Around 455 cooperatives from all over the city are set to participate in the activities for National Cooperative Month.
The activities are centered on events that gather and harmonize their activities, coupled with social activities that benefit communities.
The City Cooperative and Development Office (CCDO) on September 19, 2024, through the RONDA DCDR, announced the list of the nine activities for the entire month of October.
City Cooperative Development Office, Cooperative Development Specialist (CDS), Prialyn Carpio, in an interview, said that the Cooperative Month Celebration will kick off on September 30 with the theme Cooperatives: Stronger Together Today for a Brighter Tomorrow.
Carpio said that the activities for the Coop month include the Thanksgiving Mass and Opening Salvo (September 30); Inter-Cooperative Sports Event: Bowling Tournament (October 8,10,15, and 17), Tree Planting in Buda, Marilog and Mangrove Planting at Purok Malamboon, Matina Aplaya (October 12); a Cooperative Trade Fair and Exhibit with 48 exhibitors at the Abreeza Activity Center (October 13-17); Cooperative Leaders Conversation at De Leonor Hotel, Bajada (October 15); Medical and Dental Mission at Paquibato Proper, Paquibato District (October 19); Inter-Cooperative Sports Event (October 20); and Culmination Program at Mergrande Ocean Beach Resort (October 26).
Davao City Cooperative Development Council Chairperson (DCCDC) Eduardo Cervantes said that the Cooperative Month Celebration, as a social activity, was conceptualized to allow coops to gather and produce big-scale activities with a bigger impact.
“Yung social activities natin tree planning, medical and dental– these are part of the social responsibility of the coop. Through the council inisa nalang natin, instead, na isa-isa tayo na coop gumawa ng ganitong activities, which is ang impact maliit, we better do it in a bigger scale (The social activities natin tree planting, medical and dental– these are part of the social responsibility of the coop. Through the council, we made it into one big event; instead of coops doing one activity each that will only bring less impact, we better do it on a bigger scale),” he said.
Cervantes said that the activities for the community and the cooperative sector show that big and small coops are helping each other.
“Isa sa mga activities ay ang Cooperative Leaders Conference ‘Uswag Kaalam” where we showcase the best practices, we invited the small and micro coops for them to learn from our big brother cooperatives (One of the activities is the CLC “Uswag Kaalam” where we showcase the best practices, we invited the small and micro coops for them to learn from big brother cooperatives),” Cervantes said.
He added that in Davao there are billionaire coops.
Carpio, on the other hand, added that when it comes to compliance, coops in Davao City have been compliant with the requirements they need to submit to the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).
She said that CDDO CDS in 11 political districts are helping coops with the technical aspect of complying with requirements.
Cervantes added the DCCDC is also working hand in hand with CCDO in focusing on programs that can help cooperatives comply with their requirements easily, especially in helping them avail of what is due to them, including exemptions they are entitled to.
“Ginatutukan nato nga program karon ga matabangan ang mga cooperatives when it comes for example sa regulatory offices for example from the Business Bureau, from the BIR through the CDA, na matabangan nato sila ang mapasayon na pag comply niya, ma avail nila what is due to the cooperatives yung mga exemptions, so that while sa start dili sila mabug-atan kay isa mani sa mga privileges na pwede ma avail sa atong mga cooperatiba (We are focusing on programs that can help cooperatives when it comes with the regulatory offices for example from the Business Bureau, from the BIR through the CDA, that they will be given assistance for easier compliance and to let them also avail of what is due to them, the exemptions so that they will not be burdened because these are among the privileges that the cooperatives can avail),” Cervantes said.
He said that the council would work hand in hand with the CCDO to conduct clustered meetings with the help of the CCDO to provide information in the coops in communities.
Cervantes said that after the Coop Month Celebration, they will conduct assessment and planning so that they will be able to address the needs of the cooperatives. CIO
