Cooperatives: Open Doors, but Only for Those Who Belong

Voluntary and Open Ownership in Cooperatives is one of the core principles that guide how cooperatives are formed and managed. It ensures that cooperatives remain inclusive, democratic, and community-oriented, subject to some exemptions expressed by law.

 Voluntary and Open Membership vs. Common Bond of Interest in Cooperatives

These two ideas both relate to cooperative membership, but they emphasize different aspects:

 1. Voluntary and Open Membership (Cooperative Principle)

This is one of the 7 Cooperative Principles from the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).

Meaning:

*Voluntary – People choose to join or leave the cooperative freely, without force or pressure.

*Open – Membership is open to all persons who are able to use the cooperative’s services and are willing to accept membership responsibilities.

*No discrimination – Race, gender, religion, political belief, or economic status should not be a barrier to joining.

*Key Idea - Everyone qualified is welcome - no one is excluded unfairly.

2. Common Bond of Interest or “Associational Principle”

While cooperatives are open to all, they are not open to everyone in general. Why? Because members must share a common interest or purpose. 

Meaning:

*Members must have a shared bond or objective — like being farmers, employees of the same company, residents of a community, fishermen, vendors, etc.

*This bond helps build trust, unity, and mutual responsibility.

*The cooperative is formed by people with similar needs or economic activities.

*Key Idea- Membership is open - but only to those who share the cooperative’s purpose or field of activity.

Cooperatives are open, but not for just anybody. They are open to all individuals who share the cooperative’s common purpose and agree to its responsibilities.

Simple Example:

*A teachers' cooperative: Voluntary and Open; Any teacher can join; they cannot be excluded for personal reasons like religion or gender.

Common Bond: Only teachers (or employees in the education sector) can be members — not doctors or farmers.

Cooperatives practice voluntary and open membership to welcome all eligible individuals without discrimination — but they also require a common bond of interest to ensure members share the same goals and needs.

Why Not Everyone Can Be Part of a Cooperative

Many people believe that cooperatives are open to everyone — that anyone who wants to join should be allowed in. And while this sounds good, it isn’t entirely true. Cooperatives are built on the principle of voluntary and open membership, but this openness comes with an important condition: members must share a common bond of interest.

A cooperative is not just a business; it is a community of people who face the same challenges and work together for the same goals. Farmers form a cooperative because they understand the hardship of planting, harvesting, and selling crops. Teachers form a cooperative because they share the same salary schedules, loan needs, and workplace conditions. Fisherfolk, drivers, vendors — each group has its own cooperative because they have something in common that binds them together.

So yes, membership is open — but only to those who belong to that shared purpose.

Imagine a farmers’ cooperative suddenly accepting people who do not farm — a store owner, a government employee, or a business investor who has never planted rice or held a plow. These people may have good intentions, but they do not share the same struggles, risks, or needs. They do not understand the life of a farmer. If too many join, the cooperative might start serving interests that are no longer about farmers. Slowly, the cooperative loses its identity.

This is why the law, Republic Act No. 9520 (AN ACT AMENDING THE COOPERATIVE CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES TO BE KNOWN AS THE “PHILIPPINE COOPERATIVE CODE OF 2008”), clearly states that cooperatives must be formed by people with a common bond of interest. It could be based on where they live, what they do for a living, or where they work. This bond is not meant to exclude or discriminate. It is meant to protect the cooperative and make sure it remains relevant to the people it serves.

Because when people understand each other — when they have the same needs, the same dreams — trust is easier to build. Decisions are easier to make. Problems are easier to solve. And the cooperative becomes stronger.

So, when we say cooperatives are open to all, what we really mean is: they are open to all who are part of the group they were created to serve, and who are willing to carry the responsibilities that come with being a member.

The Ties That Bind: What Connects Members of a Cooperative

A cooperative is not just a group of people doing business together. It is a community of individuals who share something deeper — a common bond of interest. This bond is what holds the cooperative together. It creates unity, trust, and a shared sense of responsibility. Without it, a cooperative is just another organization.

