That’s how Michael “Mike” Beall described the gift that Cebu Catholic TV Network Channel 47 echelon presented him during his visit to the TV station last September 23. The gift-giving ceremony capped the rousing welcome for the president and chief executive officer of the National Cooperative Business Association and Cooperative League of the USA (NCBA/CLUSA).
CCTN is the home of “Co-op TV” and when Mike accepted our invitation for a sit-down interview in the studio, the station decided to hold a fiesta-like program befitting a global thought and action leader of cooperatives and credit unions.
The NCBA/CLUSA chieftain was in Cebu for the week-long Philippine Development Educators (DE) Programme held under the auspices of VICTO National. The elite cooperative training course effectively “sequesters” Mike for at least five days but I was able to insert an invitation for him to appear on the TV show.
As soon as Mike, together with Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Administrator Mercedes Castillo, VICTO national federation treasurer Edgar Comeros and Lydia Canalija of Lipiemco entered the driveway, the 30-man Lumad Basakanon let out a lush dance number accompanied by the sound of drums, trumpets and other musical instruments.
Mike was floored by the Cebuano greeting but before he could take more video he was led to the offices of CCTN officials led by president and chairman of the board Nonito “Tatay Dodong” Limchua, executive vice president Diana Limchua and station manager Malou Tabar. After the meet-and-greet session, we led him to the conference room for a press con but not before passing through the CCTN foreground where he was able to see the full-length Sinulog dance. I was able to book the top-flight Lumad Basakanon dancers through the kindness of barangay captain George Rama of Basak, San Nicolas. Daghang salamat, Kap.
The highlight of the welcome ceremony was Mike gamely accepting the icon of the Senyor Santo Niño from a female dancer and rocking it afterwards in a traditional Sinulog dance. I kidded him that although the Sinulog festivities is still a good four months away, he can boast to his friends back home that he has “been there, done that”.
Later it was time for the formal program where he was presented a gift , a one-foot Santo Niño de Cebú wooden icon made of Philippine hardwood, hand-carved by a local craftsman. Mike was so overwhelmed by the treasure which prompted him to wax poetic.
“It’s beautiful,” he said of the religious image. In the mini press con that followed, he announced that the icon will occupy a place in the NCBA/CLUSA office in Washington D.C. alongside other treasures donated by various coop organizations in the US and other parts of the world. He described the Santo Niño as “a great connection between US and PH co-ops”, adding that Filipino cooperators should visit his office if they happen to be in the area, to rekindle the friendship and spirit of cooperation between the two countries.
October is the month of cooperatives and it’s important to talk about the support of international organizations and express our gratitude for such groups, like the NCBA, in the growth of the PH coop sector.
As the apex body of cooperative business organizations in the US, the NCBA is the oldest and largest association representing all coop types. Whether credit cooperatives, housing, purchasing, electric, farmers, consumer or food store cooperatives, these 5,000 or so business coops are united under the NCBA umbrella even if each type has its own apex body.
As the mother apex that represents the interest of the cooperative community, NCBA works closely with US Congress. The group is also present globally through its international development program, NCBA CLUSA. According to its website, NCBA CLUSA International has helped develop cooperatives and other sustainable businesses in over 100 countries since 1953.
NCBA/CLUSA is big in development education in the Philippines through the DE programme. Designed by US credit unions in the US in the mid-80s, the course was brought here in 2005 by Dudz
Samson of VICTO National. After graduating his DE in the US in 2004, Dudz has since conducted 9 DE classes in collaboration with US credit union DE mentors, producing some 150 DE practitioners in a span of 9 years. Mike Beall acknowledged on social media that the PhDE is a testimony to the hard work and cooperation of PH and US cooperators.
The DE is a difficult course but not lacking in fun and excitement. At the end of the grueling and nerve-wracking training and workshop sessions, graduates find themselves rearranging professional and personal priorities. Many brought the DE stamp in their own organizations – a clearer view of what needs to be changed and accomplished under a cooperative set up.
If one’s heart and mind are in the proper place, DE is life-changing and, as I told Mike in another round of TV interview, it is a reboot.
After the DE course in Cebu, Mike flew to Manila for talks with representatives of CDA, Department of Agriculture and coffee growers from Mindanao and Luzon. I will write about this in a separate article, suffice it to say that for a change, things maybe looking up for the PH agriculture sector.
Mike is a lawyer by profession but comes off more as an ambassador at large rather than CEO, development educator and chief lobbyist for US coops. He is a regular guy, one who is not fussy with what is served on his plate.
On the second round of our TV chat, he walked from his hotel in the Ayala Business Park to the studio. Because the interview was unscheduled, all I could offer him that day was room-temp water to soothe his voice box.
Words are not enough to thank Mr. Mike Beall but what can I say, daghang salamat kanimo for validating our humble efforts to raise the profile of cooperatives in this part of the world.