Puerto Princesa City, Palawan— About 500 cooperative leaders and members representing the billionaire and millionaire cooperatives in the country converged on June 16 – 17, 2014 in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan and crafted the 9 POINT AGENDA FOR ONE STRONG COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT -- a Puerto Princesa City Palawan.

The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) through the leadership of its Chairperson, Dr. Emmanuel M. Santiaguel spearheaded the said National Convergence to initiate cooperative integration and encourage formation of one national federation as well as to update/inform the participants on the following: 1) the benefits of organizing themselves into one cooperative federation – one each in coop bank, coop insurance, agriculture, credit coop, workers coop, health service, marketing consumer; 2) the advantages of establishing liquidity/stabilization fund as the main business of national federation; 3) the economic and social value of integration thru merger and consolidation in order to be competitive; 4) the importance of voluntary arbitration as a mode of resolving intra-inter cooperative conflicts; 5) the ethics to be observed in establishing a cooperative branch/satellite offices; 6) the need for e-coop trade and the solidarity economy.

Dr. Santiaguel, in his presentation, tossed a number of challenges to the participants for them to sustain the momentum that large cooperatives have achieved over the years and to push forward the gains of the Philippine Cooperative Sector as important players in socio-economic development of the country at the height of ASEAN economic integration. These include the possible merger of MASS-SPECC and NATCCO; the merger of CLIMBS and CISP; the consolidation of all coop banks into One National Cooperative Bank; the integration of all ailing and distressed coops with the big coops; and last is the integration of all products and services per service category.

These challenges were bolstered by the lectures of the subsequent speakers and known cooperative leaders in their respective topics sharing their years of experience and expertise as prime movers of cooperative unification in the country. After the presentation of Chairman Santiaguel who updated the participants on the State of Philippine Cooperative Movement, Mr. Isagani B. Daba, BOD Member, FICCO & COO, CISP talked on One Co-op Movement while CISP President Roy S. Miclat provided insights on Merger & Consolidation of Cooperatives: Advantages and Benefits. On the other hand, NATCCO Networks CEO Sylvia O. Paraguya presented the information on Cooperative Stabilization and Liquidity Fund while MASS-SPECC CEO Bernadette O. Toledo lectured on The Need for Code of Ethics in Cooperative Branch/Satellite. Atty. Fernando Teodulo T. Ortigoza III of CDA Region X shared the participants some concepts on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Cooperatives. Meanwhile, PCC Acting General Manager Ms. Elsie A. Remonte reported on Philippine Cooperative Center: An Apex Organization. In related topics, Mr. Carlo V. Cachola, CDA IT Consultant shared relevant information on E-Coop Trade – the on-line Coop Market Place. Lastly, Mr. Benjamin R. Quinones and Mr. Brigido R. Simon, Jr. of Asian Economic Solidarity Council (ASEC) on Social Solidarity Economy: A Safety net for AFTA as Philippine Cooperatives veer towards the prospects of economic integration. END

Source: www.cda.gov.ph