By: Niño Rosil C. Bantayan

The first step a certain group will have to comply before it can be registered as cooperative is to conduct or attend a Pre-Registration Seminar (PRS) by the training team of Cooperative Development Authority (CDA). This is to make sure that would-be cooperators will know the basics and technicalities of organizing a cooperative, more so, being an actual member.

Adapting to the safety health protocol of the new normal, the CDA had issued an Office Order No. 2020-07 series of 2020 with subject “Alternative Mode of Conducting Pre-Registration Seminar to Respective Cooperatives”. The order supports the safety measures that prohibits mass gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

For the record, this is the CDA Caraga Regional office report on the PRS accomplishment beginning January up to August of this year. For the first semester, January-June, CDA Caraga has conducted a total of twenty-nine (29) PRS for potential cooperatives (see table 1); and a total of 8 PRS conducted for July to August (see table 2).

Table 1. PRS conducted for 1st Semester 2020

Table 2. PRS conducted for the month of July –  August 2020

The existing PRS module as prescribed in Memorandum Circular 2017-02 or the Guideline on the conduct of Pre-Registration Seminar (PRS) for Prospect Members of Would-Be Primary Cooperatives has two (2) parts, carried out in two (2) sessions with at least two (2) hours per session.

Interested groups or organizations may address their letter request to Genaro D. Pogata Jr., CDA Caraga Regional Office Director, 3^rd Floor, Balebria Bldg., Pili Drive, Butuan City via email address [email protected] or personal delivery  to the office. Please provide your contact details that the office for easy facilitation of your request. ***NRCB