Baguio coop Development council set

By Jordan G. Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY -- The Baguio City Council has approved an ordinance on third and final reading institutionalizing the Baguio City Cooperative and Development Council (BCCDC).
    Issued by former Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Administrative Order 055, Series of 2017 acknowledged existence of the BCCDC as an organization in the city.
    It has coordinated or initiated city-wide cooperative activities up to the present.
    Councilor Arthur Allad-iw, author of the ordinance, said there is an urgent need to institutionalize the BCCDC, adding that it has been very helpful in making the local economy vibrant and sustainable.
    According to Allad-iw, there are 105 compliant cooperatives in the city with total assets of P8.092 billion, accumulated total paid-up capital of P2.22 billion, and a total net surplus of 136.99 million.
    The recently approved ordinance is aligned with Memorandum Circular 2013-01 of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) which provides for the revised guidelines in the organization, structure, and operation of the cooperative development councils in the country. 
    Under the ordinance, the BCCDC shall have the following powers and functions:
coordinate, harmonize, and monitor the implementation of various cooperative development plans, programs, and projects of national government agencies, government financing institutions, the local government unit, and non-government organizations in the city;
    operationalize and monitor the Philippine Cooperative Medium Term Development Plans (PCMTDP) through collective efforts of all sectors and to develop such mechanism as may be required in line with the PCMTDP;
    to share resources such as finances, supplies, equipment, and manpower towards the full realization of such development plans;
    to support, assist, and to the celebrations of cooperative activities such as but not limited to the celebrations of the cooperative month and scheduled cooperative summits;
    promote actively and strongly endorse the observance at all times of the universally cooperative principles as enshrined in the cooperative code; and
    to perform other functions that would advance cooperativism in the city.
    Members of the BCCDC shall be the chairperson of the City Development Council; chairperson of the Sanggunian’s Committee on Employment, Livelihood, Cooperatives, and Persons with Disabilities; City Livelihood and Cooperative Development Officer; chairperson of the City Cooperative Federation and Union; chairperson of primary cooperatives registered with the CDA and accredited with the city government; official representative of NGOs; and officials of concerned national agencies with programs including government financial institutions (GFIs) operating in the city.
    The city mayor shall automatically be the chairperson of the BCCDC. The members shall elect from among themselves a vice-chairperson, a secretary, a treasurer, and an auditor.
    The fund of the BCCDC shall be primarily derived from resource sharing without prejudice to its right to receive gifts, benefits, and grants from any person, whether natural or juridical. 
    An amount of P200,000.00 per annum shall be appropriated for the continuous operation of the city’s cooperative programs.