In many cooperatives, this bond starts with place, as for example. People who live in the same barangay or town form a cooperative because they face the same community problems — high prices in local stores, lack of access to basic goods, or the need for clean water, credit, or livelihood support. They know each other. They see each other every day. Their lives are connected by their community. That is a residential bond.

In other cases, the bond is work or livelihood. Farmers come together because they all struggle with buying fertilizers, selling crops at fair prices, or accessing capital. Fishermen, drivers, vendors, and teachers do the same. They create cooperatives not because they are friends, but because they share the same daily challenges and opportunities. This is known as an occupational or associational bond.

There are also cooperatives formed within offices or institutions. Employees working for the same school, hospital, factory, or government agency often build a cooperative so they can save money, apply for loans, and support one another during emergencies. They trust each other because they work under the same employer, follow the same policies, and depend on the same salaries. This is called an institutional bond.

Some cooperatives are born from a shared identity or advocacy. These include cooperatives of women, youth, elderly citizens, or indigenous communities. Their bond is not just economic — it is social. They come together because they understand one another’s struggles and stand together for the same cause.

No matter what form it takes, this common bond is what makes a cooperative unique. It gives members a sense of belonging. It ensures that decisions are made not for personal gain, but for the good of all. The cooperative becomes a reflection of the members’ shared life — their work, their community, their dreams.

That is why cooperatives are strong: because they are built not on money alone, but on trust, shared experiences, and a common purpose.

Not everyone can or should join — and that’s not to keep people out, but to keep the cooperative true to its purpose. 

DARPO-Cagayan Evaluates 90 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations under IT-eASy (ITEMA) Assessment

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan - The Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office (DARPO) Cagayan has successfully completed the Information Technology-enabled Maturity Assessment System (IT-eASy, formerly ITEMA) for 90 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries’ Organizations (ARBOs) across the province, marking a milestone in assessing organizational maturity, sustainability, and capacity for enterprise growth.

The IT-eASy (ITEMA) is a digitalized monitoring and evaluation tool developed by DAR to determine the readiness and maturity level of ARBOs in managing agribusiness enterprises. It measures five key areas-Governance, Organizational Management, Resource Management, Enterprise Development, and Financial Performance - to classify cooperatives into five maturity levels, from Level 1 (Emerging) to Level 5 (Sustaining).

16 ARBOs Achieve Maturity Level 5

Out of the 90 ARBOs assessed in Cagayan, 16 organizations reached the highest Maturity Level 5, signifying strong institutional stability, operational excellence, and sustainable enterprise performance.

Leading the list is the Nararagan Valley Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Ballesteros), which topped the province with a score of 73 points. Other high-performing ARBOs include:

*Villarey ARB Cooperative (Piat) – 70.3

*Concepcion Agrarian Reform Cooperative (Amulung) – 70.1

*Payagan Farmers Cooperative (Ballesteros) – 70

*Sunrise Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Gattaran) – 67.5

*Maguing Farmers MPC (Gonzaga) – 66.3

*Calayan Samahang Nayon MPC (Gonzaga) – 66.2

*Cabayabasan Farmers Credit Cooperative (Lal-lo) – 65.5

  and several others that showed exceptional enterprise management.

22 ARBOs at Level 4, 34 at Level 3

Meanwhile, 22 ARBOs were classified under Maturity Level 4, demonstrating consistent growth but still requiring further development in governance and enterprise scaling. 34 ARBOs landed at Level 3, indicating progressing organizations that are in the consolidation phase of enterprise management.

 Emerging ARBOs: Levels 1 and 2

A total of 18 ARBOs fell under Levels 1 and 2, representing emerging and developing organizations that need strengthened capacity building, financial literacy, and market linkage interventions. DARPO-Cagayan will provide focused technical assistance and organizational strengthening programs to help these cooperatives improve their performance and sustainability.

Strengthening Agrarian Reform Enterprise Development

DARPO-Cagayan Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Val M. Cristobal emphasized that the ITEMA results are vital in planning future interventions for ARBOs under the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development and Sustainability Program (ARBDSP).

“The IT-eASy assessment allows us to identify where our ARBOs stand in terms of governance, operations, and business viability. It helps us design the right support packages—whether capacity building, market linkages, or enterprise financing,” PARPO II Cristobal said.

