WHOLE OF SOCIETY SUPPORT FOR ALL COOPERATIVES

WHOLE OF SOCIETY SUPPORT FOR ALL COOPERATIVES

Cooperative ideals are woven deep into Philippine history. Did you know that as early as 1896, Dr. José Rizal founded La Sociedad de los Abacaleros—an agricultural marketing cooperative—while in exile in Dapitan? That fragile seed has sprouted. Today, almost 130 years later, the cooperative movement has grown substantially. Still, I believe it could grow far more—and grow deeper.

The Current Landscape: Strong, but Undercapitalized

Recent data shows that there are around 18,000–20,000 registered cooperatives in the Philippines, with about 10 to 11 million members. These numbers represent roughly 10% of our population. Many cooperatives are micro- to small-sized: in fact, most are micro-cooperatives (assets ₱3 million or less), with relatively few having large asset bases. 

Cooperatives control a sizable asset base (hundreds of billions of pesos), yet compared to national totals their share is still modest. 

So yes, there is cause for both optimism and ambition.

My Dreams and Goals: Not Just What Is, But What Could Be

Let me share what I dream for cooperatives:

  • That half of all Filipinos become cooperative members. Not a whim—just imagine what that would mean for grassroots ownership, collective bargaining, and local empowerment.

  • That cooperatives hold at least 10% of the total assets of the country’s economy. Right now they have much less; to reach 10% would require both scaling up existing coops and creating many more viable ones.

These are big dreams. But based on what cooperatives already do—and what laws allow—I don’t think they are impossible.

Legal Foundations: We Have the Tools

We are not starting from zero. The Philippines already has laws that support cooperatives quite substantially:

  • Republic Act 9520, the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008, which provides the legal framework for cooperative registration, types, rights, governance, etc.

  • Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), which regulates, accredits, and supports cooperatives.

These legal instruments allow cooperatives to operate in multiple sectors—finance, agriculture, housing, transport, even memorial and infrastructure coops. Many cooperatives are granted privileges, including preferential rights for government procurement under certain conditions, access to donations/grants, etc., subject to compliance. 

What Needs Doing: A Whole-of-Society Push

If cooperatives are to move from “good but modest” to “powerful engine of inclusive growth,” here are some of my suggestions and questions:

  1. Government leadership plus private sector, civil society collaboration
     The CDA must play its regulatory and promotional role, but LGUs, national government agencies, NGOs, even private businesses should support cooperatives as partners—not just beneficiaries. Technical assistance, training, finance, infrastructure: all required.

  2. Scaling up micro/small coops
     Many coops are stuck in micro size. We need programs that help them graduate to small, then medium, then large. That means access to capital, better governance, transparency, better business practices. Oversight must be robust but enabling.

  3. Ensure inclusivity and equity
     Coops should especially reach marginalized sectors—farmers, fisherfolk, Indigenous Peoples, women. Support must adapt to their needs: distance, lack of initial capital, lack of technical knowledge.

  4. Clarify procurement, donation, and government contracting
     Laws allow cooperatives to receive government grants/donations and to participate in government procurement under certain exemptions. But many coops and LGUs don’t seem to know how to navigate them. Simplify procedures; clarify which cooperating coops are eligible; build trust so that cooperatives are awarded government contracts fairly.

  5. Legal & regulatory support for barangay-level coops / community coops
     Think barangay burial coops, local memorial parks, aquaculture coops, energy coops, circular design coops. Legal framework (CDA, local ordinances), financial support, technical training—all needed. What’s needed is a model coop framework that is donation-ready, procurement-ready, accredited, and locally governed.

  6. Strengthen cooperative education and values
     Many cooperatives struggle with governance, transparency, and member participation. Basic cooperative education (on rights, responsibilities, governance, financial literacy) must be scaled up. Member engagement must be real, not perfunctory.

  7. Monitoring and national metrics
     We need up-to-date, reliable data. How many coops are active vs dormant? How many submit annual reports? What is the volume of business, net surplus, employment created? What is their contribution to key sectors (housing, transport, energy)? Only if we measure can we plan, hold accountable, and improve.

Questions That Deserve Discussion

  • Should the goal of “half the population as coop members” be institutionalized in our national cooperative development plan? What policy levers would be needed to achieve that?

  • How can we ensure that scaling up doesn’t lead to concentration or abuse? Cooperatives must not lose their democratic control, their non-profit or social mission as they grow big.

  • What role should LGUs play? Could there be village/barangay coop incubators? Could barangays have incentive funding to support coop formation and growth?

  • Can we adopt “coop procurement zones” or special procurement windows where coops are given priority, or streamlined bidding, especially for small/medium contracts, while maintaining transparency and fairness?

Closing Thoughts

Cooperatives are more than member companies—they are social institutions, bastions of shared ownership, democracy, local empowerment. If all parts of society—government, business, civil society, communities—give cooperatives real, consistent support, I believe they can reach that level of influence I dream about: 50% membership, 10% of assets.

It’s not just about numbers; it’s about what kind of society we want: one where people pool their strength, share in ownership and benefit, and build resilience together. We have the legal foundation. We have examples, history, grassroots energy. What we need is courage, policy coherence, investment, education, and trust.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres

iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com

02-05-2026

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