Land Bank Foundation shows heart for CAR countrysides; BARP leads coop headers to call

LANDBank Countryside Development Foundation, Inc., met with member participants it had formally called to attend a seminar-workshop scheduled for December 47, 2017, in Baguio City. Each group of the participants represented a cooperative in the CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region) duly registered and in good standing with the CDA (Cooperative Development Authority).

Obviously, though not surprising, missing was the presence of representatives of the coop stalwarts like BBCCC (Baguio–Benguet Community Credit Cooperative), BAMARVEMVO (Baguio Market Multi-Purpose Cooperative) and BAVESCO (Baguio Vegetables Cooperative). But anyway, there was one ever-ready to take over the lead, the BARP-MPC, which recently turned from medium to large cooperative by national categorization as inscribed in its certificate of award last Octoberbest celebration in Baguio City. This showed that the attention of the Foundation is really to lend a hand to the smaller coops, especially the budding ones, servicing the countryside communities. At least, this is as I see things being done and for which we are thankful. It is good to see the bank partnering with the coops, even giving their members lasting education and not just temporary monetary aid to start their business enterprises.

Primary cooperatives that responded positively to the invitation and actively participated consistently in session lectures and workshops included Tawangan Cooperative, Kibungan, Benguet; Benguet Farmers Marketing Coop, La Trinidad; Wasdinsumya, Dizon Subdivision, Baguio City; BARP-MPC, Cresencia Village, Baguio City; Treasure Link Cooperative Society, Sagada, Mountain Province.

Resource persons from Day 1 were Benjamin B. Dy and Haydeelin Bellosillo. An illustrated handout made available on time for the whole four-day affair helped a lot in the imparting as well as absorption of subject matters taken up. The nine (9) sessions covered were: 1. Opportunity Identification; 2. Project Identification; 3. Business Plan; 4. Project Feasibility: A. Industry/ Market place, B. Product/Service Phase, C. Financial Phase, 5. Project Management; 6. Operation Plan; 7. Risk management; 8. Implementation activities; and 9. Monitoring and evaluation-Subtopics of which, there were a plenty to think or re-think of, varied in number and length but were satisfactorily discussed or insinuated in the question and answer portions.

A topic for feasibility study that particularly interested me but unfortunately had to be postponed for the moment/ was one that touched on a substitute for fossil fuel and water to produce electric power. It is much possible in CAR (Cordillera Administrative Autonomous Region) because the prospective substitute mineral is found in appreciable quantity in the region. Pre-testing has already been done and the prospect is strongly promising, worthy to be handed in partnership to DOST and DTI but Cordillerans prefer that Cordillera attain autonomy first, or basically a one cooperative region. This last option might meet with the least opposition by our banking system and national political traditions and practices. A Cordillera Cooperative Region, the first of its kind and political nomenclature, could solve the thirty-year old impasse which gave us only a regional territory but without a regional governing body, thus deterring our desired faster sectoral development despite our rich natural resources. This administration, therefore, appears to be our ultimate hope. Autonomy towards federalism has been our roadmap since the Mount Data sipat and highlighted since the present president took over the national authority by a wide wide margin. GOD HELP US!