The DAR’s ITEMA initiative supports the national goal of empowering agrarian reform beneficiaries toward self-reliant, business-oriented, and resilient cooperatives capable of sustaining rural livelihoods and contributing to local economic development.

 

DAR allots P300-M to aid farmers during COVID19 pandemic

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has allotted PHP300 million to finance its ongoing project "The PaSSOver: ARBOld Move to Heal as One Deliverance of our ARBs from the Covid-19 Pandemic,” a project in response to the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act or Republic Act 11469, where the President Rodrigo Duterte directed all government agencies to provide, protect and promote the welfare of the people amid the COVID19 health crisis. Throughout the nation, there are thousands of CARP farmer-beneficiaries adversely affected by the COVID19 pandemic.

     Admittedly, the biggest and most important sector in the country affected by this crisis is the food service industry, the Philippines being a nation with a thriving agricultural backbone, the lockouts throughout Luzon (which later on expanded to some major provinces in Visayas and Mindanao) caused farmers and agricultural workers suddenly unable to produce, tend their farms, and market their products. It also resulted to laborers losing job opportunities resulting to massive loss of income.

     As the public were forced by the crisis to stay in their homes to protect themselves and their families, the local economy ground to a halt but expenses continue to pile up. Business establishments remain closed and some may never open up again. All of a sudden, the agri sector is experiencing the largest loss of income in human history due to the deadly and highly contagious COVID19 pandemic, putting a sudden stop to physical interactions and almost none on business transactions.

     According to DAR Secretary JohnR. Castriciones, the budget for the project will be taken from the realigned budget of the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development Sustainability Program (ARBDSP) and unobligated allotment from the different units of the DAR Support Services Office (SSO). The project aims to give essential support to ARBs for them to be able to perform their roles in ensuring food sufficiency in the country.

     The project intends to provide immediate and essential support services to men and women agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) to mitigate the impact of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) measures due to the pandemic and to address the demands affecting the agricultural sector even after the ECQ has been lifted or upon the start of the “new normal.”

The PaSSOver: ARBOld Move project will provide enable the ARBs, individually and collectively, to continue performing their roles as frontliners in ensuring food sufficiency for the nation. DAR is assisting the farmers in the distribution and delivery of agri products by issuing quarantine passes so they could pass through checkpoints in critical areas under ECQ.

     The Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) will also be provided with farm inputs such as seedlings, fertilizers, pesticides, and farm tools to enable them to resume planting crops for continuous food supply. It will cover 7,000 hectares nationwide with 90,839 individual ARBs to benefit from the project. ARB identification cards (ARB IDs) are also being issued and distributed under the PaSSOver: ARBOld Move project. The ID cards are being given to identify ARBs and facilitate their access to the government's social amelioration programs (SAPs). As of April 24, a total of 77,119 ARB IDs have been distributed by the DAR.

     The project will also extend its support to 1,200 women ARBs nationwide by providing them with livelihood activities, especially in food production such as egg and poultry production, hog fattening, and similar activities based on their preferences and capabilities to ensure they have food on their tables and products to sell.

    According to DAR SSO Undersecretary Atty. Emily Padilla, “the project will also provide packages containing supplemental food, hygiene products and vitamins to ARB households. Each package will contain 4 kilos of rice, 4 canned sardines, 4 packs instant noodles, 2 pieces bath soap, 10 pieces face masks and a bottle of 50 pieces vitamin C. A total of 126,565 qualified ARBs will benefit from these packages. “Helping our ARBs will ensure that their agricultural production, livelihood and income will continue during this health crisis. It will also ensure sustained supply of adequate, affordable and safe food necessary for Filipino consumers even upon the 'new normal' will be implemented,"

     Meantime, in Cagayan province, the DAR Provincial Office personnel are presently going around different municipalities distributing initially the relief packs for agrarian reform farmer-beneficiaries, to be followed immediately with the distribution of farm inputs and livelihood kits, to help farmers get on and move on to the new normal. (Photos by: Mimi Atal-Mora)
CLICK PHOTOs to view: 

ARBOs in Cagayan province receive farm machineries

TUGUEGARAO CITY, CAGAYAN. It is the month of February and the farmers in Cagayan province are already warry of the coming summer months where temperatures historically rise to record breaking highs which usually result to disastrous consequences on their crops. But this time, they are confident that this year’s adverse effects of climate change may be mitigated through the DAR-CRFPS project.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is presently implementing a program to address the catastrophic effects of climate change among its agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) through the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) project wherein it aims to increase farm productivity and income of ARBs and members of their household in ARCs through mechanized farming. This strategy is expected to maximize the productivity and utilization of farm lands and ensure food self-sufficiency.

