A simple source of water can mean more than just meeting a basic need-it can bring hope, promote well-being, and contribute to the sustainable development of a community. This spirit of cooperativism was highlighted during the Turnover and Acceptance Ceremony of the Spring-Based Community Water Source Project held at Sitio Poog, Barangay Maitom, Tandag City, under the Koop Kapatid Program.

The project was made possible through the partnership of the Tandag City Multi-purpose Cooperative (TACIMPCO), as the Partner Cooperative, and the Maitom Agriculture Cooperative and TIP-ABUMMAPACO as beneficiary cooperatives, with the support of barangay officials and the School Parent-Teacher Association. The initiative aims to provide a safe, accessible, and sustainable water source for the Indigenous Peoples (IP) students and the surrounding community.

Significantly, the project demonstrates the application of the cooperative principle of Concern for Community, recognized under Republic Act No. 9520, otherwise known as the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008. The law provides that cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.

It also mandates the allocation of a portion of the cooperative’s net surplus to the Community Development Fund (CDF), which shall be used for projects or activities that benefit the community where the cooperative operates.

Consistent with these provisions, TACIMPCO utilized its Community Development Fund as financial support for the implementation of the Spring-Based Community Water Source Project. This assistance demonstrates how a cooperative can translate its statutory and social responsibility into a concrete community development initiative. Under CDA Memorandum Circular No. 2021-01, the CDF is governed by specific policies on its allocation and utilization, ensuring that the fund is directed toward appropriate community development activities.

For the Maitom Agriculture Cooperative and TIP-ABUMMAPACO, their participation as beneficiary cooperatives provides an opportunity to directly benefit from a community development project supported through the Koop Kapatid partnership. The assistance extended by TANCGOEMPCO enables the beneficiary cooperatives to be part of an initiative addressing an identified community need, particularly access to a reliable water source for IP students and residents of Sitio Poog.

In this undertaking, TACIMPCO, as the Partner Cooperative, extended assistance through the utilization of its CDF for a project intended to benefit the community wherein MAC’s and TIPACO’s members where residents, while the beneficiary cooperatives participated in the implementation and realization of the initiative.

For the Indigenous Peoples students and residents of Sitio Poog, the project provides a direct and practical benefit through improved access to water. A sustainable water source can contribute to better sanitation, health, and a more conducive environment for students and families. More importantly, it reflects the purpose of community development funds-to transform cooperative resources into projects that create meaningful benefits within the community.

TACIMPCO, as the Partner Cooperative under the Koop Kapatid Program, demonstrated that the support extended to the beneficiary cooperatives goes beyond the provision of financial assistance for the implementation of the project. In addition to providing financial support through its Community Development Fund (CDF), TACIMPCO extended technical assistance to the Maitom Agriculture Cooperative and TIP-ABUMMAPACO throughout the project cycle, particularly in guiding them on the proper utilization of the CDF-from the preparation and identification of the community development project, planning and documentation, coordination and implementation, to the monitoring and assessment of the completed activity or project.

Through this hands-on support, the beneficiary cooperatives were guided in ensuring that the CDF was utilized responsibly, appropriately, and in accordance with the applicable cooperative rules and regulations and CDA Memorandum Circular No. 2021-01. This partnership not only enabled the successful implementation of the Spring-Based Community Water Source Project but also strengthened the capacity of the beneficiary cooperatives to independently plan, implement, document, and monitor future community development initiatives.

Through Koop Kapatid, cooperation becomes action-turning cooperative resources into meaningful projects that bring lasting benefits to communities.