LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Last year’s consolidated data of about 500 compliant primary cooperatives indicated that the Cordillera Administrative Region has about 343,380 cooperative members. The Cordillera office of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA-CAR) data revealed that Benguet has the highest total number of 86,201 members based on the reports of 195 cooperatives. This was followed by Baguio City 65,164 (111-coops); Ifugao, 61,630 (43-coops); Mountain Province, 49,589 (42-coops); Kalinga, 47,556 (49-coops); Abra, 28,012 (39 coops) and Apayao 5,228 (26-coops).
The top performing primary cooperative in each province/city in terms of membership showed Tabuk Multipurpose Cooperative (TAMPCO) of Kalinga leading the group with 23,684 members followed by Abra Diocesan Teachers and Employees MPC (ADTEMCO)-Abra with 19,510; Baguio-Benguet Community Credit Cooperative (BBCCC)-Baguio City, 21,679; Banaue Savings Development Cooperative (BSDC)-Ifugao, 19,225; Benguet State University MPC (BSU MPC)-Benguet, 18,600; Treasure Link Cooperative Society-Mountain Province, 15,073; and Rimalipad Naba MPC-Apayao 596 members.
Percent distribution of membership indicated that about 25.10% of the total cooperative membership comes from Benguet followed by Baguio City comprising 18.98%; Ifugao, 7.95%; Mountain Province,14.44%; Kalinga,13.85%; Abra,8.16% and Apayao, 1.52%.
Except for Rimalipad Naba MPC that belongs to small category, all the top performing are large cooperatives with assets of more than P 100 million.
By Lotes P. Lab-oyan
