A partnership has been signed between the Cooperative Union of Catanduanes (CUC) with the Cavite-based Union of Enterprising Cooperatives (UNECO) to strengthen the former’s capabilities and empower its officers, employees and members.
CUC chairperson Crispin Lopez and UNECO chair Dr. Jose Domingo Jr. inked the memorandum of agreement last March 1, 2024 at the Rakdell Inn, in the presence of the CUC board and a 15-member UNECO delegation composed of directors, executive officials and specialists.
As a long-time cooperative union and nationally accredited training provider of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), the UNECO will provide the local group with Knowledge, Attitudes and Skills (KAS) Management Programs.
The provision of such services in the mandatory and optional curricula as well as other other knowledge production, development, dissemination, and sharing services will in turn enable CUC to build cooperative capabilities through trainings across the country.
The deal likewise allows CUC to use UNECO’s name and logo in organizing promoting and conducting knowledge exchange and management programs for cooperatives.
CUC will issue the required certificates to participants and resource speakers in non-mandated trainings while UNECO will do the same for mandated trainings based on the CDA format.
Based on the MOA, the Cavite union shall charge P12,000 as training fee per day for every mandated training and for every KAS Management program designed and carries out in the name of the two entities as host.
It shall also render 10% of the training fee as commission for every public and in-house training provided to CUC, which will provide for airfare, transportation, meals and accommodations of UNECO resource persons in case of in-person, onsite public training.
According to chair Lopez, the CUC, which is composed of 24 member co-ops, has scheduled a series of trainings this second quarter of 2024.
In his message following the MOA signing, UNECO chair Domingo disclosed that his group is considering the conduct of Lakbay Aral trainings for mainland Luzon cooperatives to Catanduanes that will package visits to the island’s tourist sports, which he said would help boost the local economy.
Also present during the activity were CDA Cooperative Development Specialist Ophar June Dy, CUC vice chair Anita Tasarra, and BOD member Atty. Gregorio Sarmiento Jr.
Dy said the partnership is timely, as the CDA is now strictly implementing the revised guidelines on training requirements of cooperative officers pursuant to Republic Act 9520.
This, he stated, would help CUC trainers to benchmark, gain more knowledge and expertise in the union’s bid to provide training for its members and eventually become an accredited training provider.