RP coop blueprint mulled

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine cooperative players are gearing towards formulating a blueprint that will usher the group to a much stronger movement in the Asia Pacific region.

National Cooperative Development Council (NCDC) chairman Arthur A. Aller said that although the cooperative movement in the Philippines is being looked up as one of the most successful in of practices in across the region, it has to take to a higher direction by pioneering a establishment of federation of cooperatives that will enter into bigger business ventures such as shopping mall, gasoline station chain, among others.

The blueprint that is targeted to be completed in the next two years, will feature the good practices of successful cooperative players in the country, and hopefully the establishment of the federation, Aller said.

One of the challenges being faced by cooperative players today, he said is the spiral and unpredictable cost of fuel, which affect businesses of cooperatives around the country.

With this, the movement through NCDC is contemplating at joining their force to create a chain of gasoline stations all over the country, so that cooperative players and the wider consumer based can be protected by the alleged manipulation of oil price in the Philippines.

Also, one of the ambitious visions of the movement is to join the dynamic retail industry by entering into the robust shopping mall chain business, wherein the growing seven million cooperative members can own a shopping mall, at the same time share the profit.

He said this is to promote a unified pool of consumer groups that will support cooperative-owned businesses, at the same time forge dramatic growth of cooperative businesses in the Philippines.— Ehda M. Dagooc