The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) issued Memorandum Circular No. 002-17 on February 1, 2017, outlining guidelines for conducting Pre-Registration Seminars (PRS) for prospective members of primary cooperatives. This initiative is mandated by Republic Acts 6939 and 9520, requiring potential members to complete a Pre-Membership Education Seminar before organizing a cooperative. The PRS will be facilitated by CDA Extension and Field Offices, ensuring regular scheduling and access for participants. The guidelines emphasize a structured curriculum covering cooperative principles, organization, management, and registration processes, with completion certificates provided to attendees at no cost.
February 1, 2017
CDA MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 002-17
| SUBJECT | : | Guidelines on the Conduct of Pre-Registration Seminar (PRS) for Prospective Members of would-be Primary Cooperatives |
The Cooperative Development Authority pursuant to the powers vested in it by RA 6939 and RA 9520 hereby promulgates the following Guidelines on the conduct of Pre-Registration Seminar (PRS) exclusively by the CDA.
SECTION 1. Legal Bases. —
Article 10, RA 9520, "Organizing a primary Cooperative. — Fifteen (15) or more natural persons who are Filipino citizens, of legal age, having a common bond of interest and are actually residing or working in their intended area of operation, may organize a primary cooperative under this Code: Provided, That a prospective member of a primary cooperative must have completed a Pre-Membership Education Seminar (PMES)."
Par. b) Section 3, RA 6939, "Powers, Functions and Responsibilities. — The Authority shall have the following powers, functions and responsibilities:
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b) Develop and conduct management and training programs upon request of cooperatives that will provide members of cooperatives with the entrepreneurial capabilities, managerial expertise, and technical skills required for the efficient operation of their cooperatives and inculcate in them the true spirit of cooperativism and provide, when necessary, technical and professional assistance to ensure the viability and growth of cooperatives with special concern for agrarian reform, fishery and economically depressed sectors."
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SECTION 2. Purpose. — This Guidelines is issued to provide and prescribe the conduct of Pre-Registration Seminar (PRS) to be given to prospective members of would-be primary cooperatives and to direct the creation of a Pre-Registration Seminar Team (PRS TEAM).
SECTION 3. Conduct of PRS. — The PRS shall be conducted by the following:
1. CDA Extension Offices
2. CDA Field Office/CDS
The Extension Office through its CRITS shall supervise and monitor the conduct of the PRS.
SECTION 4. Composition of PRS Team. — A PRS TEAM must be created in every region to conduct PRS which shall be composed of the following:
4.1. CDA Extension Office
a) Senior CDS for CRITS — Team Leader
b) Technical personnel from Registration Section
c) CDS II assigned in the Regional Office
4.2. CDA Field Office
a) Cooperative Development Specialists assigned in the Province/City
SECTION 5. Implementing Mechanism. —
5.1. Frequency of conduct. The regular schedule of the conduct of the PRS shall be done in the following manner:
i. CDA Extension Office — at least once a month;
ii. CDA Field Office — at least once per quarter.
PRS shall be held regularly in all the CDA Extension Offices to be conducted at the regional level and field offices taking into consideration the center and most accessible place for the prospective cooperatives.
The Extension Office Director shall ensure that this activity is properly and regularly scheduled, coordinated and disseminated to all concerns. Notice/s or advisory shall be posted in the Regional and Provincial Offices, and CDA Regional/Central Office websites;
For requests received by the CDA field offices, the CDS shall inform and seek the approval of the Extension Office Director before the conduct of PRS.
5.2. Resource Persons. In the actual conduct of PRS, the following shall act primarily as resource persons:
• Extension Office PRS — Senior CDS for CRITS; technical staff from Registration Section; and CDS assigned in the region;
• Field office PRS — CDS assigned in the province or the CDA Extension Office authorized representative;
CDA Officials from the level of Directors to Administrators may act as resource persons in topics requiring expertise such as Cooperative Banks, Electric Cooperatives, Labor Service Cooperatives, Insurance Cooperatives and other special type of cooperatives.
6.3. n Resource Materials. The cooperative laws (RA 9520, RA 6939), its IRR and the prescribed PRS course outline as attached herein shall be the curriculum to be adopted in the conduct of PRS.
6.4. Certificate. The Certificate of Completion of PRS shall be given to all participants who attended the PRS to be issued by the following:
i. CDA Extension Office — Senior CDS for CRITS;
ii. CDA Field Office — CDA representative who conducted the PRS.
For purposes of registration of cooperatives, a Certification of Attendance to PRS shall be issued by the CDA Extension Office signed by the Senior CDS for CRITS and noted by the Extension Office Director.
6.5. Availing of PRS. The PRS shall be given free of charge to the cooperative and no fees shall be accepted from the participants, however, the participants may bring their own food.
SECTION 7. Effectivity. — This Guidelines shall take effect upon approval of the Board of Administrators.
Approved by the Board of Administrators on February 1, 2017 per Resolution No. 452, s-2017.
