BAGUIO CITY – City officials requested the city government’s Performance and Governance Audit Team to consider the creation of a Baguio City Cooperative Development Office in the organizational structure of the city pursuant to Resolution No. 212, series of 2019, that supported the move of the present administration in constituting the aforesaid team to conduct a performance and evaluation of all departments in the organizational structure of the city focused on the sectors plans, programs and projects; budget and personnel; and actual implementation, output and impact to stakeholders, as tool for the city to further enhance the delivery of public services.
Under Resolution No. 673, series of 2020, city legislators stated that an office devoted to the interest and welfare of the cooperatives is important given the impact of their role in social economic undertakings to the life of citizens in their area of operation.
At present, cooperative concerns in the city are handled by the Special Services Division of the City Mayor’s Office through one of its Community Development Officers designated as a Cooperative Development Officer.
Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2019-01 dated January 21, 2019, of the Department of the Interior and Local government (DILG) and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) provided for the roles of the local government unit, among which are the establishment of a local cooperative development office and the appointment of a local cooperative development Officer.
Further, Resolution No. 236, series of 2017, confirmed the memorandum of agreement entered into by and between the local government, Cooperative Development Authority–Cordillera Extension Office, and the Baguio City Cooperative Development Council on the implementation and development of cooperative programs and projects in the city provided for the role of the city in the promotion and development of cooperatives in the city, particularly in the initiation and implementation of programs for cooperative promotion and development in line with the government’s overall development plan on cooperative.
Further, the body stipulated that the city recognizes the important role of cooperatives in local social and economic development as expressed in Resolution No. 336, series of 2017, supporting the formation of cooperatives in the city’s 128 barangays.
The body claimed that the put up of the Baguio City Cooperative Development Office will help in fastracking the organization of cooperatives in the various city barangays to ensure that the residents will be actively involved on the cooperative movement which is one of the economic drivers in certain local governments around the country.
The city has been actively involved in the numerous activities of the CDA that resulted to the creation of the Baguio city Cooperative Development Council which is also an active member of the Cordillera Cooperative Union to help in the overall development of cooperatives in the different parts of the region.
The concept of cooperative has been seen as one of the strategies to pool the available resources of the people for the realization of certain programs, projects and activities geared towards uplifting the economic activities of the people in various communities.
By Dexter A. See
Photo by Armando M. Bolislis
