THE PHILIPPINE COOPERATIVE SECTOR CELEBRATES THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR DAY – 2021
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COOPERATIVE SECTOR CELEBRATES THE NATIONAL COOPERATIVE MONTH
September 30, 2021

PRESS RELEASE

PHILIPPINE COOPERATIVE CENTER’S

23rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 

This 24th of June, 2021, the Philippine Cooperative Center will hold its 23rd General Assembly.

Changing Times

It has been a year since the global community plunged into a crisis. Due to the unmitigated spread of the Coronavirus, both developing and developed countries are still in a precarious situation. With economies in a decline and with social institutions in a slow pace of recovery, the times still seem dire. However, this is also seen as an opportunity to foster the spirit of Bayanihan.

In these dire situations, cooperatives have been serving as conduits of change. Built upon the values and principles of cooperativism, cooperatives are readily seen as institutions that enable and empower communities. The Philippine Cooperative Center (PCC), together with the cooperative sector, seeks to be a bastion in these trying times.

Our Service

 PCC, together with the cooperative sector and other private institutions, have been supporting the government’s on-going struggle against the coronavirus through its relief operations and donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our front-liners and fellow co-op members.

We also assisted the communities that typhoons Rolly and Ulysses left in a more vulnerable condition. PCC organized relief operations – financed by the cooperative sector’s pooled resources – in order to aid members and affected communities, particularly in Isabela, Cagayan, Polilio Island, Montalban Rizal, Bicol, and Marikina.

Amidst the pandemic, PCC has also been contributing to the sector’s legislative endeavors. We successfully lobbied for the inclusion of cooperatives in Republic Act 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan Act 2). In the same vein, PCC, together with other cooperatives, lobbied successfully for the passing of Republic Act No. 11502, An Act Declaring the Month of October every year as the National Cooperative Month, and Republic Act No. 11535, Cooperatives Development Officer Act. These laws further empowered and acknowledged the cooperative sector as a whole.

PCC also participated in the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Cooperatives hearing, convened last September 24, 2020, to discuss tax related matters. This participation allowed the

issuance of a Memorandum Circular clarifying and institutionalizing the sector’s tax-exemption privilege.

Advancing Digital Technology Towards a More Inclusive Society

The Philippine Cooperative Center took a step forward: leading the sector, advancing the welfare and interest of the communities, and serving as a catalyst of change for the nation.

We have moved forward – but how do we move beyond?

PCC aims to be more inclusive in its agenda and activities. During this pandemic, extensive use of technology has allowed us to reach and engage distant sectors, both locally and internationally. We have conducted educational webinars, from vaccination seminars to taxation forums, accessible to a wider audience. Townhall meetings, consultations, and technical working group meetings were conducted online, allowing for more participation and social engagement. Digitalization for inclusivity and unity – that is how we move forward, and beyond – towards the next normal.

With all the challenges and accomplishments that we in PCC had faced – and will be facing, may the 23rd General Assembly be the guiding light for the cooperative sector for the years ahead.

 

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The Philippine Cooperative Center (PCC), the convener of the largest gathering of cooperatives every 2 years since 2004, the National Cooperative Summit, was organized in 1995 as a body that coordinates national cooperative networks in the country. PCC is also a member of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) and is recognized as a leading organization in the cooperative sector. The mission of the PCC is to serve as a unifying center that will strive for excellence and competitiveness to create partnerships, and ensure the accountability of the cooperative movement.

Garibaldi O. Leonardo, Chairman

Philippine Cooperative Center

09178814279

 

Edwin A. Bustillos, CEO

Philippine Cooperative Center

09178017309

 

 

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