TUBOD, Lanao del Norte (PIA) -- The provincial government, through the Provincial Cooperative Office, awarded a total of P5 million in monetary assistance to performing, operational, and compliant cooperatives.
Under the Cooperative Livelihood Assistance Program (CLAP), financed through the 20% Development Fund of the provincial government for CY 2023, 40 cooperatives were granted P100,000 each. Additionally, nine cooperatives received P100,000 each, while one Cooperative Development Council and one Municipal Cooperative Office were awarded P50,000 each under the Initiative for Quality Development (IQD) program.
"Kini na additional capital na gihatag nato sa atong mga kooperatiba para ni sa inyong sustainable livelihood program implementation.
Pero dili ni siya ginahatag sa tanan, para rani sa mga nakapasar sa atong criteria [This additional capital is provided to our cooperatives for the implementation of your sustainable livelihood program. However, it is not given to everyone; it is only for those who have met our criteria]," Provincial Cooperative Officer Minda Regis said.
Based on the PCO's criteria, each cooperative beneficiary is checked according to their compliance, economic activity, performance evaluation, and Sangguniang Panlalawigan or Sangguniang Bayan accreditation.
"Challenge kaayo sa amoa, labi na mga chairperson, na amo gyung maampingan. Ang cooperative sa Maria Cristina almost 32 years nga nag-exist pero pagbalhin ra gyud namo sa Lanao mi nakadawat ug mga ayuda sama aning CLAP ug IQD [It is a big challenge for us, especially for the chairpersons, that we need to address. The cooperative in Maria Cristina has been in existence for almost 32 years, but it was only when we transferred to Lanao that we received assistance such as CLAP and IQD]," Marivic Tomaquin, chairperson of Maria Cristina Multi-Purpose Cooperative from Balo-i, said.
Moreover, Vice Governor Allan Lim emphasized the importance of unity and cooperative development. He encouraged investing money wisely for the success of cooperatives. PIO LDN/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)
