The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) are implementing a partnership program on “Strengthening and Capacity Building of ARB Cooperatives”. The program intends to put in place a capacity development (CAPDEV) initiative to improve service delivery to their members and positively giving impact to their business performance and operations. To concretize the program, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed by the Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Hon. Virgilio delos Reyes, and the Chairman of the Cooperative Devleopment Authority, Hon. Emmanuel M. Santiaguel, last December 3, 2012.
The project is composed of four (4) components: a) conduct of CDA mandatory trainings for cooperative officers and staff; b) provision of technical assistance to ARB cooperatives; c) support to registration of new ARB cooperatives; and d) knowledge management. A budget of almost 7.6 Millions will be channelled to CDA to implement the last three (3) components of the program. Initially, the 1st tranche of the fund was transmitted to CDA amounting to 2.6 Millions.
Last 30th of July 2013 at Punta de Fabian Resort in Baras Rizal, the Cooperative Project Development and Assistance Division (CPDAD) awarded checks to fourteen (14) Extension Offices of CDA as an initial fund to the technical assistance/guidance component of the CDA-DAR Program. Awarding the checks are the Chief of CPDAD, Mr. Pedro T. DEfensor, Jr., and the Executive Director of CDA, Atty. Niel A. Santillan. — Jun Defensor