Mechanized farming basically involves the provision of tractors, mechanical seeders, planters and harvesters. The qualified agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) are provided with farm machineries by DAR through the CRFPS project who shall operate and maintain the same. The members of the ARBO then hire the services of these machineries such as tractors, combine harvesters, etc for a discounted fee. Non-members may also avail of these service but on the regular fees prescribed by the ARBO-operators. Fees collected by the ARBO shall be used for the maintenance and for purchase of other farm machineries as needed. Mechanized farming involves preparing the farm, seeding, transplanting and harvesting.

Mechanized farming among agrarian reform communities finds inspiration in the very successful farm practices in Barangay Halang, Naic, Cavite, with Bernabe Buscayno, the former rebel leader of the New People’s Army (NPA). Buscayno has shown that Filipino farmers can be competitive in rice production if it adopts the farm mechanization technology. He said that among the rice producing countries in Asia, the Philippines is  lagging behind by producing only about four tons of palay per hectare. Taiwan is producing about 10 tons, Japan, 12 tons, and China, 17 tons because they have adopted full farm mechanization.

The DAR-CRFPS project also encourages Filipino farmers and their children to go back to farming and produce more. Further, other ARBs who are not yet members of ARBOs would be encouraged to join in order to avail of the services of these machineries at lower fees, in addition to receiving dividends as members of the ARBO.  

In Cagayan province, there are fourteen ARBOs who are recipients of various farm machineries under the project, from hand tractors to 90HP four-wheel drive tractors and 70 HP combine harvesters. Under the 2017 DAR-CRFPS project, five (5) units of 90HP 4WD tractors and four (4) units of  60 HP combine harvesters were procured, among several others. The five (5) units of 7 HP hand tractors with disc plow, harrow, leveler, and trailer were earlier delivered to three ARBOs; one (1) unit mechanical shredder was also recently delivered to an ARBO in Rizal, Cagayan; another two (2) units of 7 HP floating tillers with rotovator were also delivered to an ARBO in Gattaran, Cagayan. A total of fourteen ARBOs shall benefit from these farm machineries. 

The ARBs can now have access to these farm machineries because no less than Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte himself ordered the removal of costly financial counterparts/equity in general on the part of farmer-beneficiaries. In addition to farm machineries, the DAR-CRFPS project also provides funding for solar pump irrigation systems, three of which are already installed in the three pilot sites in Cagayan managed and operated by the qualified ARBOs. Majority of the ARBO-recipients of these farm machineries are farmers cooperatives who are the lead organizations in agrarian reform communities (ARCs). 

Other prospective ARBOs were likewise encouaged to improve their organizational management capabilities and prepare other requirements as discussed during the 2017 ARBO Summit wherein the programs and projects of the Duterte Administration where also presented by representatives from Kilusang Pagbabago (KP-Cagayan Valley Lead Organization) and the Office of Participatory Governance (OPG) as part of the discussions on empowering the farmers through Participatory Governance. 

Five ARBOs in Cagayan will receive these 70HP 4-wheel drive tractors with accessories

The Rice Combine Harvester makes the harvesting process easier by combining six operations such as gathering, transporting, reaping, threshing, cleaning and bagging into one machine. 

The farm machineries include complete accessories to maximize its utilization by the various ARBOs. 

Machines and implements of this type provide the small farmer with a means of farm power suited to his farm size and income.

DAR builds Solar Pump Irrigation System in ARCs in Cagayan province

The Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office of Cagayan-Batanes (DARPO Cagayan-Batanes) has provided funds thru its DAR Central Office, for the construction of the initial three (3) solar pump irrigation system in Cagayan province with technology provided by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Soil and Water Management (DA-BSWM). The project costs approximately P877,500.00 per site.

