Pursuant to Article 137 of the Republic Act No. 9520 otherwise known as the Philippine Cooperative code of 2008.
Disputes among members, officers, directors, and committee members, and intra-cooperative, inter-cooperative, intra-federation or inter-federation disputes shall, as far as practicable, be settled amicably in accordance with the conciliation or mediation mechanisms embodied in the bylaws of cooperatives and in such other applicable laws.
The conciliation and mediation committee of the cooperative shall facilitate the amicable settlement of intra-cooperative disputes and disputes among members, officers, directors, and committee members.
Should such conciliation or mediation proceeding fail, the matter shall be settled through voluntary arbitration: Provided, however, that before any party can validly file a complaint with the Authority for voluntary arbitration, it must first secure a certification from its conciliation and mediation committee and from its conciliation and mediation committee and from the cooperative union or federation to which it belongs that despite all efforts to settle the issues, the same have failed.
The jurisdiction of the voluntary arbitrators shall be exclusive and original and their decisions shall be appealable to the Office of the President. The Authority shall issue and adopt the proper rules of procedure governing arbitration as the primary and exclusive mode for dispute resolution in accordance with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act of 2004.
The Cooperative Development Authority IX with National Commission and Mediation Board IX has an initial talk to provide Mediation and Conciliation training to our registered cooperative in Region IX so that the cooperative alone can handle Mediation, Conciliation and dispute within their Cooperative. The said meeting was headed by Ms. Windelyn A. Avila the Supervising CDS of Cooperative Authority IX , Atty. Emmylou S. Esolana, Senior CDS of SES Maria Christal P. Caindog , Senior CDS for Registration Eleonor Tolosa and Senior CDS of CSF Alvazer B. Duran in the other hand Regional Director Oliver C. Jao of National Commission and Mediation Board, Senior LEO. Shirley M. Calletor and LEO III. Syrill J. Gayomali.
The National Commission and Mediation Board was created under Executive Order No. 126, reorganizing the DOLE, shall formulate policies, develop plans and programs and set standards and procedures relative to the promotion of conciliation and mediation of labor disputes through the preventive mediation, conciliation and voluntary arbitration; facilitation of labor-management cooperation through joint mechanisms for information sharing, effective communication and consultation and group-problem solving.
By: Alvazer B. Duran, Sr. CDS
