BARMM extends ₧150,000 aid to 100 cooperatives

DAVAO CITY—SOME 100 cooperatives from across the Bangsamoro region were granted financial assistance amounting to a total of P150,000 to continue serving their members.

The Bangsamoro government’s Cooperative and Social Enterprise Authority (CSEA) distributed the checks to the cooperatives under its Special Assistance for Viable Enterprise or SAVE grant program.

Seventy-four of the cooperatives are operating from the mainland provinces of Maguindanao Del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Lanao Del Sur, as well as cities of Cotabato and Marawi, while 26 are from the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi.

The first batch of 56 cooperatives from the mainland provinces areas received their checks on December 29, while the remaining beneficiaries are scheduled to receive their assistance in January 2023.

Abdullah Dipatuan, chief of the CSEA Administrative Division, said the cooperatives were identified after a thorough selection and screening process set under the grant’s guidelines.

“The selected cooperatives underwent a strict process of application, including the submission of their respective project proposal and verification of their residencies from conflict-affected areas. They were severely affected by the pandemic, and needing sustainable intervention,” Dipatuan said.

CSEA Executive Director Samcia Ibrahim also emphasized the importance of the cooperatives’ compliance to ensure that the beneficiaries were really functional and operational.

“This financial assistance will serve as a start-up capital of your cooperatives in the implementation of your submitted feasible and viable business proposal to increase your earnings and eventually, your co-op will boost its functionality and could even lead to enhance the living conditions of your members,” Ibrahim said.