COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (on podium) calls for the country’s cooperative movement to start the consolidation process for local farmers cooperatives associations during the celebration of the National Cooperative Day in Malacañan Palace on Monday (Oct. 16, 2023). According to Marcos, strong cooperatives are key to improving the country’s agriculture and ensuring food security. (Photo courtesy of PCO website)
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday reiterated the need to amend the Cooperative Code of 2008 and highlighted the importance of cooperatives in helping farmers earn higher income.
"In my previous SONA (State of the Nation Address) last July, I have mentioned the need to amend the Cooperative Code of 2008 to ensure a stronger and more dynamic cooperative sector — especially assisting more farmers and fisherfolk to increase their production,” Marcos said in his speech during the celebration of the National Cooperative Day in Malacañan.
"We have endorsed the inclusion of the proposed amendments na binigay sa'min ng (that was given to us by) LEDAC and we will continue to work on this," he added.
The bill on the amendments to the Cooperative Code was part of the 11 additional bills that the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) earlier added to the Common Legislative Agenda.
Marcos stressed that cooperatives are very important, especially in helping farmers earn higher incomes.
"Cooperative movement is very closely related to agriculture because for the simple reason that we need to consolidate our farmers," said Marcos.
He thus called on the country’s cooperative movement to start the consolidation process for local farmers cooperatives associations (FCAs), as consolidation will also give farmers a higher chance of being heard.
"Ang farmer pag mag-isa lang yan walang makikinig dyan. Pero pag marami-rami na yan e kahit yung congressman, governor, mayor makikinig na yan dahil marami na cooperative member. That's what we are doing now. Yan ang hihilingin ko sa cooperative movement na simulan na natin ang proseso ng pagconsolidate ng ating farmers association, ng ating cooperatives (When the farmer is alone, no one will listen to him. But when there are many, even the congressman, governor, mayor will listen because there are many cooperative members. That's what we are doing now. That is what I want to ask the cooperative movement, to start the process of consolidating our farmers association, our cooperatives)," he said.
Marcos said he envisions a movement in which the cooperative movement, the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and the government are working together.
According to Marcos, strong cooperatives are key to improving the country’s agriculture and ensuring food security, noting that the Philippines has been lagging behind Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam in terms of agricultural production.
Through the cooperatives, Marcos said the country could attain economies of scale, especially with the use of huge farm machinery for production and processing that in the end reduce food prices.
He gave the assurance that the government would always be ready to provide for the needs of the CDA.
As of 2022, there were 20,105 cooperatives in the country, around 1.8 percent lower than the 20,467 cooperatives registered as of 2021.
Based on government records, credit and financial services cooperatives accounted for more than half of the total cooperatives in 2022, followed by agriculture, consumers, and marketing cooperatives. Last year, the industry generated almost 335,000 jobs. (PNA)
