At the quarterly meeting of the Regional Cooperative Development Council 7, which coincided with the conferment of Gawad Parangal Awards to two (2) outstanding primary cooperatives, one co-op development office and one outstanding leader in Central Visayas, a top official of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) updated local stakeholders about happenings in the regulatory body.
As we know, President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered all presidential appointees to tender their courtesy resignation owing to reports that graft and corruption have not abated in government agencies, especially in regulatory bodies.
CDA Administrator Mercedes “Ched” Castillo told the assembly that members of the Board of Administrators, including Chairman Orlan Ravanera, are waiting for clarification because they were appointed by the president based on the strong endorsement of the sector. In this connection, the RCDC in Region 3 recently passed a resolution giving the current board a vote of confidence. Likewise, during last week’s RCDC-7 quarterly meeting held in the Mandaue City Session Hall, the board also passed a resolution supporting the current membership of the policy-making body.
Whether this will impact on the decision of President Duterte, i.e., whether to retain or fire the current BOA, it remains to be seen. I heard the OP has obtained intelligence information about the state of affairs in the CDA, and the rest of the 12 or so different agencies covered by Executive Order No. 1.
When Duterte assumed the presidency, his first executive order was to place 12 government agencies, including CDA, directly under the Office of the President through Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, Jr.
The cooperative sector rejoiced over the presidential directive because during the previous administration, cooperatives were not only under the radar of the Chief Executive, they were also given a raw deal: to quote former Cebu governor and congressman Pablo Garcia. The CDA then was under the jurisdiction of the Department of Finance headed by Cesar Purisima.
To show his utter disregard for cooperatives, President Aquino did not attend any of the more than 12 national congresses organized by the CDA and the co-op sector from October 2014 to October 2015 which marked the centennial celebration of PH cooperatives. Neither did Sec. Purisima.
On top of that, the DOF even crafted the Fiscal Incentives Bill aimed to lift the tax exemption privileges granted to co-ops. The tax-exempt status of the sector is guaranteed by Articles 60 and 61 of RA 9520 also known as Cooperative Code of 2008. Were it not for the eagle eyes of CDA Administrator Benjie Oliva, who diligently attended Congress hearings on the budget last year, the cooperative sector would not have gotten wind of the insidious move of the Department of Finance. For that to happen during the centenary of PH cooperatives, I wrote about in September last year, was a mockery of People Power.
Quo vadis co-ops in the time of Duterte?
I happen to interview Administrator Benjamin “Benjie” Oliva after the RCDC-7 board meeting last Friday. Together with Ched Castillo, Oliva graced the co-op event to extend the good wishes of CDA to the regional Gawad Parangal awardees. The Bohol native told me he is doing spadework in behalf of Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco to bring to fruition a cooperative housing project for public school teachers in Tagbilaran City.
The housing project can proceed if the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the local government of Tagbilaran City commit to develop the eight-hectare property owned by the teachers’ co-op. Well, looks like Administrator Oliva’s legwork is gaining headway because he rushed to Manila after the RCDC-7 board meeting to report to Sec. Jun Evasco.
This tells me the OP, through Secretary Evasco, understands the importance of cooperatives. Evasco’s political orientation as a former priest and rebel makes him a natural ally of the sector. His swift action on the plea of the teachers’ cooperative demonstrates he will lean on co-ops to achieve poverty alleviation and community development.
On that score, I believe things are looking up for the co-op movement in the time of Duterte.
By the way, huge congratulations to the regional Gawad Parangal outstanding primary cooperative winners: Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative and Fairchild Cooperative. This year’s regional Gawad Parangal awardee for most outstanding leader is Eddie Lantaka, Jr. of PHCCI Dumaguete while the Mandaue City Cooperative Development Office was recognized as the best performing cooperative development office. They are to compete in the national Gawad Parangal awards slated in October this year in Manila.
I also wish to thank CDA Regional Director Felipe Deri and members of the board for making me a part of the RCDC-7 in my capacity as coproducer of “Co-op TV,” probably the only co-op advocacy TV show in the country today.
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