Hi fellow members!
 
I thank our leaders for their relentless efforts and, most especially, all of our members for their commitment and support, in building and developing our cooperative together.
 
It’s a significant celebration amidst the difficult economic, social, political climate and recently environmental problems that we are currently experiencing in our country.
 
Cooperatives are important actors for socio-economic development in the Philippines, as well as in other parts of the world.
 
Moreover, cooperatives promote the fundamental human values of self-help, self-reponsibility and solidarity in business and society, as embedded in our seven cooperative principles – which are the basis for any collaboration between people, organizations and countries.
 
It’s my great pleasure to enjoin everyone today in starting off the year for Asiapro and its brother/sister cooperatives continue to be vehicles for developing socio-economic solutions through cooperation and that’s what we would like to bring forward here today.
 
Now more than ever, we need to work more closely together. It is fundamental not only for our security and well being, but also for our survival and further growth and development.
 
We need stonger and more cooperation and partnerships amongst ourselves. Most importantly, we have to keep very close to our members. We have to be aware and act upon their aspirations and do as much as possible on local and regional level and then on a national level to ease their plight and difficulties.
 
Why? Because the key factors of our success is our people-centred, member based business to address their livelihood, needs and aspirations.
 
Only in this way can we build trust and loyalty, which is our key cooperative asset, keeping our doors open and welcoming them, with a smile.
 
We have come a long way since 1999 in building Asiapro as the largest worker-owned cooperative. Over the last years we have reached a number of major achievements in building a strong cooperative community.
 
Let me wish you all a festive 20th year. I count on your energy and enthusiasm for another 20 years.
 

God bless us all always.