THE Pampanga Provincial Cooperative and Entrepreneurial Development Office (PCEDO) is conducting virtual seminars to serve its member cooperatives amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
PCEDO head Lulu Alingcastre said the trainings are conducted virtually as they have already adapted new systems inclined to the new normal.
“Our office is providing many services to the cooperatives. The big help given by PCEDO is that it is giving trainings and seminars which they need in their application despite the current crisis,” she said.
Alingscastre mentioned that there are 369 cooperatives in the province as of December 2020.
For the web seminars, PCEDO Pampanga noted that it offers a mandatory training which is a fundamental and basic cooperative course taken in 16 hours or two days.
“We are in partnership with the Cooperative Development Authority for these trainings. Members of cooperatives need to know these things first for them to start-up their own businesses,” Alingcastre said.
She announced that the trainings are provided for free as these are funded by the Provincial Government.
Also, contrary to what they expected, Alingcastre said that the number of those who are joining their trainings have increased, as many are sending their applications.
“On our last webinar about fundamental cooperatives, there were 254 individuals from 47 cooperatives who joined,” she said.
The office has also intensified its monitoring of the cooperatives located in various areas throughout the province to assist them as many have been affected by the crisis.
“PCEDO is mandated to promote the viability and growth of cooperatives in the province, as well as small and medium enterprises as efficient and effective instruments of equity, social justice, and economic development,” Alingcastre said. (PR)