The Solar Pump Irrigation System project will provide solar panels and control accessories that will generate solar energy. Submersible water pumps will draw water from an underground source into concrete water tanks as storage,  and the water from the storage tank shall flow into the vegetable farms through pipes. 

The three pilot sites for the solar pump irrigation systems are located in Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs), specfically: (1) San Esteban Farmers Cooperative in the Eastern Alcala Agrarian Reform Community (Eastern Alcala ARC) in the municipality of Alcala; (2) Lasvinag Multi-Purpose Cooperative in the Lasvinag Agrarian Reform Community (Lasvinag ARC) in the municipality of Gattaran; and (3) Nabbotuan Multi-Purpose Cooperative in the Furaban Agrarian Reform Community (Furaban ARC) in the municipality of Solana. 

On December 18, 2017, an Operation and Maintenance Seminar was conducted to prepare the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBO) members to be able to properly operate and maintain the facilities with a site visit to familiarize the participants with the system.

The Solar Pump Irrigation System resolves the vegetable farmers’ water supply challenges specially with today’s devastating effects of climate change. When operational, they can utilize the systems to provide water to irrigate their vegetable farms, household water supply, livestock raising, etc. The construction of solar pump irrigation systems in the pilot sites are expected to be completed by the end of January 2018 and will be turned over to the ARBO immediately after completion.  

Solar panels provide energy to run the water pumps in vegetable farms with no access to electricity. 

A training on the operation and maintenance was conducted for the recipient-operators of the project. 

Members of the three ARBO-recipients of the project in Cagayan undergo training on operation and maintenance. 

Unlimited water for vegetable farmers through the solar pump (submersible) irrigation system. 

 

27 ARBs from Alcala, Cagayan Graduate from Farm Business School

       Some 27 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries were able to complete the several sessions on the Farm Business School (FBS) training (on Pinakbet vegetables production and marketing) facilitated by the Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office of Cagayan-Batanes (DARPO Cagayan-Batanes) and the Local Government Unit of Alcala, Cagayan (LGU-Alcala) sometime in December 2017 at the Eastern Alcala Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) in barangay San Esteban, Alcala, Cagayan.

      The Farm Business School aims to equip the participating farmer beneficiaries with skills and knowledge in adding value to their commodities to command higher premium. In addition, they are trained how to market their products to maximize their income.

      After a model is selected and participants are gathered, the FBS proceeded with its three stages: (1) Diagnosis and planning – includes getting to know the farmers and the farmers getting to know each other, teaching basic business concepts, market assessment analysis (SWOT – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats); (2) Implementing – Farmers develop a vision and a goal for their farm business and then work with the trainers to develop a business plan; continue with business education; and (3) Evaluating and re-planning – Benefits and performance are assessed, an action plan is developed and participants prepare for the next season.

    The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) started setting up farm business schools (FBS) in selected communities in different provinces. It is designed to transform farmer-beneficiaries from producers of raw farm goods to becoming agri-entrepreneurs.

   Agrarian Reform Beneficiries (ARBs) are also taught overall farm management techniques, from production to marketing, to increase and ensure the quality of their harvests, raise their income by learning the proper time and specific crops to be produced to avoid flooding the market with similar crops resulting to low prices. It is also aligned with the goal of attaining food security, improving the small farmers’ access to the market and increasing their income by selling their produce at the proper time.  

       The FBS is being supported by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The initial success of the project led to its being replicated in more areas nationwide. /cds

HR Bill okeys funding for DAR and DA to insure ARBs under PCIC

The House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee has approved the provision for funding of a full insurance coverage for all qualified Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). Under the Bill, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) are required to include in their agencies’ programs the operational requirements for the implementation of the ARB insurance program. The House Committee on Agrarian Reform has already endorsed the Bill for plenary approval.

The ARB insurance intends to provide crop insurance protection covering about 224,000  ARBs or members of their farming households involving some 330,000 hectares of agricultural land  and raising some 30,700 farm animals. The bill would provide ARBs with the insurance protection against compensable losses arising from natural calamities, plant diseases, and pest infestations of their crops and those affecting their livestock and farm machineries.

