As of December 31, 2009, there are 3,247 registered or confirmed cooperatives in Region 9. Out of the total registered or confirmed cooperatives about 915 or 28% are considered operating.
With the advent of the approval of The Philippine Cooperative Code otherwise known as RA 9520 of 2008 last February 2009 wherein Article 144 provides the mandatory requirement for the cooperatives to Re-Register within 1 year with the Authority started in March 23, 2009, the 915 operating cooperatives covered by said requirement only 308 or 34% were issued with new certificate of registration by the Extension Office.
Among the 3 provinces and 2 lone districts under the region, 2 posted the highest total number of cooperatives registered/confirmed since the year 1991 to 2009. These are Zamboanga City and Zamboanga del Sur. However, in the issuance of new certificate of registration under RA 9520, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur posted the highest number of registrants.
The issuance of new certificate of registration ends on March 22, 2010, hence, there are still chances for the 66% active cooperatives to apply for new certificate of registration.
Other accomplishments relative to registration functions include the following:
1. Registered ten (10) amendments of articles of cooperation and by-laws of cooperatives which generated an increase in the revenue collected for the CY 2009;
2. Regular maintenance of updated Cooperative Registry/Records;
3. Encoding and evaluation of Cooperative data through the CIS for CINRF and CAPR;
4. Annual Posting of list of operating, non-operating, dissolved and cancelled cooperatives in conspicuous place.
Under Article 53 of RA 9520, all registered cooperatives are mandated to submit with the Authority their report of operations for the year using the prescribed form called Cooperative Annual Performance Report or CAPR and Audited Financial Statements. For 2009, the extension office has recorded a total of 383 or 42% annual reports collected. Zamboanga City has reported the highest number of cooperatives that have complied the administrative requirement with a rate of 48% or 86 cooperatives. On the other hand, Isabela City, Basilan, has the lowest compliance rate of 25% or 8 cooperatives. There is a decreased of 8% in 2009 in the collection rate of annual report compared from 2008. The decreased was due to failure of the cooperatives to meet the required Standard Chart of Accounts for cooperatives.
Likewise, the CDA mandates all cooperatives to secure Certificate of Good Standing (CGS) which in 2009 there were 404 cooperatives or 44% have secured the annual CGS. This year there is an increased in the number of cooperatives that have secured CGS because of the CDA MC No. 2009-05 (Simplified Guidelines in the Issuance of CGS for cooperatives that complied with Article 144 of RA 9520). Under this guideline cooperatives could secure CGS with only application letter, Certification fee of P100.00 and proof that they have complied with Article 144 of RA 9520 as requirements.
Part of being a regulatory agency, the extension office is also bound to conduct cooperative inspections to operating cooperatives in determining their viability, sustainability and whether or not these cooperatives complied with the provisions of their by-laws and other laws. As a result of these activities, the extension office recorded that 39% or 353 coops were inspected for cy 2009.
