The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Region 1 hosted the conduct of the Credit Surety Fund (CSF) Membership Expansion Program on April 3, 2025 held at the J & V Hotel and Resort, San Fernando City, La Union. The event was designed to bring awareness regarding the CSF Program to all well managed and well capitalized cooperatives operating within the province of La Union. The participants representing their respective cooperatives were pre-determined as potential CSF Cooperative members considering their operations and performance in recent years.
A total of forty-five (45) cooperatives with two delegates each have actively participated in the orientation on basics of the CSF program. Resource persons from the Credit Surety Service – Head Office were also invited to provide assistance in the forum wherein questions from the plenary were answered allowing positive and engaging discussion with the participants. The event provided participants with an opportunity to collaborate and strengthen bonds with other cooperative leaders, and specifically create awareness on the importance and benefits that the CSF program can bring to the cooperative sector and communities in the province of La Union.
Acting as resource persons were Chief Recto Transfiguracion of the Technical Assistance Division – CSF Service Head Office for the rationale of the activity, Senior CDS Sherwin Arcipe of CDA – REO 1 on the orientation on Basics of the CSF programs under Republic Act 10744, and Chairperson Emmanuel Juquiana of the La Union Credit Surety Fund Cooperative (LUCSFC) for the profile and success stories of LUCSFC, Mr. Sixto Ramirez, Jr., Head of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) presented the LBP plans and programs for CSF Cooperatives. The Office of Provincial Governor was represented by Dr. Eleazar Belgica who conveyed the full support and advocacy of the incumbent governor for the CSF cooperative and other cooperatives operating in the area.
At the end of the activity, at least four cooperatives have registered their interest to join the La Union Credit Surety Fund Cooperative (LUCSFC) while the other delegates have expressed positive responses and gave an assurance of securing the approval of the Board of Directors and general assembly of their respective cooperatives before giving their confirmatory action to be affiliated with the LUCSFC.
