MCDC-Talibon conducts seminar for coop chairs
By ELLA G. PAÑARES
The Municipal Cooperative Development Council recently conducted a seminar for its members in response to the 37 cooperative chairpersons.
Sangguniang Bayan Member Virginia Item, chair of the SB Committee on Cooperatives, coordinated with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) training team and the Cooperative Development Authority in designing the orientation seminar.
The coop chairs raised the need to have a member's education seminar during the regular monthly meeting of the MCDC.
Most of them said that coop members have been delinquent in paying their loan amortizations, blaming the NGOs that are into lending business operating in the municipality.
Eleuteria Pañares, president of Bagacay Women Credit Cooperative, led the opening prayer, followed by the singing of national and Bohol hymns led by Rosario Tolentino- -president of Balintawak Women Credit Cooperative.
The first topic in the seminar was on values formation discussed by SB Member Item.
She said cooperative will progress if the members have the commitment, involvement and sincerity in serving the cooperative.
Cooperative Development Analyst Nisa Cagulada discussed Republic Act 9520 or the Cooperative Code of 2008.
According to Cagulada, before the recommended Republic Act 6938, there were only six types of cooperatives, but now it grown to 21 types of cooperatives.
She also said that all elected officials cannot hold any position in the cooperative. He/She can be a member but not as an officer.
Talibon Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer (MARO) Omar Suarez introduced the next speakers- - Municipal Agrarian Reform officer of Danao, Pet Pangandoyon of Talibon- -who discussed the cooperative organizational structure, functions of board of directors and the different committees, computation of the dividend and patronage refund and credit management and delinquency control.
During the open forum, Pangandoyon answered the queries raised by the cooperators.
In answer to the question on how to compel bad borrowers to settle their delinquency, he said there is no bad borrower but bad loan.
Pangandoyon, in return, challenged the participants to follow the steps in processing loan applications and identify the 5 Es of credit.
He advised the coop members to stretch their patience and stay cheerful when dealing with clients.