CDA 7 manager Benjamin Yu told The FREEMAN that for two months, though undermanned, his office will be conducting a massive inspection on all operating and non-operating cooperatives in Central Visayas.
Yu said that this undertaking is in response to the presence of cooperatives that allegedly declared their groups operational, but are not or are no longer operating.
"What is worst is when they are just there to receive grants and financial aids," Yu said.
He added that two options are being studied by the agency to effectively implement the massive inspection.
First is to pull out cooperative development specialists from the higher office and assign them to the different districts. However, this option is costly, Yu said.
The other option is to make use of the local cooperative development specialists assigned in every district and just ask help from the federations.
Yu who is the former head of the City Transport Cooperative said he will also make sure that his stint as CDA manager will heighten the awareness of the public on "cooperativism".
"Cooperatives exist not just for loans, but for savings. It is very effective; in fact the economies of Korea and Germany are controlled by cooperatives," Yu said.
The Cebu People's Multipurpose Cooperative is reportedly the biggest operating cooperative in the region, followed by the Perpetual Help Community Cooperative in Dumaguete City. - Ferliza C. Contratista