On September 2-6, 2024, the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) through the Credit Surety Fund Service (CSFS), with the strong support of the Legal Affairs Service (LAS), facilitated a five-day training on Mediation and Conciliation tailored for cases or conflicts in relation to Republic Act (RA) No. 11765 or the “Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act (FCPA) at Madison 101 Hotel in Quezon City. The training was participated by selected personnel from the CDA Head Office and Regional Extension Offices.
The training is designed to capacitate CDA personnel for the eventual full implementation RA 11765 which was signed into law by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on May 6, 2022. Under the said law, regulators which include the CDA, are required to establish an efficient and effective consumer redress or complaints handling mechanism to address conflict or dissatisfaction in relation to financial products or services. One of the components of this mechanism is the conduct of mediation-conciliation proceedings.
In his message to the participants, Undersecretary Joseph B. Encabo, Chairperson of the CDA, articulated to the participants that, “This training will sharpen the art of listening skills and strengthen the character amongst participants with an impartial and neutral mindset”.
Assistant Secretary Luz Yringco, Head of Credit and Financial Services Banking, Insurance and Credit Surety Fund Cluster and Assistant Secretary Virgilio R. Lazaga, MD, OIC-Administrator of the CDA and Head of the Agriculture Cluster, seconded that the training is very essential as part of “developing skillful way of handling conflicts to make better decisions”.
The training provided a sound theoretical and practical knowledge of the key principles of the mediation processes and relevant policies and guidelines on Mediation-Conciliation of the CDA. It also afforded an in-depth understanding of mediation, thereby, enhancing the skills of participants in mastering different processes and techniques through active listening, reframing, and summarizing the agreements of party disputants including problem definition and problem resolution.
As part of the culminating activity, all participants have to undergo a simulated mediation process involving FCPA-related cases in a time-constrained environment.
Participants who have successfully completed the five-day training and passed the assessment shall be accredited as mediators.
