General Santos City — The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) convened its personnel from the Registration Division and Regional Registration Sections for the Year-End Assessment and Conference on November 10–14, 2025 for five days of policy review, systems improvement, and strategic planning. Anchored on the theme “Building Stronger Cooperatives through Policy Enhancement and Digital Transformation,” the event underscored CDA’s commitment to strengthening regulatory frameworks while accelerating its shift toward digital governance.
Hosted by CDA Regional Extension Office XII, the conference opened with welcome remarks from Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Ms. Juriski Mangelen, who expressed pride in hosting the nationwide event. She assured participants that REO XII was prepared to support the week-long gathering and hoped attendees would enjoy their stay in General Santos City.
The event continued with an inspiring message from Atty. Ma. Lourdes P. Pacao, Deputy Administrator of the Registration, Supervision, and Examination Service (RSES). She emphasized the conference as a key opportunity to reflect on the year’s accomplishments and chart a more strategic course for the future. Atty. Pacao commended the Registration Division/Section personnel, calling them the “backbone of cooperativism” and challenged them to surpass last year’s achievements in the remaining months.
RSES Director Mildred Esguerra also delivered remarks, highlighting the vital role of the Registration Division/Section as the gateway to cooperativism.
Usec. Alexander B. Raquepo, CDA Chairperson, further elevated the event by delivering a message on the importance of registration within the agency’s regulatory mandate. He introduced the acronym SEER to describe the essential qualities of registration personnel:
- S – Safeguard the cooperative sector;
- E – Enable and
- E – Energize cooperatives in fulfilling their mandates; and
- R – Relationship, noting the importance of building trust and maintaining strong rapport with cooperatives.
He reminded participants that while cooperatives might sometimes perceive regulators as “fault finders,” the feedback and compliance check they provide help cooperatives stay aligned with their vision. The Chairperson also urged the CDA staff to internalize the SEER qualities, strengthening their knowledge of agency policies, maintaining professionalism, and fostering healthy working relationships within the organization.
The first two days of the conference were dedicated to reviewing existing Memorandum Circulars (MCs). Participants were divided into five groups to assess the relevance, coherence, and applicability of current policies, especially in the context of emerging cooperative practices and technological advances. They worked to identify outdated provisions that may be hindering operational efficiency. Among the MCs reviewed were:
- MC 2015-01 and MC 2016-02 – Revised Guidelines Governing the Registration of Cooperatives
- MC 2015-07 – Guidelines for the Registration of Multipurpose Cooperatives
- MC 2015-05 – Guidelines for the Registration of Agriculture Cooperatives
- MC 2022-09 – Guidelines on Registration, Development, and Regulation of Labor Service Cooperatives
- MC 2012-14 – Guidelines for the Registration of Small-Scale Mining Cooperatives
Following the group discussions, proposed enhancements to these MCs were presented, with Director Esguerra, and Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Augusto Salvador Balles, offering feedback and recommendations to refine the drafts.
The highlight of the conference was a presentation by Assistant Secretary Vergel Hilario, who discussed the critical role of cooperative unions and federations in fostering cooperative growth. He stressed that “progress cannot be achieved without strong unions and federations,” urging the registration team to empower these organizations as key partners for grassroots cooperatives.
The third and fourth days focused on CDA’s digital transformation efforts, with in-depth discussions led by the Information and Communications Technology Division (ICTD) on two major systems: E-CoopRIS and E-CoopHub.
Participants actively raised system challenges encountered in the field, which were directly addressed by ICTD personnel. The session proved highly productive, resolving several long-standing issues. The E-CoopHub development team also participated virtually, offering insights into new features and addressing questions from the field personnel.
The five-day conference concluded with a renewed commitment from the Registration Division/Section personnel to strengthen cooperative registration, enhance policies, and modernize systems to better meet the sector’s evolving needs. Through collaborative review, technical discussions, and forward-looking strategies, CDA reaffirmed its dedication to enabling empowered, compliant, and future-ready cooperatives nationwide.
