It should be a two-way growth. While coops’ earnings are growing, social and economic growth should also manifest among its members.
In the 2nd Provincial Cooperative TEAMshop held at the Bulwagan ng Lalawigan in Tagum City recently, Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Region 11 director Elma Oguis, who delivered the speech of CDA chair Lecira Juarez, said there is a need to “gauge” the performance of coops in order to “really determine the coops’ impact to the lives of its members.”
Rule 8 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 9520, otherwise known as the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008, requires cooperatives to submit regular reports. Failure to do so within the prescribed period “shall be a ground for the revocation of authority of the cooperative to operate as such.”
“Coops are required to undergo audit showing its achievements at the end of every fiscal year,” said Oguis.
Based on the 2008 reports gathered by the CDA as stated in the speech of Juarez, Davao del Norte has “generated a net surplus of P114.607-million” from the “total capitalization of P367.78-million.” This means a “31.16 percent earnings of your coops’ investments,” said Oguis, “and if only all the registered cooperatives will submit their reports, it would be more than just 31 percent.”
Towards the end of her speech, Juarez appreciated the support of the provincial government to the cooperatives.
“You are lucky for your governor and vice governor really support the cooperative movement,” Oguis said, reading the speech. “(They) promote coops’ growth and development which they say is the only vehicle, the only way to improve the lives of the poor, those who have less in life, and that is the cooperative way,” she added.
In an interview, Humber Cabunoc, chief of the Cooperative Business Enterprise and Manpower Development Division (CBEMDD) who organized the TEAMshop activity said that, to date, there are 180 active cooperatives in the province which successfully re-registered in pursuant to the new law (RA 9520).
The activity which is in celebration of the 43rd Araw ng Davao del Norte is not just meant to orient coop leaders and members about the IRR to the efficiency and effectiveness of coops’ operations and make it sustainable, said Cabunoc, but also an opportunity to establish stronger cooperation among coops through which coops can have a social impact as what the word TEAM in the title of the activity is defined, “Together, everyone achieves more.”
The same unified effort is what Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario expressed in his message delivered by Vice Governor Victorio Suaybaguio, Jr. counting on people’s support for his administration’s new plans which is “to shift the emphasis of government actions from hard infrastructure to human development, people empowerment and public-private partnership.”
“You have been my dependable allies in the past,” said Suaybaguio. “I am hopeful that you’ll remain so,” he added. [MGrace Apuya/PIO]
