Enhancing the city cooperative affairs
ONE OF THE SCARCELY-FUNDED and supported offices of the city government of Mabalacat is the Cooperative Development Office, presently headed by Cezar “JB” B. Marucut.
It is situated in a nondescript corner of the city hall at Delfin S. Lee Building in Xevera, Tabun where it welcomes various stakeholders concerned with cooperative pursuits. It has in its calendar of activities the dissemination of information and awareness of self-help and organization-geared outfits to make people to be involved in productive endeavors.
The local cooperative development office, as the name implies, maintains links with other offices or association in the city, including the Mabalacat Business Club and the Pampanga provincial office. The Cooperative Development Authority exercises monitoring and administrative powers on all cooperative development offices, the Mabalacat City Cooperative Development Office included.
If the local officials would only look with attention the role of the CDO, they can ascertain that this office dispenses frontline services as it caters to the needs of lowly-ranked individuals who aim to band together so that their collective voices may be heard, not only by the local officialdom but also natiionally.
By structure, cooperatives may be organized in the women and youth sectors, the senior citizens, small businesses and workers’unions.
By theory, cooperatives may be formed to make up the traders and the medium and small-scale entrepreneurs, the understated but potent sector in the local economy.
The provincial cooperative office, headed by Board Member Torres, lends a sympathetic ear to the plight of the Mabalacat City Cooperative Development Office while the former office supports the latter, it could only go so far as its budget and mandate can allow. At the end of the day, it is the LGU’s concern to strengthen and support its own local cooperative office.
Attention should be given this office to make it strong and viable in its role in the development aspect of the LGU. It is about time the Cooperative Development Office were given the all-out support and encouragement to make it a relevant office in the local government.
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I had the chance to see first-hand on Thursday, April 19, 2018 the ongoing massive construction work at the New Clark Green City. Several heavy equipment, trucks and manpower complement were on the site to fast track the proposed road network and usher in vertical and civil works t her eat .
In due time, the project will take shape, especially the site of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Speculators are abuzz in buying lands near the vicinity of the New Clark Green City. Soon properties will command astronomical prices. Abangan.