LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (PIA) -- The Cooperative Development Authority – Cordillera will soon have its own building in this capital town. 

 CDA officials led by Assistant Secretaries Pendatun Disimban, Abdulsalam Guinomla and Vidal Villanueva III, Cordillera Regional Director Marieta Hwang and Region 2 Director Franco Bawang  Jr . with Benguet State University(BSU) President Dr. Felipe Comila and La Trinidad Vice Mayor Roderick Awingan recently led the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the CDA-CAR Regional Office at Bektey, Longlong in Barangay Puguis.

They were joined by the Department of Public Works and Highways Benguet First District Engineering Office District Engineer Isagani Cayme and Regional Cooperative Development Council Chairman Victor Luacan.

The CDA family thanked the BSU thru its president for granting their request for a lot to build the regional office thru a usufruct agreement. The request and negotiations for a lot was initiated by Bawang   during his stint as CDA-CAR regional director and was granted thru Dr. Comila.

In the message of CDA Chairman Undersecretary Joseph Encabo read by Asec. Guinomla, he expressed gladness on the historic groundbreaking which is a dream that becomes a reality and is a new beginning for the CDA.

“Today, as we break the ground, we also plant the seeds of hope that every man and woman in the cooperative movement will be proud of. I am seeing this transformation as an earmark of our institution’s development to honor the hard work and perseverance of all who came before us that led us to this moment of success. Above all are accomplishing this to give our clientele the cooperatives and stakeholders the above standards service they deserve,” Encabo stated.

Villanueva said the structure will be a four-storey building built in a 300 square meter of lot with an initial budget of P25 million. The CDA is keen on adding additional budget to ensure that the building will be completed and be furnished with office equipment as well.

He told the CDA-CAR employees that the new building should be an inspiration for them to provide better services to the more than 1,600 cooperatives in the entire Cordillera region.

 “Itong building na ito ay manifestation ng pagmamahal namin sa inyo. Sana din ang building na ito ay maging simbolo na mas lalo pang pag igihan ang trabaho at mas lalo pang mamahalin ang mga cooperatives sa Cordillera,” he  said.  

 Hwang said that the new building is a realization of a dream since the CDA-CAR has been renting office space for 30 years. She said this will provide better services for clients and stakeholders from the cooperatives and other individuals and organizations.

Meanwhile, aside from the donated lot, Comila committed to provide another parcel of lot for the construction of a training center for the training and development of the cooperative members in the region. (JDP/RMC- PIA CAR)