BARMM extends aid to 100 coops
Ebrahim said 56 coops from the mainland areas received their financial aid on the last working day of December, while the remaining beneficiaries are scheduled to receive their assistance anytime this month
ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao recently granted financial aid to at least 100 cooperatives in the region through its Cooperative and Social Enterprise Authority’s Special Assistance for Viable Enterprise or SAVE grant program.
BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim disclosed that the Bangsamoro government granted financial assistance of P150,000 for each of the cooperatives.
Of the total number of beneficiaries, at least 74 are located in the mainland provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur including the cities of Cotabato and Marawi, while the remaining 26 cooperatives are located in the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
Ebrahim said 56 coops from the mainland areas received their financial aid on the last working day of December, while the remaining beneficiaries are scheduled to receive their assistance anytime this month.
CSEA executive director Samcia Ibrahim said that the beneficiaries 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,” Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim also stressed to the cooperative officials the importance of their compliance to ensure that the beneficiaries were functional and operational.
“This financial assistance will serve as a start-up capital for your cooperatives in the implementation of your submitted feasible and viable business proposal to increase your earnings and eventually, your coop will boost its functionality and could even lead to enhance the living conditions of your members,” Ibrahim said.
“Since this is a grant, you will expect that we will closely monitor the implementation of this program,” she added. “We are hoping that this grant will serve as the vehicle in the progress of your respective coops and means of alleviating your living conditions from your family and to your community in general.”