Stakeholders strengthen coops in Camarines Norte
DAET, Camarines Norte --- Collaboration of various stakeholders in this province to strengthen cooperatives empowers people in enhancing their lives.
Among stakeholders are the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Provincial Cooperative Development Council (PCDC), Office of the Provincial Agriculturists (OPAg) and other government and financial institutions.
The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) is firming up cooperatives in the province through trainings and technical assistance according to Cooperative Development Specialist Erlinda Valera.
She said that they have already conducted 20 trainings out of 8 targeted this year. The training is free for the cooperatives as part of their mandatory trainings along with those requested by the coops.
She also urged those who are not a member of cooperative to form a group with 15 persons and to request pre-registration seminar from their office.
Valera said that a group should have first initial capital of P15,000 and to submit other pertinent documents. Being a member of cooperative means a lot of financial opportunity coming from the different stakeholders, she said.
The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) is firming up cooperatives in the province through trainings and technical assistance according to Cooperative Development Specialist Erlinda Valera (center in guests) during Talakayan sa PIA on Air hosted by ICM Rose Manlangit over DWCN-Radyo Pilipinas.
Aside from these, the CDA is also intensifying its efforts to regain inactive cooperatives wherein out the168 cooperatives, 98 are active and 70 are inactive.
Valera said that they are also conducting trainings for the inactive cooperatives and help them in the preparations of necessary documents both for the non-financial and financial aspect of their Annual Performance Report.
The CDA also conducts “Gawad Parangal” to give recognition to cooperatives with exemplary performance, she said.
She added that cooperatives can avail of financial assistance and equipment support from the agencies like Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Food Authority (NFA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) among others.
On the other hand, PCDC Chairperson Henry Orbita, said they support the CDA in various activities along with providing policies needed by the cooperatives.
He said that PCDC is a group comprised of agencies which have cooperatives and programs.
Orbita who is an account officer of Camarines Lending Center of the LBP also informed that the said financial institution also provided a credit limit up to P50 million with a 2% interest per annum to cooperatives who are agricultural in nature.
Meanwhile the OPAg provides financial support to CDA in trainings and served as secretariat of the PCDC.
Manny Odi, provincial cooperative coordinator said that they also urged association to accredit their group to the DA for them to be given machineries and financial support.
Presently they are handling around 290 associations in the province which are encouraged to convert their group into a cooperative to have more opportunities in financial support from other agencies.
Meanwhile in line with the cooperative month celebration this October each town also celebrated various activities per municipality.
Earlier, Governor Edgardo Tallado issued an Executive Order to the municipalities to support cooperative month celebration activities.
Activities include the opening of the celebration, information dissemination, seminar and forums, palaro, padunungan quiz, Awarding of Outstanding Coops, Sportsfest and “Mutya ng Kooperatiba.” (RBManlangit-PIA5/Camarines Norte)