First Country Group Featured in Business Chronicle
September 20, 2004


First Country Financial Group wins Prestigious Excellence Awards

THREE members of the First Country Financial Group of Companies were given separate awards by three award-giving bodies this year.

The first honoree was First Country , Inc., which bagged the "Outstanding and Most Innovative Pre-need Company" award from the Ideal Parents & Family Foundation and the Family Products Excellence Awards Council on June 20,2004 with no less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the honorary presentor.

On August 26, 2004, First Country Savings Development and Loan Cooperative won the “Top Financial institutional Cooperative” Award given by the National Consumer Affairs Foundation with Secretary Cesar Purisima, of the Department of trade and Industry as honorary presentor.

Next October, First Country Bank will receive the "Most Outstanding Microfinance Bank" award from the Consumers I League of the Philippines Foundation, Inc.

"This is in recognition of the fact that we have remained true to our word for the past 18 years-since 1986", said Atty. Hans Bulos, President of the First Country , Inc on the company's award.

Now, with the increased capitalization and affordable financial products, more dedicated marketing and sales people, exciting marketing plans captured and niche markets and with former Sandiganbayan Justice Narciso Nario as our new Chairman, we are confident stability but of exponential growth", Bulos said,

Frank Cruz, Chairman of the Membership Committee of First Country Savings Development and Loan Cooperative, quips: “Our cooperative provides the best benefits to its members that other cooperatives are joining as en masse."

Carlos Garcia, First Country Bank Executive Vice President, said: "The key to our financial strength is the more than 25 years experience of our directors and officers in the banking industry whether in commercial, savings or rural banking. If our First Country Cooperative is boasting of the fact that other cooperatives are joining it, we can say for our part that more and more rural banks are depositing their funds with us."

First Country , based on SEC records, is one of the few pre-need companies with no trust fund deficiencies. It has recently launched its industrial operations called the PISO Fund and is already attracting thousands of new planholders. First Country Bank on the other hand, lends the bulk of its funds to public school teachers through automatic salary deduction and through micro finance.

Both lending programs have proven to be safe yet very profitable, First Country Savings Development and Loan Cooperative offers free insurance benefits to its members and substantial discounts for its consumers and health products.