Specifically, compensable losses from which ARBs are insured include natural calamities such as typhoon, flood, drought, earthquake, volcanic eruption, frost, and other destructive natural phenomena such as heat and hot wind. These also include plant diseases caused by pathogens, bacteria, fungi, viruses, virus-like pathogens and other similar foreign bodies, pest infestations caused by nematodes, insects, mites and spiders, millipedes and centipedes, symphylans, slugs and snails, among others, and loss of life and/or injury to the qualified ARB from accident or any other causes.

The insurance shall cover crops such as: palay; corn; sugarcane; high-value crops as defined in Section 4 (b) of RA No. 9700, otherwise known as the “High-Value Crops Development Act of 1995.” Also covered are coconut; tobacco; aquaculture; livestock; and non-crop agricultural assets.

The Bill would complement the already existing agricultural insurance for ARBs presently participating in the agrarian reform production credit program (APCP) and the credit assistance programs for program beneficiaries development in the financing programs implemented by the DA, DAR, Land Bank which cover all the regular insurance as implemented by the PCIC.

Insured ARB in Solana, Cagayan receives indemnification from typhoon damage in Solana, Cagayan.

Cagayan farmer leaders attend orientation on Participatory Governance

Tuguegarao City, Cagayan- More than 500 officers and key members of some 58 agrarian reform organizations in the province of Cagayan attended an orientation on Participatory Governance sometime last November, 2017 as a part of the activities conducted during the 2017 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBO) Summit, peoples’ participation in nation building being one of the key topics during the gathering. The orientation was conducted by Mr Nathaniel Gumangan, PRO of the Kilusang Pagbabago in Cagayan Valley Region (Region 02). Also present during the orientation were PARCCOM member Napoleon Baltazar and Mr. Loreto Batara, Community Administrative Officer V of the Office of Participatory Governance (OPG)  in Malacanang, Manila.  

Participatory governance is a decision-making process that encourages the involvement of more farmers and other stakeholders who chip-in more ideas and inputs to come up with common decisions that fulfill the needs or desire of the majority. The outcome of any decision under this process is generally accepted and facilitates the smoother implementation of a project or program.

The Kilusang Pagbabago is a grassroots-based movement intended to be the eyes of the Duterte administration in ensuring that the delivery of government developmental interventions such as village-level programs and projects truly benefit the masses. It is also the partner of the Duterte administration in pursuing its rural development efforts, specifically, the war against poverty, criminality, and any form of graft and corruption in government.

The orientation also discussed the important provisions of Malacanang Executive Order No. 9, Series of 2016 regarding the creation of the Office of Participatory Governance (OPG) and its functions, such as: (a) Promote and ensure the direct participation of various stakeholders in the crafting and formulation of policies and programs to address concerns at the grassroots level; (b) Initiate programs and projects that will facilitate citizen empowerment and participation in governance at the national, regional and local levels; and (c) Perform such other functions as may be necessary to achieve the above stated goals of the OPG as directed by the CabinetSecretary. 

The Kilusang Pagbabago aims to be a people’s movement that would serve as President Duterte’s partner for change by serving as a watchdog that will fight corruption and ensure that government did not wander from a pro-people agenda. It was also explained to the participants how they can freely utilize the power of the Dial 8888 hotline where the public can file complaints against government officials/offices.

It was restated that citizens in their communities can participate in governance by being informed about issues affecting their quality of life directly and bringing their concerns to the government as guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution. 

Author with Nap Baltazar, Program Director and Nath Gumangan, Public Relations Officer, Kilusang Pagbabago-Cagayan Valley LOI. 

More that 500 ARB cooperative/organization officers and key members from Cagayan province attended the Orientation on Participatory Governance facilitated by Kilusang Pagbabago-Cagayan Valley LOI.

Interfacing with ARB Cooperative leaders on specific issues on participatory governance. 

