CENTRAL VISAYAS GAVE COOP NATCCO THE MOST VOTES (21.7%)

Region VII delivered to Coop Natcco Party List Group some 109, 851 votes, comprising 6.13% of the total votes cast for party list groups in the Central Visayas Region.

LION'S SHARE
OF VOTES
 

This is also equivalent to the lion's share of  21.7% of the 506,099 total votes Coop Natcco got nationwide as of the May 16, 2013 tally posted in the website of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The combined votes from the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor placed Coop Natcco in the top Number 3 rank among all party list groups in the said region.

This ranking is also the highest that Coop Natcco got from the country's 17 regions.

OTHER TOP
PERFORMERS
 

This performance was  followed by Region X, which gave Coop Natcco 48,563 votes, coming from the provinces of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental.

 This region voted Coop Natcco as the Top 4 among the party list groups voted in these provinces, the votes comprising 5.08% cast in Region X.

Third top region for Coop Natcco was Region X1, with 45,947 votes (4.47%) giving it Rank 5; followed by CARAGA, 23,615 (3,81%), Rank 8; CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region), 12, 696 (3.77%), Rank 4; Region II-23,388 votes (3.07%), Rank 5; 

Region IX- 15,793 (2.97%), Rank 7;  Region X11- 24,391 (2.91%), Rank 9; Region VIII- 25, 367 (2.73%), Rank 6; Region V - 30,711 (2.31%), Rank 5; Region I - 26,919 (1.97%), Rank 9; Region IV-B- 11,082 (1.95%), Rank 17; Region VI - 30,228 (1.61%), Rank 18;

LESSER, BUT PERFORMERS
NONETHELESS
  

ARMM- 3,218 (0.96%), Rank 21; NCR - 30,013 (0.94%), Rank 30;  Region IV-A- 27, 908 (0.87%); and Region III- 16,150 (0.57%), Rank 46.  

The above shows the trend of how cooperatives, etc. voted for Coop Natcco, as of the above-mentioned date.  Now, Coop Natcco will know who supported it, to what extent, and thus, who to thank for.

Congratulations!!  So there.  (END).   

CDA-LISTED CO-OPS CAN LEARN FROM NEA'S (ELECTRIC) CO-OPS

I can only guess (rightly or wrongly) how the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) must be in awe (or envious, choose your pick) of the awesome powers granted to the National Electrification Administration (NEA), over electric cooperatives, under the newly-enacted R.A. 10531, otherwise-known as the National Electrification Administration Reform Act of 2013.

CDA NEEDS
SIMILAR POWERS?
  

Wish that CDA would be given similar powers over cooperatives currently under its supervision, if and when  the charter amendments to R.A. 6939 (which created CDA) were considered at all and hopefully enacted during the incoming 16th Congress.

Well, I don't wish to court the ire of stakeholders of the local cooperative movement who valiantly, strongly opposed, but failed to block or influence the passage of R.A. 10531. 

ARE THERE GOOD
PROVISIONS?
  

What I am saying here is that there are good provisions of the said law, which CDA-registered cooperatives may borrow and adopt.

Take, for example the qualifications and disqualifications of the members of the Board of Directors of electric cooperatives, (as contained in the amended Sec. 26-A and 26-B of R.A. 10531):

PROHIBITIONS
 

Section 26-A says:

"...no person shall be elected or appointed as an officer or be eligible to run as a board member of an electric cooperative if:

a.   such person or his or her spouse holds any public office;
      (R.A. 9520 had similar disqualification for elected public officers)
 
b.   such person or his or her spouse has been a candidate in the past preceding local or national elections;
      (R.A. 9520 has none of this, I think)
 
c.    such person has been convicted by final judgment  of a crime involving moral turpitude;

d.    such person has been terminated for cause from public office or private employment; (I recommend that this be adopted by CDA-listed cooperatives.  Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing)
 
e.    such person is related to any member of the electric cooperative board of directors, general manager, and department managers within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity;
(This had been repealed by R.A. 9520, but is good to adopt)
 
f.    such person is a representative of a juridical person; and
g.   such person is employed by or financial interested in a competing enterprise or a business selling electric energy or electric hardware to the cooperative or doing business with the cooperative, including the use or rental of poles. 
(I propose that those "doing business with the cooperative", should be banned.  For example, a medical doctor earning monthly retainers from a cooperative, for services being rendered to cooperative members).
 