FOR THE BOARD ADMINISTRATORS
By:
(SGD.) ORLANDO R. RAVANERA
Chairperson
ATTACHMENT
PRESCRIBED OUTLINE FOR PRE-REGISTRATION SEMINAR (PRS) for REGISTERING PRIMARY COOPERATIVES
|
|
SUBJECT MATTER |
OBJECTIVE |
CONTENT |
TIME ALLOTMENT |
|
I |
PRELIMINARIES |
|
•Opening Program
•Acknowledgement of Participants and Guests |
10 minutes |
|
II |
REASONS FOR PRE-REGISTRATION SEMINAR |
•To explain the reasons for attending the pre-membership education seminar. |
a)Legal Framework of PRS
b)Leveling of expectations |
15 minutes |
|
III |
WHY COOPERATIVE |
•Identify/enumerate the needs of the group;
•Discuss the need for organized action such as cooperativizing in solving some of the problems confronting the group;
•Learn if the cooperative is the right form of organization that can respond to their needs. |
a)Analysis of the socio-economic needs, wants and aspirations of the group
Illustrate cooperative (local cooperative) focusing on how the cooperative address the needs of the members
Incorporate in the presentation the principles of cooperative as practiced
b)Constitutional Mandate (Article XII, Section 15 of the Constitution)
—Cooperative as instrument of equity, social justice and sustainable economic development (RA 6939, RA 9520, ACBL)
c)ICA Blueprint (goals/components) |
1 hour |
|
IV |
COOPERATIVE AS SOCIAL & BUSINESS ENTERPRISE |
•Participants to learn that cooperative is a business entity
•Participants to distinguish between stock and non-stock organization
•To identify the types, categories and services of cooperatives |
a)Basic operational requirements in coop business
b)Cooperatives and other forms of Business Enterprise
•General Concept
•Common Bond of Membership
•Nature and Character of Cooperatives
•Comparison of Cooperative with other types of business enterprise
—Economic Functions of Cooperative
—Social functions of cooperatives
c)Types and categories of cooperatives |
1 hour |
|
IV |
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE OF COOPERATIVES |
•To understand the governance and management of cooperatives in relation to the cooperative principles and values |
a)Organizational and functional Structure of Cooperatives
b)Members' rights and privileges
c)Members' obligations and responsibilities
d)Duties and Responsibilities of the Members (general assembly), Officers and Staff Cooperative (in broad terms) |
45 minutes |
|
V |
MANDATORY ALLOCATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF NET SURPLUS |
•To compute and allocate net surplus. |
a)Financing Cooperatives —Sources and Uses of Funds of Cooperatives
b)Chapter X of RA 9520
•Article 85 — Net Surplus
•Article 86 — Order of Distributions
c)Rule 10 of IRR |
30 minutes |
|
VI |
ORGANIZATION AND REGISTRATION OF COOPERATIVES |
•To discuss the different requirements and procedures in organizing and registering a cooperative |
Requirements in Organizing and Registering a cooperative (Article 10)
a)Organizing a Cooperative
b)Registering a Cooperative
c)Preparation of Economic Survey
d)Articles and Bylaws of cooperatives and other registration documents
•How to fill up AC/BL and other registration docs |
1 hour & 30 minutes |
|
|
TOTAL |
|
|
5 hours 10 minutes |
EXCERPTS FROM MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CDA BOARD OF ADMINISTRATORS HELD ON FEBRUARY 1, 2017
PRESENT:
|
Hon. Orlando R. Ravanera |
- |
Chairman/Presiding Officer |
|
Hon. Eulogio T. Castillo, Ph. D. |
- |
Administrator from Luzon |
|
Hon. Mercedes D. Castillo |
- |
Administrator from Visayas |
|
Hon. Benjie S. Oliva |
- |
Administrator from Visayas |
|
Hon. Paisal I. Cali |
- |
Administrator from Mindanao |
|
Hon. Abdulsalam A. Guinomla |
- |
Administrator from Mindanao |
ALSO PRESENT:
|
Dir. Ray R. Elevazo |
- |
Executive Director |
RESOLUTION NO. 452, s-2017
Upon motion by Adm. Eulogio T. Castillo duly seconded by Adm. Benjie S. Oliva, be it RESOLVED, as it is hereby RESOLVED, to approve the adoption of the Revised Guidelines on the Conduct of Pre-Membership Education Seminar (PMES) for Prospective Members of would-be Primary Cooperatives, subject to amendment of its title to Pre-Registration Seminar, and cancellation of Section 5 of the proposed guideline.
APPROVED.
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This is to certify that the foregoing is true and correct from the minutes of the CDA Board of Administrators' Special Meeting.
(SGD.) MARY GRACE I. CINCOBoard Secretary IV
ATTESTED:
(SGD.) ORLANDO R. RAVANERAChairman
n Note from the Publisher: Copied verbatim from the official copy.