Officials keen on organizing more coops in Cotabato province

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Local officials are keen on organizing entrepreneurs in municipalities in Cotabato province into cooperatives to boost their connectivity with local business blocs and prospective contacts outside.

Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Talino-Mendoza said Sunday her office shall embark on such a plan for her constituents that have small businesses, or are engaged in traditional crafts, to get known to traders in their town centers and to potential capitalists outside of Region 12.

Mendoza, who is chairperson of the Regional Development Council-12, on Friday awarded with citations four cooperatives voted as most outstanding cooperatives in Cotabato province for 2023, based on a survey related to the nationwide observance of the cooperatives month that culminated on the same day.

The four awardees, the Carmen Transport Cooperative, the Libungan Marketing Cooperative, the Cotabato Electric Cooperative Employees Group and the Santa Catalina Cooperative that now have millions worth assets, are known good taxpayers too, according to local executives in towns where each operate.

Friday’s symbolic awarding rite in Kidapawan City was organized by Shirly Pace, who is provincial cooperatives development officer, and was attended by representatives from the COOP NATCCO Partylist and officials of other government line agencies.

“It is my mission, as governor and as chairperson of RDC-12, to help organize entrepreneurs in Cotabato province into cooperatives for local commerce and trade to become even more robust,” Mendoza said.

Vice Mayor Ralph Rafael of Matalam and Mayor Rolly Sacdalan of Midsayap said Sunday they will support the plan of Mendoza.

The two local executives said they are ready to reach out to their Christian and Muslim constituents who are engaged in small barangay-based enterprises to convince them to organize themselves into cooperatives for easy access to government technical and funding support essential to their income-generating activities.

“Organizing them into cooperatives can also improve the marketability of their products because they can set production standards via consensus-building,” Rafael said.