MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center

MASS SPECC Cooperative Development Center is the oldest and largest cooperative federation in the country. Following the voluntary tradition of cooperative development, it started with mostly parish-based credit unions being organized in different dioceses in Mindanao during the 1950s. In 1966, these credit unions organized the Southern Philippines Educational Cooperative Center (SPECC) in recognition of the importance of co-op education in cooperative development. In 1973, they organized the Mindanao Alliance of Self-Help Societies (MASS) to provide support services like audit, technical advice, and extension services as well as represent their interest with government and other stakeholders. In 1984, both secondary organizations merged into what is now known as MASS SPECC Cooperative Development Center. MASS SPECC’s services to its affiliate cooperatives have evolved over the years . Right now, it has a Central Fund, which pools surplus funds of co-operatives for on-lending to cooperatives with financing needs. It has an Information & Communication Technology unit that provides software solutions and ATM services, a Consultancy unit that provides technical support and advice, and a Research & Development unit. Its Education and Training services are managed by the Institute of Cooperative Studies (ICS), which is still an integral unit of the federation. As of June 2018, MASS SPECC has 334 affiliate primary cooperatives operating in different parts of Mindanao. The combined individual membership of the federation sums up to more than a million, owning altogether assets at an estimated value of 40 billion pesos. As to type of cooperatives, majority (64%) are multi-purpose cooperatives, 26% are savings and credit cooperatives, while the rest are classified as service cooperatives. They are distributed in all the regions in Mindanao.