Cooperative
leaders, private sector entities and government officials will come together,
in what could be the biggest gathering of the cooperative sector for the year,
on November 12 – 14, 2013 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier,
Davao City.
The
activity will kick – off with an opening program that will be headlined by Mr. Mark Lapid, the representative of
Sen. Lito Lapid, Senate’s Chairperson for the Committee on Cooperatives. The
younger Lapid will be the Keynote Speaker on this year’s theme: “Together
Everyone Achieves More for Solidarity, Hope, Opportunities and Progress”. Ms.
Lualhati Antonino, the Secretary for Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA)
will be representing Pres. Benigno Aquino. The Hon. Cynthia Villar will also be gracing the occasion as a show of
support to the cooperative sector.
The
TEAMshop will provide participants the opportunity to learn from best
practices, be updated on development opportunities for the cooperatives and
participate in enriching the cooperative legislative agenda for the 16th
Congress. Experts and speakers from both the private and public sectors are
invited to lead the discussions on the various challenges and opportunities
facing the cooperative sector in the country.
According
to Ms. Rhoda Ruth M. Pillerin, the executive director of the Alliance of FOCCUS
Cooperatives, gatherings such as this one provides the venue for the
cooperative to discover opportunities and access necessary support for their
continuing quest in making their organizations more responsive to the needs of
the cooperative members.
“Cooperative
proves to be an important tool of the poor and marginalized sectors to have
greater access to better quality services, enhance their livelihoods and
entrepreneurial ambitions, and achieve financial security. Cooperatives have
evolved from low-income, subsistence enterprises to efficient and effective business models banking on the combined
capital of its members and are able to provide agricultural, entrepreneurial,
insurance, health and education financing that clearly help its members in most
challenging times,” Ms. Pillerin added.
Mr.
Arthur Aller, President of the Cooperative International TEAMshop, Inc. (CIT,
Inc.) held that the cooperatives have something our society can learn from.
“Cooperatives effectively demonstrated the model of “daang-matuwid” of Pres.
Aquino. Decisions are based on consultations with members. Actions are
collective undertakings, and benefits redound to all stakeholders, including
the member with the least amount of capital contributed,” he said. “In other
words, nobody is left out in a cooperative. Our nation’s leaders must learn and
re-learn from this cooperative discipline.”
“The
TEAMshop also aims to strengthen collaboration between the government and the
cooperative, which belongs to the private sector, “ Ms. Carmelina Francia,CPA,
the Regional Executive Committee Chairperson of CIT, Inc – Region XI added.
“Cooperatives are key players and partners of the government in the fight
against poverty and in the nation’s economic growth. We want to promote the
paradigm of public-cooperative
partnership in relation to the “public-private
partnership” strategy of the Aquino administration. This strategy will
ensure that the marginalized communities will truly benefit from government
programs, “ Francia noted.
