Coop industry seeks government support

CEBU, Philippines - While coop organizations don’t really need financial support, the cooperative sector is calling on the government to provide legislative aid and measures to strengthen the industries where coop members belong.

Compostela Market Vendors Multi-purpose Cooperative manager Ebonito Alivio said general education is one of the immediate needs of the members particularly of farmers' cooperatives.

Aside from planting and harvesting, farmers must also be taught on how to handle finances and compute production costs in order for them to succeed in the farming business.

"Ang atong mga farmers kinahanglan makat-on gyod sa proper financial planning. We hope nga dinha unta mosud ang gobyerno nga mo-implement ug programs that we hope to sustain," he said in an interview, pointing out farmers should also be made aware about the importance of financial literacy.

Coops should also teach their members on good governance, membership responsibility and good livelihood practices especially for small producers.

In a previous interview, Elsie Remonte, general manager of Philippine Cooperative Center, noted the farmers' coops are the ones that really need the government's intervention in helping them become more competitive.

In the same way, she asserted, the goal of cooperatives should be to promote and advance the interest of their members and the cooperative movement.

Alivio likewise urged market vendors' coops to expand their membership scope in favor of the ordinary people in the community especially the farmers.

"Coops should reach out to the community, attend to the social needs of the people and assess if they need financial assistance," he added.

He further shared some cooperatives from various municipalities in Cebu have been engaged in talks in hope to develop the cacao farming in the province.

COMAVEMCO whose some members are cacao farmers have been establishing links with potential markets where cacao produce can be supplied to, he said.

"We are talking with other coops from LGUs in the north and south for this undertaking," he said. — Carlo S. Lorenciana (FREEMAN)