STRONG COOPERATIVE. Antique Provincial Cooperative Development Council (PCDC) chairperson Salvador Z. Estaris (center) says cooperatives to be sustainable have to diversify and not just focus on a single service. In a press conference on Monday (Oct. 2, 2023) he said Antique has two billionaire cooperatives with membership in other provinces of Western Visayas. (PNA photo by PGLena)
ILOILO CITY – Antique is proud of its robust cooperatives with assets of almost PHP7 billion.
In a press conference on Monday in line with the celebration of the Cooperative Month Celebration this October, Antique Provincial Cooperative Development Council (PCDC) chairperson Salvador Z. Estaris attributed the success of the 71 cooperatives in the province to the openness to diversify and continued education.
“We try not to focus more on credit. We respond to the social concerns and protection of the welfare of members and their loans. Continuous education of every member is very important to the success of a cooperative,” he said.
He cited, for instance, the Belison Multipurpose Cooperative, which has embarked on dairy production in partnership with the Department of Agriculture.
Their dairy production, during the height of the pandemic, was instrumental for the survival of the cooperative since it supplied fresh milk used by the Department of Education for its feeding program in Antique.
He added their business continuity plan also helped cushion the impact of the pandemic.
He added of the 71 cooperatives that operate in Antique, two are considered billionaire cooperatives, namely the Barbaza Multipurpose Cooperative and the Bugasong Multipurpose Cooperative.
Further, 12 have average assets of over PHP100 million, 11 have assets between PHP15 million to PHP100 million, 13 have from PHP3 million to PHP15 million, and the rest have assets below PHP3 million.
“We are expanding in different provinces in the region,” he said.
Nick Abarientos, who represented the office of Acting Governor Edgar Denosta, said the Antique Federation of Cooperatives, consisting of 55 member cooperatives, employs 850 Antiqueños.
Meantime, this year’s celebration of the Cooperative Month anchors on the theme “Cooperatives: Pioneering the Path to Recovery Amidst Challenges of Climate Change and Food Security.”
“The theme underscores the critical role of cooperatives in addressing contemporary global challenges. Cooperatives serve as catalysts for sustainable agriculture, resilient against climate change, and ensuring food security,” said Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) Senior Cooperative Development Specialist Ma. Joyce Losaria.
She said that currently there are 1,920 cooperatives in the region registered with the CDA, of which 710 were issued certificates of compliance. (PNA)
