In line with the Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation Program (F2C2) of the Department of Agriculture—which aims to transform Farmers and Fisherfolk Associations into cooperatives to improve access to resources, strengthen collective bargaining power, and enhance sustainability—the Cooperative Development Authority – Cordillera Administrative Region Extension Office (CDA-CAR EO), in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Local Government Units, and other partner agencies, conducted a two-day training on the Fundamentals of Cooperatives with a Pre-Registration Seminar in San Juan, Abra, last July 30–31, 2025, initially implementing its Training and Education for Advancing the Capacity and Health of Agriculture Cooperatives (TEACH-AC) Program.
Believing that cooperatives are instruments of economic, social, and cultural transformation, the TEACH-AC program is designed to provide agriculture cooperatives with comprehensive and adequate training—thereby empowering them with a strengthened cooperative identity that leads to economic, social, and cultural sustainability.
The Pre-Registration Seminar and Training on the Fundamentals of Cooperatives provided participants with an in-depth understanding of cooperative principles—from the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society, to Filipino cultural values such as Bayanihan and Palusong (ammoyo in the local language), to the modern cooperative movement. Held in the spirit of cooperativism, the seminar brought together seventy-five (75) individual participants from the following Farmers and Fisherfolk Associations pre-identified by the Department of Agriculture:
- Ganagan Farmers and Fisherfolk Association
- Arana-Ar Farmers Association
- CBBLDG Farmers and Fisherfolk Association
- Supiil Multicrops Farmers Association
The training, facilitated by Mr. Julio B. Decaleng, Senior CDS, CRITS; Ms. Marisol V. Sofranes, CDS II, CRITS; and Mr. Marvin B. Bisares, CDS II of the Abra Field Office, was made possible through the unwavering support and cooperation of the Municipal Cooperative Development Office of San Juan, Abra, led by Ms. Reia Sherifa T. Benabice, CDS II / MCDO-designate, and the Provincial Cooperative Development Office of Abra, headed by Ms. Jesusa Fier, Acting PCDO.
As a show of support, Hon. Ari Lucas B. Bautista, Mayor of San Juan, Abra, graced the opening of the activity with an inspirational message and returned at the closing ceremony together with the Municipal Agriculturist, Mr. Antonio Berona, to affirm his unwavering support for the cooperative movement.
This cooperative activity marks the beginning of the Department of Agriculture’s initiative to help Farmers Associations transition into resilient and progressive cooperatives—rising beyond the challenges brought by Typhoons Emong and the Southwest monsoon. Through dynamic learning and advocacy for the cooperative movement, this initiative ultimately aims to build an inclusive economy in San Juan, Abra, through the cooperative way.
– Photo courtesy of CDO CSO San Juan, Abra
