Establishment of satellite office by cooperatives is consistent with the state policy as provided under Article 2 paragraph 1, RA 9520 and in Section 1, RA 6939 “to foster the creation and growth of cooperatives as a practical vehicle for promoting self-reliance and harnessing people power towards the attainment of economic development and social justice”, and “to promote the viability and growth of cooperatives as instruments of equity, social justice and economic development, respectively.
Cooperatives are authorized to operate satellite offices by virtue of CDA Memorandum Circular Number 2012-17 as amended by CDA Memorandum Circular Number 2016-05. This practice allowed cooperatives to expand operations with minimal manpower and financial requirements and generate. Also, it allows members to patronize the services of cooperatives as facilities and services are brought nearer to the host communities.
Based on consolidated CDA-CAR data on satellite, about 25 cooperatives applied for satellite offices in various parts of the region. About 50 satellite offices were registered as of December 31, 2017. About 14,004 members composed of 9,098 female and 4,906 male individuals became members of cooperatives as a result of satellite office establishment.
It was observed that nine (9) Benguet-based cooperatives established eighteen (18) satellite offices comprising 36% of the total number. Membership of these satellite offices in Benguet is about 6,360 (4,045 female and 2,315 male).
In addition, the six (6) Ifugao-based cooperatives opened 15 satellite offices sparsely established in different parts of the region including 6 satellite offices based in Region 2. About 4,361 members composed of 2,481 female and 1,880 became members of these satellite offices in Ifugao.
Further, five (5) Baguio City based cooperatives established about 8 satellite offices in different parts of the region including 1 satellite office of an institutional cooperative in Region 3 wherein some of the company employees are based. About 1,953 members composed of 1,495 female and 458 male became members of the cooperatives attributed to satellite opening.
Also, two (2) Mountain Province based cooperatives established about 6 satellite offices within CAR. Membership was about 616 composed of 445 female and 171 male members.
Two (2) Kalinga Province based cooperatives established 2 satellite offices within Kalinga with about 670 members (603 female and 67 male). Similarly, 1 Abra based cooperative established 2 satellite offices within Abra.
The above figures bring us the idea that satellite office establishment can help in providing cooperative services closer to the people. As people are at the center of development, cooperative officers and management must embrace the idea that centrality of operations must yield to demands of members for effective and efficient service delivery. Add to this is the ease of doing business wherein people need not queue and wait for several hours before they are served.
