LOCAL government officials led by Mayor Samuel Co admired and congratulated established cooperatives all over the city as well as their leaders and members for having shown stability and unity.
Co and several members of the City Council were the invited guests during the culmination activities of the Cooperative Month Celebration, which carried the theme, “One coop movement, one vision, one nation: “Bagong batas, bagong sigla sa kooperatiba.”
The entire activity was held at the City gymnasium where a search for Mr. and Mrs. Cooperative 2009 and a folk dance contest made the affair more memorable.
Co lauded the different participating cooperatives, which have become successful and established institutions “for upholding the spirit of solidarity.”
He added that he was impressed on one business feature of local cooperatives, which give credit to members with low interest rates thereby helping uplift living conditions through livelihood projects derived from the money lent.
“I encourage you to continue your unity because in unity, there is strength,” the mayor said, as he likewise encouraged farmers and fishers to bond together and form cooperatives so they could avail of financial assistance from the government.
Co mentioned the big success attained by cooperatives that helped improve and sustain the local economy and assured them help in whatever future endeavors.
Board member Flaviano Fucoy Jr., who represented Gov. Aurora Cerilles, delivered the governor’s message, which cited cooperatives as engines of economic growth and development in the countryside.
Fucoy went on saying that the Provincial Government has intensified its campaign in forming cooperatives among the poor and low-income families in order to obtain employment and or sources of revenue.
Cerilles, like Co, enjoined farmers from rural barangays to form cooperatives to improve their living conditions because a cooperative can become an enterprise with multi-million resources.
“The success of the cooperatives greatly depends on the spirit of solidarity and cooperativism. Like an eagle, we strive to soar high for us to achieve our dreams amidst the challenges that we are facing today,” Cerilles’ message went.
Meanwhile, supervising cooperative development specialist Nestor Mendaros of the City Cooperative Development Office disclosed that at present, there are about 50 coop organizations in Pagadian City with an estimated 20,000 plus members.
October is National Cooperative Month based on Presidential Proclamation No. 493 and is its month-long affairs are spearheaded by the Cooperative Development Authority.
JUN CORGUE, PIA-9