TUBOD, Lanao del Norte (PIA)--As part of the celebration of the Culmination Program of the Annual Cooperative Month here, 20 cooperatives received P100,000 each from the provincial government thru the Cooperative Livelihood Assistance Program (CLAP) and 10 cooperatives with best practices best cooperatives received another P100,000 each thru the Initiative for Quality Development (IQD) awards on Nov. 3. 

The CLAP was funded through the 20% development fund allocated by the provincial government that aims to provide additional capitalization for micro cooperatives and to develop and promote their viability.

Jacinta Cellona, vice chairperson of the San Isidro Upper Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative based in Lala town, expressed gratitude as they will use the aid from CLAP in putting up an agri-supplies business.

“For that, we have proposed for this another assistance, we have to establish an agri-supplies business. We’ll have to put up a store for farmers' needs. Like for example fertilizer, insecticides and other needs of farmers,” she said. 

Meanwhile, Virgilia Samaniego, chairperson of the Bualan Agrarian Reform Community Cooperative based in Tubod town, conveyed gratitude as they are one of the cooperatives that received the IQD award. Their cooperative started in the 1980s and has been producing banana chips and banana ketchup. With the cash prize they received, they can now start sanitization for banana flour processing.

“Dako kaayo among pasalamat especially kay Gov. Angging Dimaporo nga natagaan mi ani nga award kay matuloy-tuloy na jud ang among plano nga makaprocess ug banana flour. Gikan pa sa pandemic diin among kooperatiba, nihinay-hinay jud syag bangon,” she said. 

[We are very grateful especially to Gov. Angging Dimaporo that we were given this award because we can now pursue our plan to process banana flour. Ever since the start of the pandemic, our cooperative is slowly recovering.]

Various activities were also lined-up during the culmination program such as the Cooperative Hymn Chorale contest, raffle draw of home items and performance of winners of the TikTokoop dance contest. (LELA/ PIA-10 Lanao del Norte)