29 Couples Tie Knot in CCSC Group Wedding

Obedience to the Lord’s leading was seen in the lives of  29 couples who pledged lifelong commitment to each other and to God at a group wedding organized by the Covenant Community Service Cooperative (CCSC).  

“We praise God for their decision to get married,” said Froi Parado, CCSC general manager.  “This is an indication of the spiritual growth of the couples, of a desire to live in accordance with God’s plan.” Twenty-eight of the couples had been in a live-in relationship.

Of the 58 individuals who got married, more than half are employees of factories where CCSC has ministry.  Two of the couples are from the Doxo factory in Manila, 10 are from a garments factory in Dasmarinas, Cavite, and 17 are from another garments factory in Carmona, Cavite.  All couples underwent marriage counselling with CCSC pastors Fortunato Bayucan, Jesse Malibiran, and Dr. Alfredo Crespo before the ceremony.

Cherie Carimpong, who works at the factory in Cavite said, "We were hesitant at first, but our kids overheard our discussion about finally getting married, and they motivated us to pursue the plan."  

CCSC is a member of the Center for Community Transformation Group of Ministries. It ministers to informal service workers and factory workers through spiritual development, job generation,  social services, micro finance loans, and savings mobilization. 

Newlyweds Menardo and Dolores Alison said,  "Kami po ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sapagkat nabigyan po ng katuparan ang matagal  po naming hinahangad sa buhay. Dahil po sa abala sa trabaho at kakulangang financial hindi po ito matutupad kung hindi sa tulong ng lahat ng tao na tumulong na mabuo ang group wedding. God bless po! Satisfied at masaya po kami sa nangyaring kasalan. Nawa'y marami pa pong couple ang mabigyan po ng ganitong kasalan. Thank you po!"

This is the second group wedding organized by CCSC.  The first one, held in November 2011, was done in partnership with the Kaibigan Ministry of CCT which ministers to street dwellers. Read story here: cctkaibigan.blogspot.com/2011/12/21-kaibigan-couples-tie-knot.html‎

The wedding was held at the Tagaytay Retreat and Training Center on November 9, 2013.

                                                                         Reporting: Elmer Valencia, Photos: Art Trinidad

Factory Workers Donate Blood

Workers at two garment factories in Carmona and Dasmarinas, Cavite have donated a total of 66 liters of  blood  since they began a bloodletting partnership with the Philippine General Hospital in July of this year. 

No incentive is given to donors except the assurance that they may avail of free blood at the PGH blood bank when they need  it, as long as CCSC has enough reserves, said Noeh Vios, cooperative training officer for the Covenant Community Service Cooperative, apparel subcontractor for the factories.  “Relatives of blood donors may also avail of the blood,” Vios added.  “Beyond that is the satisfaction of knowing your donation helps save the life  of a sick or injured person.”   

“Blood donation is a nearly painless process,” said Dr. John Tabije of the Center for Community Transformation health team. “The actual collection of 500 ml of blood takes about 15 minutes and the only pain a donor will feel is something like a quick pinch when the needle is inserted.”  

According to the Philippine National Red Cross, healthy men and women 18 - 65 years weighing at least 110 pounds may donate blood.  Some 2,000 units of blood are transfused into hospital patients in the Philippines everyday.  One unit of blood measures 450 ml.

Another bloodletting  event  at the Carmona factory is scheduled for November 16.

 CCSC is a member of the Center for Community Transformation Group of Ministries

CCT Co-op Offers Multi-purpose Loans to CCSC Members

The management committee at a garments factory in Dasmarinas, Cavite study a portion of the Scriptures
at the beginning of a regular meeting.  Leading the Bible study is Pastor Fortunato Bayucan of the Covenant
Community Service Cooperative. 

Members of the Covenant Community Service Cooperative (CCSC) may now receive loans from the CCT Savings and Credit Cooperative (CCT Co-op) following the signing of  a memorandum of agreement between the two cooperatives.  

According to Froi Parado, CCSC general manager, the loans are being offered to arrest the problem of CCSC members borrowing from usurious moneylenders and being caught in a debt trap.  Informal moneylenders are known to charge as much as 20% interest on loans to workers who are driven to borrow in situations such as medical emergencies or to pay their children's college fees.

The loan may be three times the amount of the CCSC member’s capital build-up with an interest of 1.5 per month for a loan term of up to six months.  Collection will be done by salary deduction. 

CCSC, which has a membership of 4,200, is apparel subcontractor for two garments factories in Cavite. Both CCSC and the CCT Co-op are members of the Center for Community Transformation Group of Ministries. 

Factory Workers Donate to Pablo Victims

           Cristy Valencia of the CCT finance department receives a donation for victims of Typhoon Pablo
collected by factory workers and members of the Covenant Community Service Cooperative (CCSC).
Handing over the donation are Froi Parado,  CCSC peer servant (center) and  Elmer Valencia,
 CCSC  HRAD officer.  

In the spirit of Christian love and brotherhood, factory workers in Dasmarinas, Cavite donated P15,800 to victims of Typhoon Pablo which hit the island of Mindanao during the first week of December 2012. The factory workers are members of the Center for Community Transformation (CCT)  Covenant Community Service Cooperative.

Typhoon Pablo (International Name: Bopha) hit Mindanao on December 4, 2012,  leaving 1,067 dead and more than 800 missing according to government reports as of December 22. 

Benefiting from  the donation are affected CCT community partners and staff  in Davao Oriental, Surigao, Cagayan de Oro, and Compostela Valley.  A total of 175 CCT community partners and 30 staff were affected by Pablo, according to Mike Salili, CCT peer servant for field operations management.   Among these, 49 lost their homes.  

“The workers collected the funds on their own, in less than a week, without any prompting of prodding from management,” said Froi Parado, CCSC peer servant.