Section 26-B says:

"...the minimum qualifications of a director or officer of the electric cooperative shall be as follows:

a.    He or she is a Filipino citizen;
b.    He or she is a graduate of a four (4)-year course;
c.    He or she is between twenty-one (21) and seventy (70) years old on the date of election;
d.    He or she is of good moral character;
e.    He or she is a member of the electric cooperative in good standing for the last five (5) years immediately preceding the election or appointment;
f.    He or she is an actual resident and consumer in the district that he or she seeks to represent for at least two (2) years immediately preceding the election; and
g.    He or she has attended at least two (2) Annual General Membership Assemblies for the last five (5) years immediately preceding the election or appointment...".

Well, some would says, who wants more regulations?  True.  But there are intrinsic values to most of these qualifications and disqualifications, which some CDA-registered cooperatives may find applicable to their situations.  As they say, somebody's food may be someone else's poison.

So there.  Your comments are welcome.  (END).            

 

  

3-MONTH "REPRIEVE" ON CO-OP AUDIT REPORTS RAISES MORE QUESTIONS

Those cooperatives who failed to submit their Performance, and Social Audit Reports, along with the CAPR, etc. last April 30, 2013 may have reason to rejoice and be thankful for the 3-month reprieve they apparently got from the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).

On their May 14, 2013 Facebook posts, "Cda Bicol" followed/supported by "Philippine Cooperators' Page", virtually granted a 3- month reprieve to such cooperatives.  In effect, these two Facebook pages announced that submissions of the above-mentioned reports from May 1, 2013 to July 31, 2013 will not be considered late nor will they be subjected to the monetary penalties imposed for late filing.

We maintain that such reprieve and penalty condonation should be issued by way of an official CDA Memorandun Circular.  In the absence (as of yet) of the same, we grant, (without admitting) that these Facebook posts have official effect.

But along with the 3-month relief, some questions beg to be answered.  

For example, does this  CDA action also exempt, in the meantime, cooperatives from submitting their Performance, and Social Audit reports, when they file for the renewal of their Certificate of Good Standing (CGS)?  The deadline for this also expired last April 30, 2013.

If this were the case, CDA must likewise say so.  If this were not the case, does this mean that the deadline for the filing for the renewal of the cooperative's CGS was likewise moved up to July 31, 2013?

On the other hand, does the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has a deadline for cooperatives to submit their CGS, in compliance with the conditions of their Certificate of Tax Exemption (CTE), where the CGS is required to be submitted to BIR every year, during the 5-year effectivity of the coopetives' CTEs?

Questions, questions.  The cooperatives need some answers/clarifications from CDA.  So, there.  (END). 

CDA TO ACCEPT PERFORMANCE & SOCIAL AUDIT REPORTS UP TO JULY 31, 2013

Despite the April 30, 2013 deadline for their submission by cooperatives, the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), apparently, will allow the deferred submission of Performance and Social Audit Reports up to July 31, 2013, with monetary penalties waived or condoned.

This is what Cooperatives Philippines gathered from the May 14, 2013 Facebook  posts by Philippine Cooperators' Page, supposedly the official page of the Cooperative Development Authority.

It all started with a post from "Cda Bicol", an "unofficial" Facebook page of CDA in Region V.  I said "unofficial" because the "official" Facebook fan page of CDA is "CDA Region 5."

In the morning of May 14, 2013, "CDA Bicol" posted the following:

"in the interest of the cooperative sector, submission of Social Audit Report and Performance Audit Repor until July 31, 2013 shall not be considered late and no penalty shall be imposed.  

Consequently, submission after July 31, 2013 shall be considered late and penalties shall be imposed."

Suspecting that this might  not be an "official" CDA announcement, Cooperatives Philippines posted the following query/request at Philippine Cooperators' Page:

"Pls. check "Cda Bicol"'s Facebook page.  It posted that the submission of Social Audit Report and Performance Audit Report had been DEFERRED without penalties until July 31, 2013.  Is this true?

Philippine Cooperators' Page's response/post was this:

"YES.  Performance and Social Audit Reports submitted to the CDA between May 1, 2013 until July 31, 2013 shall not be considered as late and shall not be imposed any fine/penalty.  After July 31, 2013, the late submission of such reports shall be imposed the "responding" (corresponding?) penalty.."

Cooperatives Philippines's response to this post was:

"By whose authority is this?  by CDA Exec. Dir., by Chairman Santiaguel?  Doesn't this deserve some kind of formal advice, as in a Memorandum Circular, or something less formal than a Facebook post?.."

