THE Bacolod City Council has approved on first reading an ordinance which seeks to strengthen the Bacolod City Cooperative Council (BCCDC).
Authored by Councilors Alex Paglumotan and Celia Matea Flor, the ordinance proposes the establishment of a Cooperative Development Council as authorized under Executive Order No. 95, Series of 1993.
Also, under Article 2 of the Cooperative Code, the proposed establishment of the council is also authorized.
Article 2 states that “the state shall encourage the private sector to undertake the actual formation and organization of the cooperatives, and shall create an environment that is conducive to the growth and development of these cooperatives.”
The councilors said one of the primary functions of the BCCDC is to coordinate, harmonize and monitor the implementation of various cooperative development plans, programs and projects of NGAs, GFIs, NGOs, LGUs, and the council concerned.
Further, Section 3 of said the ordinance states that “the membership o the council will be the city mayor as the honorary chairman, and representatives from city council committee on cooperatives, City Cooperative and Livelihood Development Office (CCLDO), Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Cooperative Federation/Unions, Cooperative Banks, Coop Promoting NGOs and Institution, Primary Cooperatives, Government Financial Institutions and National Government Agency.”
In the ordinance, it also included P500,000 for its financial budget which is to be taken from the General Fund.
Also, the budget will be utilized for the programs of the BCCDC “provided that the amount of budget shall be separate and distinct from the funds allocated to the CCLDO,” the ordinance cited.
The councilor-authors also said that the will also be used solely to strengthen the holding of important events such as, but not limited to, cooperative month celebrations, cooperative summit, congress, trainings or seminars, per diem and traveling expenses of the council officers and the like, provided however, the same shall not be used for administrative or personnel services, the ordinance stated.