Time Magazine reports that 1 out of 20 Americans is a millionaire.
Wow! Incredible but true.
But this stat does not catapult America to the top of the economic totem pole. It is ranked 21st, mind you.
From this, we can gather the extent of economic activity they have yonder. Meaning, everyone is busy earning a decent income and livelihood to the extent that no one is loafing around.
Here, we can duplicate or even exceed this condition if Filipinos from all walks of life are afforded even just an opportunity to earn, not eke out, a living that provides three square meals a day.
DepCo stands for “Department of Cooperatives,” as HB 4174 now being pushed in the House of Representatives by principal sponsor Rep. Maria Valentina Plaza (PDP, 1st Dist, Agusan Sur) and 5 others.
For the record, there are now 200 congressmen who have signed as co-authors, from the 291-total membership.
DepCo will elevate the weak Cooperatives Development Authority to a line department that will give a greater voice to the existing 25,000 plus existing cooperatives and its 14M plus members in the Cabinet.
DepCo is likewise envisioned to create and provide livelihood opportunities to the legions of unemployable persons, under-employed and unemployed college graduates.
Also, worth mentioning are rebel-returnees, ex-convicts, idle housewives, urban and rural poor, farmers and fisherfolks, rehab addicts, ex-OFWs and families, IPs, the homeless and the activists attracted to take part in the parliament of the street.
This, aside from transforming them into self-made entrepreneurs that will generate and distribute wealth among the broad spectrum of the population.
Shrewd businessmen and greedy usurers will be eliminated.
Imagine, if all 42,500 barangays all over the archipelago are actively engaged in enterprising endeavors, will this not increase subsequently our gross domestic product (GDP)?
With this scenario – a nation buzzing like a beehive literally – DepCo enables every single Filipino to take a crack at improving the quality of his individual and family life WITHOUT DEPENDING SO MUCH ON GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY AND DOLEOUTS (emphasis mine).
DepCo will teach the Filipino people how to fish.
DepCo is also envisioned to provide a parallel economic complement to the anti-illegal drugs and anti-corruption campaign initiated by the Duterte administration.
As DepCo creates opportunities for economic advancement specifically for the lower B, C, D and E classes, it helps ease the burden on government in its fight against poverty.
The CDA today is only operating up to the regional level. Which means, it has not reached out to the millions of poor Filipinos residing in the provinces, towns and remote villages where the virtues of the cooperative movement must be introduced, established and nurtured.
Currently, cooperatives starting out as micro and small units need to travel far to the regional offices of the CDA to have their papers registered. This is because there is no CDA local cooperative development officer in the province and municipalities appointed to that post.
Instead of applying band-aid adhesives to problems that need permanent solutions, DepCO will correct the present inadequacies of the CDA which are just too many to mention.
DepCo will also absorbed the present personnel CDA complement and use its current budgetary appropriation as its start-up operational funding. No one will be terminated but those willing to retire or separate will be given their retirement dues and compensation under the law.
The question really to ask is this: With poverty stalking the people for many decades now, is there a NEED to create the Department of Cooperatives?
Dr. Eulogio Castillo, CDA administrator, says the need is so great that Pres. Duterte is being requested to sign a certification making HB 4174 a priority and urgent concern of the present government.
Castillo says that one hundred years of the cooperative movement has not produced the envisioned economic prosperity level for many of the members. They remain poor and struggling.
Now is the best time to institute much-needed changes and reforms.
Thurgood Marshall, associate justice of the US Supreme Court, said; “The measure of a country’s greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis.” (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) Ps. 62.1. “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.” GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