There was no answer, so far as of the this blogpost.  Anyway, CDA's Website Management Group (pls. see www.cda.gov.ph) is headed by Orlando R. Ravanera, CDA's Acting Executive Director; assisted by Giovanni Platero, CDA Deputy Exec. Director and a number of CDA officers.

So, as they say, take the above information "under advisement".  Cooperatives Philippines still believes that since the above has an affect of amending issued Circulars and other regulations, the deferment should be issued formally in the form of a Circular.

But we heard that CDA had a hard time convening a quorum of its Board of Administrators early this year.  But let us warn you that acting on this "unofficial" advice should be a cooperative's own look out.  Don't say we did not warn you.  

So, there.  (END).            

Microfinance services in rural communities

Microfinance services in rural communities

NO TIME? HERE'S HOW TO TAKE CO-OP OFFICERS' CDA-COMPLIANCE TRAINING - ONLINE

Falling back on your training requirements as a cooperative officer, as mandated by the Cooperative Development Authority?

Your cooperative has just started and has not enough funds to finance its officers' training?

No worry.  You may now take your compliance training from a CDA- accredited training provider online.  Yes, online.  All you needed is access to a computer and some small fees, of course.

INSTITUTE OF
COOPERATIVE STUDIES
 

The Institute of Cooperative Studies, a subsidiary of the MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center, has come up with  e-learning courses that are available online, catering to the training needs of cooperatives officers.

According to www.virtucademey.com the courses are composed of three (3) modules, with two or more lessons per module.  Each lesson can be studied either by watching the video or reading the PDF file.  The video can be downloaded or viewed online.  As an option, the PDF files can be printed for individual study, according to this site.

MASS-SPECC
FEDERATION
 

In a news item at www.cda.gov.ph, it says that MASS-SPECC is the "strongest cooperative federation in the country with some 390 primary cooperative affiliates throughout Mindanao."

CDA also cited that the e-learning program is also available to non-affiliates of MASS-SPECC.

One is advised to study the lesson in the modules first before taking the test.  After one passes the test, he will be notified through email on the payment procedure before the Institute of Cooperative Studies will issue the CDA-required Certificate of Completion for the course.

HOW TO ACCESS
THE COURSES
 

The required courses can be accessed through www.virtucademy.com  First, one has to sign up and fill out all the required information, including selecting MASS-SPECC under "Organization", the site advised.

MASS-SPECC is at MASS-SPECC Bldg., Tiano Bros- Yacapin Sts., Cagayan de Oro City.  Tel. nos.:  088-856-2339/852-4869.  E-mail:  mass_specctraining@yahoo.com.ph

(END).     

STEPS IN VOTING DURING THE MAY 13, 2013 ELECTIONS

1.    Find your name in the certified voters' list (PCVL)  to know
       your precinct number and sequence number.

2.    Approach any member of the BEI (Board of Election Inspectors) and tell him/her your name, precinct number, and sequence number.

3.     The BEI or support staff shall:

        a.  Verify if your name is in the EDCVL (election day
             computerized voters' list).   If your name is
             NOT in the EDCVL, YOU CANNOT VOTE.

        b.   Look at your finger, if it already has indelible ink
              mark.

        c.   Will request you to sign in the EDCVL, or to put
              your thumb mark, if you are a PWD, or do not
              not know how to write.

4.     You will be sent to the Chairman of the BEI, who will:

        a.  Verify the ballot by signing on it, in front of you.

        b.  Place the ballot in the ballot secrecy folder.

        c.  Give you the ballot secrecy folder and
             marking pen.

        d.  Will tell you the proper way of marking the ballot.

        e.   Will send you to the designated voting area.

5.     Go to the designated voting area.

6.     Vote by marking the circle opposite to the name
        of the candidate or of the party list you wish
        to vote for.  Make sure not to exceed the required
        number of votes, nor mark circles more than
        required.

7.     After voting/marking the ballot, insert it to the ballot
        entry slot of the PCOS and wait for the following
        to appear on the screen:  "Congratulations. Your
        vote has been registered."

8.    The BEI third member or support staff will watch
       the screen to make sure that your ballot was
       accepted.

9.    Return the ballot secrecy folder and marking pen.

10.   Leave the polling place.

GO TO YOUR POLLING PRECINCT EARLY.

Message from:

GOV'T WATCH
NAMFREL

(END).