CEBU, Philippines — Party-lists, Ang Probinsyano and COOP-NATCCO, have courted Cebuano voters as they hope for more seats in the next Congress in order for them to continue with their advocacies and legislative agenda.
Ang Probinsyano first nominee, Representative Alfred delos Santos said that Cebuanos voted them as the number one party-list in Cebu in the 2019 elections and they exchanged this with various infrastructure projects and other assistance to various towns and cities here during the pandemic and Typhoon Odette.
Delos Santos said, in giving assistance, they coordinated with the local government units concerned and district representatives so that they can assist the needs of a particular LGU as each has different needs.
Movie actor Zanjoe Marudo, one of the many celebrity endorsers, as well as JM de Guzman joined the Ang Probinsyano grand rally held in Cebu City on Thursday after their caravan in Camotes Island and in Bantayan Island on the same day.
The group seeks representation of farmers, fishers and other marginalized groups in the provinces or rural areas in the country and is pushing for rural development, agriculture, tourism, education, among others.
Apart from the regular outreach and assistance programs, in light of the COVID-19 situation, the said party-list has also engaged in special programs such as distribution of PPE and other essential materials, transportation assistance of OFWs back to their provinces, after the mandatory quarantine through its program Hatid Probinsyano, among others.
Ang Probinsyano was among the 51 winning party-list groups proclaimed by the Commission on Elections. It has secured two seats in the House of Representatives during the 2019 midterm elections.
Meanwhile, COOP-NATCCO Partylist first nominee, Felimon Espores, and second nominee, Dr. Divina Quemi, said Cebuanos are among those who give them the most votes in 2019 and in the next Congress they vowed to push for more legislation that will benefit not only the cooperative sector but also the underprivileged and other marginalized sector.
Organized in 1998, COOP-NATCCO is one among the few original party-list groups in the country and never lost any representation in the succeeding elections.
“Kasi tayo ay totoong party-list. May sektor talaga tayo na nirepresent. Tayo ay party-list na talagang nagtrabaho at maraming batas na naipasa na na talagang nakatulong hindi lang sa sektor nang kooperatiba pero sa ibang sektor din,” said Quemi before the start of the cooperative leaders forum held in Cebu recently.
Queni said that COOP-NATCCO has passed several laws and facilitated infrastructure program and social programs in the countryside
Espores said that one of their contributions to the cooperative sector is the passage of Republic Act 9520 or the Cooperative Code of 2008 and the protection of cooperatives from the Tax Repeal Law.
Espores recalled that in 2017 they really fought that cooperatives should not be taxed and indeed such a move did not push through.
“We will continue to educate our legislators na hindi talaga pwede i taxed yung cooperative. It’s true may mga cooperatives na billionaires pero kung titingnan mo marami din silang miyembro and if you divide those billions to all the members, hindi rin ganoon kalaki yung shares nang individual members. Kaya yan, we will be vigilant on that na hindi na yan i refile,” Espores added.
Their other accomplishments include the passage of RA 11364 or an Act Reorganizing and Strengthening the Cooperatives Development Authority, RA 11502 An Act Declaring the Month of October as the National Cooperative Month and RA 11535 An Act for the Mandating the Creation of CDOs in all LGUs in the Country.
Quemi and Espores both said if given another mandate, their party-list will re-file, among others, the bill that will mandate the LGUs to allocate two percent of their Internal Revenue Allotment fund for cooperative development in their respective locality. — GMR (FREEMAN)