CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Cooperatives around the region are staying committed in helping not only their cooperative members but also the vulnerable people in their communities as our nation continues to brace the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.

In Misamis Oriental, several cooperatives in the Municipality of Alubijid have organized different relief efforts in response to this global health crisis. The Family & Friends Credit Cooperative, the  Lagtang Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative, the Calatcat Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative, the Taparak Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative, the Talaba I and Talaba II Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative, the Sampatulog Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Farmers Cooperative (SARBFC), and the Quiabo Farmers Consumers Cooperative have all provided immediate relief program to their members by providing rice, food and financial assistance.

In Opol, Misamis Oriental, the Patag Agrarian Reform Cooperative (PARCO) and the Opol Women’s Entrepreneurship Credit Cooperative (OWECCO) have distributed face masks to their members and to underprivileged families in their areas in order to minimize or prevent the further spread of coronavirus in their locality. Also, in the same municipality, the Opol Employees MPC (OPEMCO) and the Taboc Farmers MPC have distributed rice assistance both to their regular and associate members.

Meanwhile, in their neighboring municipalities, the Municipal Cooperative Development Council (MCDC) of Initao, Misamis Oriental and the  Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Cagayan de Oro Employees MPC  in Laguindingan have donated  disinfectants and personal hygiene kits to our frontliners as a means to actively support the government’s relief efforts.

In the eastern part of the region, the Philippine Sinter Employees Cooperative in Misamis Oriental donated disinfectant solutions to RHU-Villanueva and Office of the MDRRMO. In Medina, Misamis Oriental, the Jobnet MPC – TUPAD initiated a Communal & Individual Backyard Gardening Project to help their members to be food sufficient during this pandemic.  While the Gingoog Limited Multipurpose Cooperative and the Tagpako Free Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative in Gingoog City have distributed rice and grocery packages to their members and identified non-members. Finally, in Camiguin, the San Miguel MPC also extended rice assistance to its members.

The cooperatives in the  CIty of Iligan are also stepping up in their COVID-19 relief response. The Philippine Eagles MPC, the Iligan City Women Marketing Coop, the La Salle Employees MPC have extended their help by offering  rice and food assistance to their affected members and non-members. Moreover, the Iligan City Government Employees MPC initiated a tree planting activity during the International Day of Cooperatives and at the same time distributed rice assistance to the Digkilaan ARC Farmers Marketing Cooperative in Malaigang, Digkilaan, Iligan City. Likewise, the Iligan City Government Employees MPC adopted a program wherein poor families in Iligan City were given food packs in this time  of COVID crisis.

In the nearby towns of Baloi, Lanao del Norte, the Maria Cristina MPC and the Newtech Pulp Employees MPC have also extended their food assistance to their members and selected hapless members of their community.  Finally, in Plaridel,  Misamis Occidental,  the Paglaum Multi-Purpose Cooperative, had initiated a gardening and vegetable planting program to help their members during this time of global pandemic.

Last but certainly not the least, the cooperative sectors in the Province of Bukidnon also showed their tireless and unwavering efforts in our fight against COVID-19. The First Agrarian Reform Cooperative, the FACOMA, the Kiantig Services Multipurpose Cooperative (KiSMuCo),and the Don Carlos Government Employees Multipurpose Cooperative  have conducted rice and food distribution programs to their respective members. The Bukidnon Farmers CARP Beneficiaries MPC also distributed cash assistance to their cooperative members. Lastly, the Sugarcane Farmers of Bukidnon MPC has donated complete sets of PPEs to Bukidnon Medical Center and Bukidnon Provincial Hospital in Manolo Fortich, Kalilangan, Maramag and Kibawe, Bukidnon.