MARAWI CITY – The Cooperative Development Authority of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (CDA-ARMM) hosted the 2016 provincial cooperatives summit in Lanao del Sur held here on Tuesday as part of the regional agency’s comprehensive plans and programs.
With the theme: “Economic Sustainability and Good Governance Through Cooperativism,” the event was attended by over a thousand leaders of cooperatives in the province. The summit was hosted by CDA-ARMM headed by regional administrator Dimnatang M. Radia.
ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman who spoke before the summit’s participants said cooperativism is a priority initiative under the regional government’s poverty alleviation agenda.
Aside from Gov. Hataman, other officials who graced the event include: Orlando Ravanera, CDA chairman; Amenodin Elias, Central Mindanao CDA director; Pama Dimapanat, ARMM secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications; Jehanne Mutin, chairperson of the Regional Commission of Bangsamoro Women (RCBW); and Mocammad Rakiin, Lanao del Sur provincial administrator who represented provincial governor Mamintal Adiong, Jr.
Rakiin said cooperativism is a program fully supported by Gov. Adiong. For his part, CDA chairman Ravanera said people can be empowered to craft their own destiny as they come together through the cooperative.
“Cooperativism is about empowering the poor and invulnerable especially in taking full control of available resources of Mindanao,” Ravanera said. “We believe cooperativism is the only effective approach in achieving true peace in the region,” he added.
RCBW chairperson Mutin, meanwhile, said the women’s sector understands the concept of the cooperative, specifically the collaborative efforts of its members.
The summit, said CDA-ARMM administrator Radia, is one of the initiatives of CDA-ARMM in accordance with its mandate to promote the viability, growth and sustainability of cooperatives as instruments for equity, economic development and social justice.
Among CDA-ARMM’s accomplishments are the Computerized Registration System and Kapit-Bisig Program as a one-stop shop converging three major programs of CDA-ARMM, namely registration, regulation and development of cooperatives.
Such convergence is aimed at convening cooperatives in every municipality as well as in harmonizing programs and projects supporting cooperatives in various national line agencies. (Bureau of Public Information)
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