It began with a conceptualization and a simple leap of faith to talk with the pertinent people in 2017. Now, after five Schools Division Superintendents and more than five years, the Tayabas Cooperative Development Office has done a very first in the country and a first in the Cooperative Movement, the integration and institutionalization of the cooperative topics in the modules of students of Department of Education dubbed as the “Leksyong Kooperatiba sa Eskwela Project.”

Led by Mr. Gener Abordo, the Cooperative Development Officer (CDO) of Tayabas City, and in close coordination with the assigned focal person of the project, Mr. Sancho Calatrava, Education Program Supervisor of Araling Panlipunan, and the Cooperative Development Authority Calamba Extension Office (CDE CEO) under the leadership of Regional Director Salvador V. Valeroso, the project pushed through.

On May 10, 2023, the City CDO organized the Turn-Over Ceremony of Grade 9 Cooperative-Based Module to the City Schools Division of the City of Tayabas at the New City Hall Building.

The program started with the preliminaries, followed by the Welcome Remarks of Mr. Bernie Obamasca, Chairperson of the Tayabas City Cooperative Development Council and the Chairperson of the Tayabas Community Multipurpose Cooperative. He welcomed the participants and acknowledged the efforts of the Tayabas CDO in creating the module. He is proud that at a very early age, the youth of Tayabas City will already learn about cooperativism. He also looked back on his early journey as a cooperative member and it was a sweet memory to think that the youth will have it earlier than him. The co-op leader closed his message for the teachers, he advised them that to teach about cooperativsim, they must experience it themselves and by basically being a member of a cooperative. He also stressed that the DepEd should start using the module so that the important milestone of the city will not be in vain.

Mr. Sancho, the Master of the Ceremony, was quick to update that they have already developed the detailed lesson plan and the video lesson of the cooperative module. They are also about to develop and finalize the module for the Grade 6 students.

The program continued with an Audio-Visual Presentation of the Journey of Co-op Module which started from the first meeting in 2017 down to the last activity they conducted as partners for the youth of Tayabas City. It also included the write-shop conducted to have a proper draft of the module which involved representatives from the CDA CEO, Ms. Ivyrene Rose Panaglima, Section Head of the Cooperative Research, Information, and Training Section, and Ms. Jeramel Valdez, the Provincial Cooperative Development Specialist of CDA Rizal Field Office as among the editors of the module.

It was shortly followed by the inspirational message of RD Valeroso. He gave his praises to the innovative works of Mr. Abordo. He described him as a man of action and someone who works silently but with outstanding results. On another note, RD Valeroso stressed that education is very important, however, in the 108 years of the cooperative movement in the country, most of its members are not yet well educated. He said that it is good that there is already mandatory training given to the officers and for its tight grip implementation, but still in more than 80,000 registered co-ops in the country, only 27,000 are operational. The main reason for the failure of those dissolved is the lack of training and education. RD Valeroso also shared that the average age of cooperative members is at the bracket of 50-55 years old thus, it is very important to introduce cooperativism at an early age.

The program continued with the signing of the deed of donation and acceptance of the city schools division. The donation given by the LGU of Tayabas City totaled 1,700 copies of the module that will be distributed to the schools under the Department of Education, particularly to the grade 9 students as part of their Araling Panlipunan subject.

The main highlight of the program was the turn-over ceremony of the cooperative modules by City Mayor Hon. Maria Lourdes Reynoso-Pontioso, represented by her Executive Assistant, Mr. Nato Edran. In his message, he also thanked the hard work of the City CDO, headed by Mr. Abordo, and of the City DepEd Division which has made the collaboration a success.

Mr. Celedoni Balderas Jr., Schools Division Superintendent of the City Schools Division, informed in his speech that five public schools in Tayabas City will benefit from the project. He gladly accepted the 1,700 modules and vouched for the immediate distribution. He extended his thanks to everyone for making the production and donation of the module possible.

In closing of the program, City Councilor, Hon. Elsa Rubio gave her message. She admitted that she was humbled and honored to be with the great leaders of the Department of Education.

“At an early age, we have to inject the idea of cooperativism.” She said.

She also passionately shared her observations about the mindset the Filipinos to have better education to have good jobs in the future instead of becoming entrepreneurs. She shared her aspiration that someday, in every family, there will be an entrepreneur which will also give more job opportunities to others.