Message from Larry Batarra, CAO V, Office of Participatory Governance, Malacanang

DAR-Cagayan hosts ARBO Summit 2017

The Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office of Cagayan-Batanes (DARPO Cagayan-Batanes) hosted an Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organization (ARBO) Summit on November 13 to 18, 2017 in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan attended by more than 400 coop/organization leaders and officers. It serves as a platform for leaders and members of ARBOs—cooperatives and associations formed by agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Cagayan province - to convene, exchange knowledge, and strengthen their capacities in agricultural enterprise development.

The ARBO Summit aims to: (1) Enhance Agro-Enterprise Development: The summit focuses on improving the implementation of DAR’s programs, projects, particularly its agro-enterprise development component. This initiative seeks to connect smallholder farmers to markets and microfinance opportunities, thereby boosting their economic prospects; (2) Facilitate Knowledge Exchange: By bringing together ARBO leaders and stakeholders, the summit provides a forum for sharing best practices, experiences, and strategies to overcome challenges in agrarian communities; and (3) Recognize Outstanding ARBOs: The event also serves to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of exemplary ARBOs.

The ARBO Summit is instrumental in advancing the goals of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) by: (1) Empowering ARBOs: Providing training and resources to enhance the organizational and entrepreneurial capabilities of ARBOs; (2) Promoting Sustainable Agriculture: Encouraging the adoption of best practices and innovative approaches to increase agricultural productivity and sustainability; and (3) Strengthening Partnerships: Fostering collaboration among ARBOs, government gencies, and development partners to support rural development and poverty alleviation.

It is also a way of promoting camaraderie among the different agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and other farmer-leaders; provide opportunities for learning from specific good practices of other successful ARBOs by meeting and talking about their experiences; share their best innovative practices; and also promote unity and cooperation among the different cooperatives and other organizations in the province.

Presently, there are at least two Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) Clusters in the province and two more are being organized. An ARC Cluster is composed to two or more ARCs organized into groups primarily  to reduce poverty, and have sustained improvements in incomes and quality of life through business engagements proportionate to economies of scale, i.e., a proportionate saving in costs gained by an increased level of production. Hence, unity among the members and officers in the agrarian reform communities is essential value to sustain the programs that will have an impact against poverty in the countryside.

The participants of the ARBO Summit also received updates on the DAR’s programs and thrusts  particularly on land tenure, farm mechanization, solar irrigation pump projects, sugarcane block farms, livelihood programs, climate change mitigation and adaptation activities, enterprise development, credit and microfinance programs, institutional development programs, etc., all of which are relevant to the management and operation of their coop enterprises towards poverty alleviation in the countryside.

One of the major topics discussed was on the Filipino Values affecting the relationships, particularly of rural families and coop members/officers. In a business context, cited examples of Filipino values among local entrepreneurs are the traditional relationships, which usually develop into regular customer-supplier relationships. Suki relationships build on loyalty (repeat transactions over time), which translates to favors like reduced prices, better quality, and even occasional credit privileges. Examples of these are common in the small neighborhood sari-sari stores (convenience stores). Suki relationships help build and create platforms for personal relationships that bloom into friendships between individuals. This is also clearly the norm among coop members patronizing the services of their cooperatives.  Of some interest are Filipino entrepreneurs who have turned their businesses into multi-billion enterprises, such as Henry Sy and Lucio Tan 

Generally, the distinct value system of Filipinos is ingrained mainly in the personal alliance systems such as those in kinship, obligation, friendship, beliefs in God and business relationships. Other dominant values among the members of the ARBOs are: pakikipagkapwa-tao, family oriented, flexibility and adaptability, faith and religiosity, resiliency, hard work and industry. Felipe Landa Jocano, a famous Filipino sociologist, said, “There are no negative Filipino values, only the wrong use of values”. Values change from one family to another depending on how strongly the family promotes them from one generation to another.

The participants were also oriented on the various innovative processes on grassroots implementation of the plans and programs of the government, including how to react and address graft and corruption. An orientation on Participatory Government was also conducted wherein Resource Speakers from the Kilusang Pagbabago and from the Office of Participatory Governance were invited to elaborate further about the government’s efforts on empowerment of the agricultural workers sector. The ARBO Summit also involved orientation on the new credit and microfinance facilities, in addition to workshops on entrepreneurship and team-building exercises that promote solidarity among the various ARBOs.  

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any. -Alice Walker