From August 13-16, 2024, the CDA-CAR Extension Office played host to the Competency Training Course on “Analyzing Cooperative Performance using Prudential Standards for Savings and Credit Cooperatives”.  A Learning and Development activity conceptualized and implemented through the initiative of Assistant Secretary Luz H. Yringco, Head of the Finance Cluster of Cooperatives, the training was held in Baguio City and attended by CDA personnel from CDA Region 1, Region 2, Region 3 and CAR Extension Offices.  Facilitated by Mr. Bryan Putis and Mr. Bayl Jeston Mamparo of the Model Cooperative Network (MCN), the activity delved into the review of the COOP PESOS performance standards as an indicator on the financial performance of cooperatives, as well as their compliance with legal and administrative requirements.   

During the course, participants had the chance to sharpen their skills through activities like computing ratios of cooperatives and interpreting the results of these ratios.  It also served as venue for the participants to exchange ideas and share of experiences pertinent to inspection/examination of cooperatives and similar events.

COOP PESOS is a supervisory, regulatory and management tool utilized to evaluate and assess cooperative performance. It is the predecessor to the STEPS, which serves as the current standard in evaluating cooperative financial performance. COOP PESOS served as an important platform in the development of a system tailor-fit to the cooperative structure that gauges the performance of cooperatives thereby, giving CDA a clearer perspective on their operations. While both systems serve as bases for cooperatives to ensure effective and efficient operation, STEPS improves upon the COOP PESOS, with additional performance standards and better modes of assessing cooperative performance.  However, cooperatives, especially those engaged in credit and savings services, can still utilize the ratios of the COOP Pesos internally to aid them in crafting or improving their policies. – MEEM