Provincial government supports observation of Coop Month
MARIBEL SINGCA
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The Central Luzon Cooperative Development Council and Provincial Cooperative Development Council (Pampanga) with the support from Governor Lilia Nanay Pineda met with the 250 officers and members of cooperative development councils, LGU’s and cooperative officers at the Benigno Aquino Hall of Capitol as part of the “Cooperative Month” observation over the week.
As this developed, the objective of the activity was based on how tax privilege be enjoyed fully by cooperatives as provided by the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008 (RA 9520).
Relatively, the Rationale and Objective of the forum was discussed by Ms. Marietta P. Wang, Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Regional Director, followed by Mr. Tomas Carillo and Mr. Carlitos Dueñas, Secretary General of NATCCO – Partylist who shared the details on Local Taxation on Cooperatives and Cooperative Law, while Atty. Glynis Lyn R. Cabansag, OIC- Legal Division, Office of the City Treasurer, Quezon City, lectured on the Cooperative Tax Treatment-LGU Perspective.
It is evident that Cooperatives are employed now by the government as the more efficient tools for economic development. As the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), the government agency in charge of development and monitoring cooperatives in the country gave the definition as – “A voluntary organization of people who have agreed to pool their resources together in order to undertake an economic enterprise for the purpose of meeting their common needs, and which they themselves democratically manage and control, and share the economic benefits on the basis of participation and patronage.”
Meanwhile as of 2013, there are 12,676,828 cooperative members in the Philippines generating 441,716 employment force.
Ms. Luningning Vergara, OIC – PCEDO welcomed the guests and participants while Asst. Regional Director of CDA and Ms. Leticia R. Tarroza, Chairperson, RCDC mastered the ceremony.
Also, previously, the 2013 Gawad Awardees were presented to respective cooperatives and that Golden Group Gabay MPC allotted P5-M to the program, P5-M from Apung Monica de Minalin MPC and P1-M from ASCCOM and P1-M from Guagua MPC.
BM Anthony Joseph Torres said in his speech during the program, his visions for cooperatives and challenge them to aim more to achieve and improve the system.
Also, a Kooplympics 2014 was held at SBMA, Subic, Zambales last October 7, attended and participated by different cooperatives from seven (7) provinces of Central Luzon.