Duterte okays ‘mandatory’ appointment of coop execs

The decision depends on the size of the local cooperative sector or the capability of the local government to provide the proper compensations from its budget

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure mandating the appointment of cooperative development officers in all local government units.

Last week, Duterte approved Republic Act (RA) 11535 which makes the post of cooperatives development officer in municipal, city and provincial levels “mandatory.”

Our cooperatives will really need focused, particularized assistance during this crucial period of recovery.

Under the law, local officials have the prerogative whether they will appoint a full-fledged cooperatives development officer or merge such person’s responsibilities with an existing position.

The decision depends on the size of the local cooperative sector or the capability of the local government to provide the proper compensations from its budget, Duterte said.

With this, the cooperative development officer is tasked to provide technical assistance to local officials and formulate measures that will ensure the delivery of basic services related to promotion and organization of cooperatives, according to the law.

The appointed official should also lead the identification of groups, sectors, or communities that can be organized to meet the cooperatives’ objectives and to enable it to turn into “vehicles in poverty reduction, job creation and socioeconomic development” of the area concerned.

The person must be a Filipino citizen, a holder of a college degree related to administration of cooperatives and a first-grade civil service eligible.

“He must have the experience in cooperatives organizations and management or other comparable experience of at least five years in the case of provincial or city cooperatives development officer, and three years in the case of municipal cooperatives development officer,” Duterte added.

Copies of the law, which will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of national circulation, were distributed to reporters on Wednesday.

Senate Majority Juan Miguel Zubiri, the primary sponsor of the measure and chairperson of the Senate committee on cooperatives, welcomed the “timely” passage of RA 11535.

“Our cooperatives will really need focused, particularized assistance during this crucial period of recovery,” Zubiri said in his statement.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, one of the authors of the Cooperative Development Officer Act, also said the appointment of local cooperative development officers will be a “major instrument” in the country’s recovery from the health crisis.

“The enactment of the creation of local cooperatives development officers will be a new instrument of uniting the cooperatives towards growth, especially at a time that we are facing and recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.