ICOPED Collaborates with Rare Philippines to Educate Fisherfolk on Cooperative Management

ICOPED Director and REPS with the training participants and Rare Philippines representatives

Los Baños, Laguna – The Institute of Cooperatives and Bio-Enterprise Development (ICOPED) conducted the Training on Basic Cooperative Management last February 27 and 28, 2018 at the Training Center for Tropical Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability (TREES), College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines, Los Baños, College, Laguna to orient current and future members of cooperatives on effective, efficient and sustainable management of a cooperative. The training was in collaboration with Rare Philippines, a non-government organization (NGO) focused on the promotion of sustainable natural resource management.

The two-day training included topics on the fundamentals of cooperative principles and practices, organization and management of cooperatives, sources of capital for cooperatives, managing of cooperative enterprises, and project monitoring and evaluation which were discussed by selected faculty and staff of ICOPED and Department of Agribusiness Management and Entrepreneurship (DAME). The training concluded with a workshop where participants were grouped to summarize their learnings and demonstrated its application to their chosen cooperative enterprises through a short drama presentation. 

The first group, composed of participants from Rare Philippines, presented the possible role of Rare and local government units (LGUs) in the promotion of establishing fishermen cooperatives by highlighting the benefits such as tax exemption, better bargaining power and preferential rights in government and international grants. Further, the role of NGOs and LGUs in assisting potential fishermen cooperatives in the registration process and monitoring of operation and performance to ensure the success of these cooperatives was also emphasized. The other two groups, composed of LGUs and fishermen associations highlighted the importance of the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity and the seven (7) cooperative principles in the effective, efficient and sustainable management of cooperatives.
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A total of 20 participants attended the training with representatives from Rare Philippines, Sulong Mangingisda Conservation Enterprise (SMCE), Ayoke Conservation Enterprise (ACE), Bislad ng Tagbac Fisherfolks Association, Kasamahan sa mga Mananagat sa Tampocon I (KASAMATA), Paradise Island Employees Multipurpose Cooperative (PIEMPC), and Bindoy Fishers Alliance (BFACE), Bindoy and Ayungon in Negros Oriental, Cantilan in Surigao Del Sur, and Looc and Lubang in Occidental Mindoro. PKBMaghirang