Mandaue coop office wins "gawad parangal" award

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City Cooperative Development Office has won a national “Gawad Parangal” award from the Cooperative Development Office and will be expected to receive it from President Noynoy Aquino during the national cooperative summit on October 10 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Felipe Deri, OIC-director of Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) said the Mandaue cooperative office has been given a certificate stating, “award of recognition to Mandaue City Cooperative Development office for being the 2012 Cooperative Development Authority Gawad Parangal Awardee for LGU-Cooperative Development office category in Central Visayas region.”

According to Deri the award given to Mandaue is good as a national award and will receive the plaque during separate regional and national awarding ceremonies.

The award, the first of its kind, is initiated by new CDA chairman Emmanuel Santiaguel under his 3-point agenda which includes: mainstreaming cooperative membership; human resource development, both internal and external; and, giving of awards and incentives.

 Deri said under the new program only accredited training service providers are allowed to conduct cooperative trainings and Mandaue City Cooperative Development Office is already accredited after it passed the requirements.

Other categories of the award: large cooperative, medium, small and micro cooperatives.

“I am elated upon being informed of the award, it is because the present administration of Mayor Jonas Cortes, supported by the council, has seen the problems confronting the cooperative sector and has implemented programs that address these problems,” said lawyer Ernesto Maringuran, head of the cooperative office.  (FREEMAN)