BRIEF HISTORY
Cooperative development of Region IX way back 1980's was under the Regional Cooperative Development Assistance Office created by. virtue of Executive Order No. 634. During this period. "samahang nayons ang kilusang bayans" were organized the registered. The office however was eventually abolished with the termination of the effectivity of Executive Order No. 634 and the passage of Republic Act 6938 known as the Cooperative Code of the Philippines; and Republic Act 6939 which created the Cooperative Development Authority. During the transition period, there were only 22 holdover personnel who officially continued in carrying out the cooperative programs for the region. Some technical personnel of the defunct office proceeded in giving assistance to the movement on voluntary basis. The growing concern for the continuity of the program can never be overemphasized.
Being a regulatory agency; CDA at that time was highly centralized. Organizations who wanted to register with the Authority had to send their documents to Manila and wait for what may seem an eternity before they receive a response of their application: whether they were eligible for registration or their documents were deficient. The process was so tedious vet the enthusiasm of organizing and giving assistance to those who wanted to have their organizations registered persists. Within that short span of time, there were 49 cooperatives in Region IX registered with the Authority.
On July 1991, seven (7) Extension Offices were created: two of these are located in Mindanao area: one in Davao City and another in Cagayan de Oro City. The Cagayan de Oro City Extension Office cater to' the needs of Region IX area. The Authority then stafted decentralizing its regulatory and developmental functions which found to be very beneficial to the organizations. Some 165 cooperatives in Region 9 are registered in Cagayan de Oro Extension Office.
Pending the creation of additional Extension Offices; a unit office was established in Zamboanga City to cate to the needs of Region IX. The office was under Dir. Silvano Bausing of CDA Cagayan de Oro Extension Office; manned by CDS Edna 0. Eguia, CDS Erma S. Militante and headed by then Sr. CDS Martino S. Baluran now Director of CDA-Caraga. This move was a manifestation of the Authority's desire to make CDA more pro-people by increasing its accessibility. There are 49 cooperatives registered under this unit office.
PERSONNEL COMPLIMENT
The Cooperative Development Authority. Pagadian Extension Office was finally operational last May 1992 under the Directorship of Godofredo T. Paculba. Its creation is part of the Authority's rationalization of its program focus. On that date; CDA-PEO had a total strength of 25; 13 of whom belong to the operation group and 12 belong to the administrative and support staff.
In 1995; the total manpower reached 36. With the creation of CDA-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi were separated. This resulted in the reduction of personnel with the corresponding decrease of area of coverage. Presently, CDA-EPO has a total strength of 29 personnel; twelve (12) of whom are deployed to 'the different provinces under the region.
THE MAJOR FUNCTIONS
In order to carry out the major functions of the Authority; each of the three Senior Cooperative Development Specialists is assigned to a specific section: the Cooperative Research, Information and Training Section; the Registration & Regulatory Section; and the Cooperative Project Development Section aside from them being assigned to a specific province as their area of responsibility. They exercise direct supervision to those Cooperative Development Specialist assigned in the provinces while coming up with a design to promote cooperativism through their functions a section head.
With regard to training and advocacy, the Cooperative Development Specialist conduct training needs assessment and come up with training proposal; seek the approval of the region before the same will be implemented. Generally, three (3) training categories are conducted: basic trainings, advance trainings and skills/livelihood trainings.
For its regulatory function, the CDA's have been conducting periodic inspection to see to it that the cooperatives are operating within the bounds of law and have not committed any violation of the Code and other related laws. Post inspection conferences were held to better improve their operation.
Concerning grievances, the CDS's endeavored that such should be resolve at the cooperatives' grievance committee level. As a result, the number of cooperative cases actually filed with the Authority is of insignificant number.
RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
The field personnel toiled hard to accomplish the trageted activities of the office despite of the strength and budgetary constraint.
To overcome this obstacle, CDA-PEO has adopted the means of using "other people's money" and using "other people's strength". It coordinated with other government agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) the Department of Education , Culture and Sports (DECS); Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP); other national government agencies, the Local Government Units and non-government organizations as well for technical and financial support. Through the Executive Order No. 95 and Executive Order No. 96, Cooperative Development Councils were organized to synchonize developmental interventions for the cooperative sector. The active participation of these councils has helped the office specially in terms of information dissemination and advocacy. Thus far, the accomplishment of this office may also be attributed to their active participation.
