On November 28, 2024, at Brentwood Apartelle, Baguio City, the CDA CAR Extension Office awarded the Start -Up Livelihood Capital Assistance to eleven (11) accredited cooperative beneficiaries in the region. This initiative is one of the locally-funded projects of the Authority implemented through its Regional Extension Offices which is primarily intended to help start-up or expand livelihood ventures. It allows cooperatives to acquire necessary resources, such as materials, equipment, or inventory, to grow their businesses and improve income-generating activities.
The accredited cooperatives who were able to avail of the assistance are the following:
- Dalicno Multipurpose Cooperative;
- Burnham Park Consumers Cooperative;
- Camp 4 Tuba Consumers Cooperative;
- Sagada Health Care Pharmacy Consumers Cooperative;
- Pide Aguid Fidelisan Multipurpose Cooperative;
- Makakud Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative;
- Panubtuban Multipurpose Cooperative;
- New Cabatacan Multipurpose Cooperative;
- Gayaman Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative;
- Banayakeo Tacarang Codating Consumers Cooperative; and
- Barangay Banengbeng Bagsakan Consumers Cooperative.
Each cooperative beneficiary received Four Hundred Thousand (Php 400,000.00) pesos as start-up capital. Also, two (2) cooperative beneficiaries of the Malasakit sa Kooperatiba Program, namely: United Farmers of Cada Agriculture Cooperative and Cadaclan Agriculture Cooperative, were awarded Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php 50,000.00) each. This provides not only monetary aid but also capacity-building initiatives to help cooperatives in the region expand and sustain their operations.
The notable attendees at the event included USec. Joseph B. Encabo, CDA Chairman, ASec. Abdulsalam A. Guinomla, CDA Assistant Secretary/ Board Member III, Head, Education, Advocacy and Union Cooperatives Cluster, Mr. Andy Nestor Ryan Pazon, CMPL SAO President, Dr. Felicidad R. Cenon, OIC- Regional Director and Dr. Gregorio T. Turqueza Jr, President of Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology.
USec. Joseph B. Encabo stressed in his speech on the proper usage of the assistance given to the cooperatives. He said that financial assistance, if used in the proper way can help them expand their operations, increase their product lines, or enter new markets, thus growing their membership and reach. The financial support will also help the cooperatives build its reserves or working capital, which they can use for unforeseen costs or to maintain operations during economic downturns. He also said that financial assistance can be used to support innovation, allowing the cooperatives to develop new products or services that will meet the evolving needs of the members and customers. Lastly, he challenged the cooperatives that in the next few years that they will meet again, he would want to listen to the cooperatives story on how they have used the assistance to succeed and become a better cooperative.
After his speech, a message of gratitude from the cooperative beneficiaries were delivered by Mr.Osenio Lay-os, BOD Chairperson of Pide Aguid Fidelisan Multipurpose Cooperative and Vince Lauren Tarnate, Manager of Camp 4 Consumers Cooperative.
Later that day, the cluster convention for the CMPL finally pushed through. Dr. Andy Nestor Ryan Pazon, CMPL SAO President, took charge of the event. He started the program with an Orientation followed by updates and ways forward for then CMPL cluster. The election for a new set of officers for the CMPL Regional Cluster Organization was also conducted with the following declared as the winners:
President: Vince Lauren Tarnate (Camp 4 Tuba Consumers Cooperative)
Vice-President: Carlos Umikeg Jr. (Lower Gomok MPC)
Secretary: Jane Galutan (Guisad MPC)
Treasurer: Edna Fali-it (Burnham Park MPC)
Representatives per Type:
Consumer: Jovito Rosendo (Gayaman MPC)
Marketing: Evelyn Naval (Calayuccay Agri Coop)
Producers: Agusta Balanoy (Hi-land Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative)
Representative per Province:
Abra: Irene Nierves (Baug Farmers MPC)
Apayao: Revelina V. Galut (New Cabatacan MPC)
Baguio City: Sharon Fagyan (Baguio City Farmers Agriculture Cooperative)
Benguet: George Delmas (Tongkalan MPC)
Ifugao: Analyn D. Bulintao (Panubtuban MPC)
Kalinga: Jiji Baguiwong (Kalinga Farmers and OFW’s MPC)
Mountain Province: Osenio Lay-os (Pide Aguid Fidelisan Primary MPC)
Before concluding the afternoon activity, Dr. Pazon gave updates and ways forward for the CMPL Cluster while Ms. Vince Lauren Tarnate, the newly elected RCO President for CMPL Cluster gave the closing Remarks.
