Concurrent with the Cooperative Month Celebration, the 1st National Credit Surety Fund Congress was successfully held last October 24 to 26, 2023 at the IC3 Pavilion Convention Center, Cebu City, Cebu, spearheaded by the Mandaue City Credit Surety Fund Cooperative and the City of Mandaue Local Government, in coordination with the Cooperative Development Authority, the Credit Surety Fund Cooperatives all over the country enjoined together to support the 1st Congress.

The event with the theme, “CSF Cooperative: A Key in Achieving Financial Inclusion Towards Socio-Economic Growth and Countryside Development” was attended by delegates from the City of Santa Rosa Credit Surety Fund Cooperative with its primary cooperative members, Jeannie’s Touch Multi Purpose Cooperative, Aichi Forging Family Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Toyota Motor Phils. Corp. Multipurpose Cooperative, Santa Rosa City Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative; the Laguna Credit Surety Fund Cooperative with its primary cooperative members, NIA Region IV Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Liliw Municipal Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative. Representatives from the City Government of Santa Rosa, Laguna and the Laguna Provincial Cooperative Development Office also supported the event.

The undertaking was attended not only by the registered Credit Surety Fund Cooperatives but also by other interested cooperatives in the CSF Program as evidenced by the participation of Llano Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LFMPC) of Rizal and Yaman At Kabuhayan Ng Kawal At Pulis Multi-Purpose Cooperative (YAKKAP MPC) of Laguna.

 CDA Undersecretary Joseph “Joy” Encabo stated that Cooperative Leaders must remember the 3 I’s, they must learn how to Innovate, Initiate and Invigorate as he believes that the Credit Surety Fund Program is the key to Socio-Economic Growth and Countryside Development in the Philippines. Meanwhile, Deputy Administrator for CSF Service Atty. Ma. Lourdes Pacao presented the Credit Surety Fund National Situationer.

 Officials and representatives from different agencies and organizations, namely the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Department of Trade and Industry, Development Bank of the Philippines, the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology, the Philippine Guarantee Corporation and the Bohol Diocesan Multi-Purpose Cooperative presented their programs and services that the CSF Cooperatives and their MSME members can avail and utilize for growth and development.

The Nueva Vizcaya Credit Surety Fund Cooperative, the 1st Awardee of the CDA Gawad Parangal 2023 Most Outstanding Credit Surety Fund Cooperative, shared their cooperatives’ best practices to the delegates.

 On the last day of the Congress, participants were grouped with other CSF Cooperatives and CDA representatives to discuss issues and concerns affecting their operations through a Breakout session. After the Breakout session, the officers and members from the Credit Surety Fund Cooperatives all over the country affixed their signatures on a declaration to support the Credit Surety Fund Cooperative Act to be in essence and by example become the key in achieving financial inclusion toward socio-economic growth and countryside development, through sustainability and growth.

The 1st National Credit Surety Fund Cooperative Congress was also witnessed by Senior CDS Ms. Elvira Ramos and CDS II John Immanuel Garcia of Credit Surety Fund Section of CDA Region IV-A Extension Office.