CDA Region I EO

CDA INKS PARTERSHIP WITH MMSU TO PROMOTE GROWTH AND VIABILITY OF COOPERATIVES IN THE NORTH

As we unite toward a mindset shift for transforming cooperative leaders, the need to assist all beloved cooperatives in the region must be expanded and intensified. Undoubtedly, the Cooperative Development Authority Region I Extension Office (CDA RI) persists to provide cooperatives with various forms of assistance, such as learning and skill development. Training services are required to equip cooperative officers with management skills to meet the challenges of operating the cooperative business or businesses, as well as for members to gain additional knowledge to contribute to the cooperative’s success.

Some SUC’s are partners of the CDA in providing trainings to cooperatives. Mariano Marcos State University-College of Business, Economics and Accountancy is one of the SUCs partners that provided assistance to the two cooperatives in Ilocos Norte, namely, Rayuray Farmers Agriculture Cooperative in Batac City, and the Zanjera Sto. Nino Agriculture Cooperative in Banna.

Activities conducted for Rayuray Farmers Agriculture Cooperative were:

  1. Launching Program of the “Empowering the Rayuray Farmers’ Agriculture Cooperative through the Financial Advisory and Technical Services Project” which was conducted last February 15, 2022
  2. Capability Enhancement Training on Cooperative Intellectual Capacity for the Officers, Employees and Members of the Rayuray Farmers’ Agriculture Cooperative (Series 1: Human Capital) on February 15, 2022
  3. Capability Enhancement Training on Cooperative Intellectual Capacity for the Officers, Employees and Members of the Rayuray Farmers’ Agriculture Cooperative (Series 2: Relational Capital) on March 2, 2022
  4. Capability Enhancement Training on Cooperative Intellectual Capacity for the Officers, Employees and Members of the Rayuray Farmers’ Agriculture Cooperative (Series 2: Relational Capital) on March 23, 2022
  5. Capability Enhancement Training on Cooperative Governance for the Officers, Employees and Members of the Rayuray Farmers’ Agriculture Cooperative (Structural Capital and Rights, Powers and Obligations of the Officers and General Assembly) on April 27, 2022, and
  6. Capability Enhancement Training on Cooperative Governance for the Officers, Employees and Members of the Rayuray Farmers’ Agriculture Cooperative (Series 2: Cooperative Governance and Leadership, Direction-Setting, Policy Formulation and Parliamentary Procedures) on May 4, 2022.

Other services provided to the cooperative included bookkeeping coaching and the liquidation of a $1 million grant from Kadiwa Ni Ani at the Kita Program on November 11 and 18, 2021, and December 12 and 31, 2021, as well as a workshop on developing Vision and Mission statements on September 30, 2021. The Project Team also participated in the cooperative’s team building activity on December 6, 2021, with the goal of motivating the Cooperative’s key officers to work together, develop their strengths, and address any weaknesses. Since 2018, the MMSU CBEA Financial Advisory and Technical Services (FATS) Project team has assisted the Cooperative with bookkeeping and financial statement preparation.

Another beneficiary for the Cooperative Development (CoopDev) Project is the Zanjera Sto. Niño Agriculture Cooperative which project duration is August 2021 – December 2022. Proponents are the BS Cooperative Management Program of CBEA. The project component is Empowering the Zanjera Sto. Niño Agriculture Cooperative through Cooperative Development. Beneficiaries are the officers and members of Zanjera Sto. Niño Agriculture Cooperative. Extension Activities Conducted were:

  1. Launching of “Empowering the Zanjera Sto. Nino Agriculture Cooperative through Cooperative Development” conducted on October 8, 2021
  2. Capability Enhancement Training Series on Cooperative Intellectual Capacity for the Officers, Employees and Members of the Zanjera Sto. Nino Agriculture Cooperative (Series 1: Human Capital) conducted on October 21, 2021
  3. Capability Enhancement Training Series on Cooperative Intellectual Capacity for the Officers, Employees and Members of the Zanjera Sto. Nino Agriculture Cooperative (Series 1: Human Capital) conducted on November 12 & 16 2021
  4. Capability Enhancement Training Series on Cooperative Intellectual Capacity for the Officers, Employees and Members of the Zanjera Sto. Nino Agriculture Cooperative last December 10, 2021 (Series 3: Structural Capital) conducted on December 10, 2021
  5. Capability Enhancement Training on Cooperative Governance for Officers, Employees and Members of the Zanjera Sto. Niño Agriculture Cooperative (Series 1: Rights, Powers, and Obligations of the Officers and the General Assembly) on January 14, 2021
  6. Capability Enhancement Training on Cooperative Governance for Officers, Employees and Members of the Zanjera Sto. Niño Agriculture Cooperative (Series 2: Cooperative Policy, Policy Formulation and Parliamentary Procedure) on February 5, 2022
  7. Capability Enhancement Training on Cooperative Governance for Officers, Employees and Members of the Zanjera Sto. Niño Agriculture Cooperative (Series 3: Entrepreneurial, Business, and Records Management) on February 24, 2022
  8. Capability Enhancement Training on Cooperative Governance for Officers, Employees and Members of the Zanjera Sto. Niño Agriculture Cooperative (Series 4: Bookkeeping, Standards and Internal Control, and Financial Management and Budgeting in Cooperatives) on March 25, 2021
  9. Capability Enhancement Training on Cooperative Governance for Officers, Employees and Members of the Zanjera Sto. Niño Agriculture Cooperative (Series 5: Effective Business Communication and Records Management) on April 1, 2021
  10. Capability Enhancement Training on Cooperative Governance for Officers, Employees and Members of the Zanjera Sto. Niño Agriculture Cooperative (Series 6: Plan, Program, and Project Proposal Preparation) on May 6, 2022, and
  11. Capability Enhancement Training on Cooperative Governance for Officers, Employees and Members of the Zanjera Sto. Niño Agriculture Cooperative (Series 7: Election Guidelines, Rules and Regulations and Series 8: Audit and Inventory Management) on June 3, 2022. The MMSU plans to conduct a Capability Enhancement Training on Cooperative Governance for Officers, Employees and Members of the Zanjera Sto. Niño Agriculture Cooperative (Series 9: Mediation, Conciliation and Conflict Management and Series 10: Ethics).

According to the Dean of MMSU-CBEA, Dr. Angelina Abrojena, the Financial Advisory and Technical Services (FATS) and Cooperative Development (CoopDev) Project is accepting another cooperative to avail their services/assistance.

Finally, researches were conducted to better understand the cooperative sector and in order to design a development plan/strategy. (CDS II R.R. Medina)