ICC Dispatch - Sunday, January 18, 2009

ARMM 6000 Coops: Rehab or delist

ICC COTABATO CITY (18 January) – Soon, significant number of cooperatives in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will either be rehabilitated or delisted.

In a staff conference conducted here by Cooperative Development Authority in the region (CDA-ARMM) early this week, CDA national administrator Rosalinda Villareca allayed fears of those cooperatives which for years are either non- functional or seasonal.

CDA-ARMM administrator Sammy Ibrahim who is new to his post, has been conducting area visitations and trainings since he assumed office last November, to assess bright prospects of cooperativism as a vital economic tool.

“We have to bring this government closer to our people by moving down and touching their lives,” quipped Ibrahim.

In keeping with the stern policy instruction by ARMM regional governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan, all line agencies in the autonomy are working hard to prioritize and maximize use of office resources and capabilities.

Said CDA-ARMM staff conference was intended to redirect priorities of the office by strengthening the record-high 6000 cooperatives in the area of autonomy.

“There are so many blessings that the national government and the regional leadership can readily give to these cooperatives provided they can show cause why they truly deserve to be helped,” stressed Ibrahim.

Ibrahim said that as a matter of national policy, creation of cooperatives are encouraged and supported, and only on extreme exceptions where CDA is compelled to delist cooperative as a last resort. (bpi-armm/PIA12)