Abra's biggest cooperative enjoins youngsters to save

By Maria Teresa B. Benas

Monday 5th of March 2012

BANGUED, Abra, Mar. 5 (PIA) – Some 2,014 elementary pupils and high school students from four catholic schools in Abra met in a general assembly meeting on March 3, at the Divine Word College of Bangued Gymnasium to be recognized by their mother cooperative, the Abra Diocesan Teachers and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (ADTEMPCO).

The two young savers’ club named “Aflatoun” for the elementary pupils and “Aflateen” for the high school students come from the Divine Word College of Bangued, the Holy Spirit Academy of Bangued, the Little Flower High School of Tayum, and the Little Flower High School of Penarrubia.

In a report by Engr. Irene B. Bringas, Chief Executive Officer of the ADTEMPCO, the participation of the school children is barely five months since they joined the young savers’ clubs. Their savings have already accumulated a total of P794,450.00.

In her message to the young savers, Jocelyn M. Javier showed the children an animation of the “Fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper” to illustrate to them, the value of saving. She advised the kid savers to spend only when necessary and to learn to value the things around them, and also to save out of their own allowances and not ask extra amount from their parents in order to have some money for their piggy bank.

The guest speaker, Hazel Ann Mangayan of the National Confederation of Cooperatives based in Metro Manila, likewise reaffirmed to the kids the value of saving and she encouraged them to participate in the national savers’ project which is the use of a hand-made, recycled savings box, the modern-day version or design of the “old piggy bank” of the past where the savers are a given a chance to win prizes in a raffle bonanza using their savings boxes

To further boost the interest and desire of the young minds to take their initiatives in saving more seriously and sustain their efforts until they grow up, ADTEMPCO gave them raffle prizes. There were 20 consolation prizes for each of the Aflatoun and the Aflateen, for a total of 40 consolation prizes. The consolation prizes were in the form of school supplies.

Three major prizes were also raffled to each group. The two first prizes given by ADTEMPCO are 100% free tuition fees; the second prizes are 75% free tuition fees; and the third prizes are 50% free tuition fees.

The winners in the Aflateen are: first prize – Maria Antonette Taeza from the Holy Ghost School; second prize – Darlyn Tagura from the Holy Ghost School; and the third prize was garnered by Jay Vee Mansanares of the Divine Word College of Bangued.

For the Aflatoun, the following are the winners: first prize – Camille Festejo of the Divine Word College of Bangued; second pize – Jaimie Abella of the Holy Spirit Academy; and the third prize went to Camille Clemence Perlas, also of the Holy Spirit academy of Bagued.

There was also the “Got Talent” Competition where all the schools were given each a cash prize and a certificate for their participation. For the Aflateen, the First Prize was garnered by t DWCB with a cash prize of P10,000; the Second Prize was won by the Little Flower High School of Penarrubia with a cash prize of P8,000; the Third Prize was won by the Holy Ghost School of Tayum with a cash prize of P6,000; and the Fourth Prize went to the Holy Spirit Academy of Bangued with a cash prize of P4,000.

In the Aflatoun, DWCB won over the HSAB with a cash prize of P10,000 while HSAB was given P8,000. (MTBB/PIA-Abra)