PCC HOLDS THE 2022 NATIONAL COOPERATIVE BUSINESS CONGRESS

Last November 28–29 November 2022, the Philippine Cooperative Center (PCC) held the first National Cooperative Business Congress (NCBC) at the NOVADECI Convention Center. The NCBC is a two day event that aims to (1) promote financial programs, best practices, business undertakings, and roles; (2) create an avenue for discussion of the ongoing crises; (3) recommend possible actions/solutions to address the current crises and challenges of the country (Food, Health, Energy, Public Transportation, among others); and (4) link up the Cooperative Sector with other institutions to help solve crises and other economic and social issues. 632 delegates physically attended the event while 251 participate online.

The congress was divided into 4 plenaries each focusing on the food, health, transportation, and energy crises in the country. Key Credit and Financial Services Cooperatives jump started the congress by presenting their best practices, projects, and current challenges. Top credit and finance cooperatives like 1CISP, CLIMBS, NATCCO, and MSCB emphasized the need to improve financial literacy programs and to assist smaller cooperatives. They also promoted concern for the community and climate adversity.

The 1st plenary focused on the four major issues in food security: (1) its availability, (2) affordability, (3) safety and nutrition, and (4) resilience and sustainability. In addressing food security, experts point to an effective food supply chain management – of the food value chain. The food value chain can be dissected into also 4 integral processes: Production, Processing, Marketing, and Consumption.

Any disruption among these 4  processes would affect the indicators for food security. Agri-based (from agriculture, agrarian, aquaculture, farmers, dairy, fisherfolk, based cooperatives) and Marketing (consumers, marketing, producers, and logistics) Cooperatives are in forefront of issues related to production, processing, and marketing aspects of the food value chain.

The 2nd plenary focused on the health services issues. The speakers noted the conundrum of health coops providing affordable health care while struggling with financial issues due to delayed PhilHealth payments, high capital requirements, and the ongoing pandemic. Several solutions were discussed such as utilizing technology to move consultations online and provide seminars to their members on several topics like mental health. Another solution discussed was the need for cooperation among the different cooperatives by patronizing each other’s services, and investments coming from the billionaire cooperatives.

The 3rd plenary discussed the ongoing challenge of the government’s public transport modernization program due to the high cost of expenses, lack of solidarity or alignment of services from local government units and the appropriate agencies like LTFRB, and the large expense/capital infusion needed to embrace the modernization program. Some of the solutions mentioned were taking loans from the government-owned Land Bank, lobbying for more favorable policies especially the subsidies from the government that must be extended to the cooperatives financing the modern jeepneys, institutionalization of the PUV Modernization Program, and expanding their range of services.

On the 4th plenary, the electric provider cooperatives discussed the ongoing challenges of competing with large corporations, the high capital requirements of rural electrification, the reliance on environmentally detrimental coal- fired power plants, and the infrastructural problems of the existing grids. Some solutions discussed were the need for collaboration between different electricity-providing cooperatives to drive down prices and push for renewable sources of energy.

The 2022 NCBC also had additional plenaries that discussed other concerns and projects for and of the cooperative sector namely “measuring cooperatives’ social impact”, creation of a comprehensive cooperative-owned data registry, and the ongoing challenge of cooperative digitalization.

At the conclusion of the congress, participants agreed on action points that were to be submitted. These included the more robust and active participation of the cooperatives in the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028, empowering the cooperative movements as actors in the socio-economic development of the country and it sees itself as an ally in achieving the socio-economic agenda of the government and its long-term vision.

Among those that shared their solidarity messages, President Ariel Guarco of ICA emphasized the intervention capabilities of cooperatives while ICA-AP  Regional  Director Balu Iyer pushes for digitalization and ensuring cooperative access to digital cash transfers. Cooperative   Development   Authority Chairperson Usec. Joseph Encabo mentions the social obligation of cooperatives. “As a social enterprise, I believe  that  cooperatives  have their own moral obligations, not only to the members, but also to the community where we belong”, said Usec. Encabo.

[Attached: Souvenir Program and Full text of the Executive Summary]

Click text to view [PHOTO DOCUMENTATION]

Click text to view [VIDEO DOCUMENTATION]

Event SDEs:

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TO ALL THE DELEGATES OF THE 2022 NATIONAL COOEPERATIVE BUSINESS CONGRESS:

On behalf of the Board of Directors and management of the Philippine Cooperative Center, we would like to thank you for your participation in the recently concluded 2022 National Cooperative Business Congress.

We hope for your continuous support, not just in the activities and projects of Philippine Cooperative Center, but also in the undertakings of the cooperative sector – all for the spirit of cooperativism.

With this, we would like to kindly request that you fill-up the feedback sheet in the link below. This will assist PCC in creating even better activities for the sector in the near future.

FEEDBACK SHEET: https://forms.gle/NpKB5pkoLcPVvVbu6