Davao coops urged to take active role in dev't programs

COOPERATIVES in Davao Region are being challenged to take more active roles and be the example of what true people empowerment is.

As Davao del Norte refocuses on pursuing people-oriented development and in keeping abreast with globalization, Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario called upon the cooperative movement to help heighten citizen engagement in bringing about genuine political, economic and socio-cultural transformation.

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In line with the goal of putting a human face to the development efforts of the province, del Rosario is pursuing his three major development cornerstones in the next three years, namely: human development, people empowerment, and public-private partnership.

To build up people empowerment, the province shall strengthen the role of sectoral groups in the development implementation at all levels of local government in the province.

This is where the cooperative movement's mettle as potent vehicle of people empowerment comes in.

The governor invited the sector to revisit the strategic direction of the province and try to identify areas of possible alignment.

"I encourage you to take active roles and be the example of what true people empowerment is," he told cooperative officials and stakeholders during cooperatives consultation for Regions XI, XII and Aramm held recently at the Function Hall of Tagum Cooperative in Tagum City.
 
The consultation, which was sponsored by the Philippine Cooperative Center and Mass-Specc Cooperative Development Center aims to identify issues, challenges and opportunities confronting the sector today.

The activity was graced by former senator Agapit "Butz" Aquino, who assured that the cooperative movement shall be given high premium under the administration of his nephew President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

Del Rosario further influenced the cooperatives to widen their reach and undertake joint ventures to finance livelihood activities, and growership of agricultural commodities like coffee, palm oil, rubber, cacao, and OTOP-identified products.

However, the governor, who has long espoused the concept of public participation and the development of innovative ways to engage the citizens in policy-making, urged the cooperative community to widen its reach in confronting the persistent problems on poverty and underdevelopment.

He believes that local governments, community organizations and public agencies make better decisions and have better impacts on their communities when they increase the level of engagements of community residents. 

Taking note of the fact that many citizens do not participate in the decisions that affect their daily lives because of lack of confidence to local officials, the governor wants the cooperative sector to serve as a crucial bridge over this gap in order to encourage citizens and local officials to interact regularly and develop trust.

Hence, he affirmed local leaders need to broaden their list of responsibilities to include roles as facilitator, supporter, and collaborator of local community members.

"From a regulator, we shall recede to the background in the development process and play the role of a facilitator," he said.

He called it a paradigm shift to facilitate the attainment of the four major goals of the province, namely, health, education, increased income opportunities, and housing as the very essential ingredients "to make our people competitive in the face of our globalizing community."