LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Cordillera office of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA-CAR) lauded the continuous growth and expansion of cooperatives in the municipality that is contributing in the significant increase of economic activities and sources of livelihoods.
Speaking before the 2023 Gawad Parangal for Cooperatives, CDA-CAR regional director lawyer Franco Bawang, Jr. said that the entry of large cooperatives from other places to the locality is a clear testament of the robust growth of cooperatives that is helping spur economic growth in the municipality, especially after the wrath of the COVID-19 pandemic that caused global economic stagnation.
He commended the municipal government under the leadership of Mayor Romeo K. Salda and Vice Mayor Roderick Awingan for providing a conducive atmosphere for the growth and expansion of small, medium and large cooperatives which are the catalysts of development in the countryside.
However, Bawang underscored that success cannot be measured by the awards that have been reaped by individuals and groups but from the satisfaction derived from the realization of their set of goals and objectives, thus, the challenge for the cooperatives is to ensure the attainment of their goals for the overall satisfaction of the members.
The CDA-CAR official also challenged the cooperatives to work not for recognition but to achieve goals and objectives that are worthy of recognition as such recognition based on the impact of the achievements to the overall state of the cooperative and the communities they serve.
Bawang rallied cooperatives in the municipality to continue their efforts to expand and become instruments for change and development because what matters is their contribution to the cooperative movement and the state of economy in the areas where they actually service.
On the other hand, the CDA-CAR director also called on the residents to become members of the cooperatives of their choice for them to contribute in providing the resources needed by the cooperatives to continue spurring additional economic activities and more sources of livelihood.
He explained that the establishment of branches in the municipality by other cooperatives from other places just shows the robust economy in the locality aside from the potential of being able to entice members to join the said cooperatives regardless of their membership in other cooperatives.
Bawang advised the cooperatives to continue adhering to the guidelines governing their operations and the timely submission of their respective reportorial requirements to ensure that the cooperatives will be in good standing and can continue accessing available assistance from concerned government agencies and local governments.
The annual conduct of the Gawad Parangal for Cooperatives in the municipality was institutionalized in the town’s Cooperative Code to inspire and motivate cooperatives to strive and elevate their existence and operations to a higher level.
