HISTORY OF TELESCOOP


In April 1974, the General Assembly of the PLDT Employees’ Credit Cooperative, Inc. (PECCI) passed and approved a General Assembly Resolution directing its Board of Directors to organize a “Consumers Cooperative”. A committee was then formed to prepare and work on the feasibility study.

In May, 1974, the Committee confirmed the need to organize a “Consumers Cooperative” to beat the skyrocketing prices of goods, commodities and services due to the devaluation of the Peso at that time. As conceptualized by Messrs. Ildefonso L. Abasolo, Jr. and Constantino Pastrana, the proposed name was “TELEPHONE EMPLOYEES’ SERVICE COOPERATIVE” where the present acronym “TELESCOOP” was derived. To give emphasis and align with the institutional base of membership which was “PLDT”, the proposed name was changed to “PLDT EMPLOYEES’ CONSUMER COOPERATIVE, INC.” which was adopted in the application for registration. There were nine (9) founding directors and thirty (30) founding members who signed the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws. The nine (9) founding directors were:

1. ILDEFONSO L. ABASOLO Jr. 4. KASARINLAN O. GARCIA 7. RENATO C. KALALANG
2. DOLORES R. CANSECO 5. BIENVENIDO R. GREY 8. ROLANDO L. LAVARIAS
3. ISABELO A. FERIDO Jr. 6. ANTONIO B. JIMENEZ 9. ROMEO C. RANJO


On June 17, 1974, the application together with the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws and other supporting documents were submitted to the Bureau of Cooperative Development for evaluation and approval.

On October 22, 1974, The Bureau of Cooperative Development granted authority to organize but suggested to change the proposed name from “PLDT EMPLOYEES’ CONSUMER COOPERATIVE INC.” to “PLDT EMPLOYEES’ SERVICE COOPERATIVE, INC.” but retaining in the process the acronym “TELESCOOP”.

On November 19, 1974, the nine (9) interim Board of Directors were elected by the founding members with Renato C. Kalalang being elected as Interim Chairman/President and Rolando L. Lavarias being elected as General Manager. At the same time, the first three (3) Members of the Audit Committee (formerly Audit and Inventory Committee) were elected namely: Vicente Bolisig, Wilfredo Dela Cruz and Rodrigo Profeta.

In December 1974, the interim Chairman/President, Renato C. Kalalang, sent a letter to PLDT Management requesting for a check-off payroll deduction arrangement for TELESCOOP. This was approved by no less than the PLDT-President ,Ramon O. Cojuangco.

In January, 1975, membership campaign was started and intensified which generated positive response from PLDT employees who applied for Telescoop membership.

In February 1975, the first payroll deduction was started for share capital contribution of early batch of TELESCOOP members and PLDT remitted to TELESCOOP the first payroll check-off amounting to P 15,000.00. This check-off deduction arrangement continues up to the present.

On June 18, 1976, the Bureau of Cooperative Development issued Certificate of Registration No. FF-045 formally registering “PLDT Employees’ Service Cooperative, Inc. (TELESCOOP)” as a full pledge primary cooperative. The date of its registration on June 18, 1976 was officially adopted as the birth of TELESCOOP.

After receipt of the Certificate of Registration No. FF-045, the First General Assembly was immediately held by the founding members and elected the following regular nine (9) members of the Board of Directors for a term of one (1) year:

1. ILDEFONSO L. ABASOLO Jr. 4. KASARINLAN O. GARCIA 7. RENATO C. KALALANG
2. DOLORES R. CANSECO 5. BIENVENIDO R. GREY 8. ROLANDO L. LAVARIAS
3. ISABELO A. FERIDO Jr. 6. ANTONIO B. JIMENEZ 9. ROMEO C. RANJO


Its principal office and operations were originally conducted at the Third (3rd) Floor, PLDT Makati General Office (MGO) Building, Dela Rosa St., Makati City. Then at the Ground Floor,PLDT Building, Reposo St., Makati City. When PECCI and TELESCOOP jointly purchased the PLDT Cooperatives Building in 1996, TELESCOOP relocated and transferred its principal office and operations in 2000 to the 5th Floor, PLDT Cooperatives Building, 4718 Eduque St., Makati City where it continues its operations up to the present.

Its area of operation and institutional base of membership includes PLDT Inc. and its Subsidiaries and Affiliates. From a high of 9,500 regular members in 2006, membership went down to the present 6,500 members due to attrition brought about by the continuous Manpower Reduction Program (MRP) of PLDT Inc.

In 2003 , the General Assembly approved the amendment of its cooperative structure from a single purpose to a multi-purpose primary cooperative. In the process, “PLDT Employees’ Service Cooperative, Inc”, was amended to “PLDT Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative” with the same acronym “TELESCOOP”.

In 2008 , after a span of thirty two (32) years of operations, buoyed-up by the spirit of cooperativism and sustained patronage of its members, TELESCOOP achieved a remarkable feat of being a “ BILLIONAIRE COOPERATIVE”.

Always a “Helping Hand” in times of needs and provider of funds for providential and productive purposes for its members, the driving force “TELESCOOP-Kaagapay Sa Pag-Unlad “ is now proverbial among its members and stakeholders.