 which could help build a culture of entrepreneurship. The Go Negosyo Act can help in building negosyo centers in provinces, cities, towns and help in creating jobs and livelihood through registration systems, information and facilitation and networking. He believes in the goal of 1,000,000 members by 2020 if a support system is built.

The final speaker of the convention was Ms. Miriam Quiambao, a World Vision Ambassador, motivational speaker, author and 1st runner up of Miss Universe of 1999. She gave a talk on saving money, where she talked about how to save money through her Money Jar System: the Tithe Jar which helps save 10% of one’s income, the Growth Jar where 20% money is set aside for savings for investment, the Learn Jar, where money is set aside for education, the Play Jar, where income is spent on entertainment and hobbies, the Live Jar, where money is spent on needs, and the Share Jar, where savings is spent on family in order to be a blessing to others. Because of this, Ms. Quiambao was able to save a lot of money and help others save money. She stated that this successful plan would have not been possible without the glory of God.

Ms Miriam Quiambao talks about money management and how she became a successful business woman.  

Dyline Martinez, a 42-year old COMSCA Village Agent from South Cotabato stated that she is blessed with COMSCA and that her livelihood change because they have savings, compared to before. She saves because of her work and her husband’s work. She stated that her group also earns good income, where they save P.13,000.00 every year, but now they currently saved P.12,000.00.

Rublyn Gonzaga, Technical Program Manager of Economic Development stated that majority of members are of low income, but members have an agreement on how much they should share every meeting and are given a fair share on savings, credits and social funds.

With COMSCA, this program can help continue communities and families in saving and managing resources as a group.

The attendees of the two-day workshop has learned heaps from the speakers in terms of money management, helping save families and the community, and plus they were enlightened with testimonies.

Activity time: Different teams worked with each other to form the puzzle.