Prospects for cooperatives
A public hearing or consultation that seeks to amend RA 9639 otherwise known as the charter of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) was held at the Capitol last week. The timing could not have been more interesting because there had been talks in the Capitol to review the decades-old memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the provincial government and CFI Community Cooperative.
The context of the discussion is the automatic deduction of payments on salary loans and other types of loans that Capitol employees owe CFI. Eighty percent of Capitol employees belong to CFI.
The co-operative operates branches nationwide, has assets amounting to P6.1 billion and membership estimated at 60,000. Although there are complaints reported in the media, I have yet to hear CFI members collectively standing against the MOA. The CFI board of directors is headed by retired judge Esperanza Garcia, wife of former Cebu 2nd district Rep. Pablo “Noy Pabling” Garcia.
Because the Joint Oversight Committee on Cooperatives chose the Capitol Social Hall as venue, Cebu Gov. Hilario “Junjun” Davide III was the de-facto host of the sectoral consultation attended by some 200 co-op leaders from Eastern, Western and Central Visayas.
Governor Davide was seated next to former congressman Garcia in the presidential table, alongside Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr and Rep. Cresente Paez of Coop-Nattco party-list, CDA Chairman Emmanuel Santiaguel, CDA Administrator Mercedes Castillo and CDA Central Visayas Director Philip Deri. Senator Marcos is vice chair of the Senate Committee on Cooperatives. The House contingent in the public hearing was led by Representative Paez.
I thought sparks would fly between Garcia and Governor Davide but I was wrong, although Noy Pabling did fire some barbs at the JOCC.
In his welcome remarks, Governor Davide called attention to the lack of CDA personnel needed to guide struggling co-operatives in far- flung towns and cities. The governor supported his views with anecdotes which prompted senator Marcos to comment that Davide’s views are relevant to the joint committee’s efforts to “expand the capability” of the CDA.
At this, former Garcia remarked that any attempt to amend the CDA charter would amount to a “backdoor amendment” of the Cooperative Code of 2008.
Garcia saw the enactment of the law during his previous House stints and is a recognized co-op expert in both chambers. He stressed that the organic Co-op Law upholds the principle of subsidiarity and if CDA’s powers or capabilities were expanded, it will collide with the stated principle.
The principle of subsidiarity is one of key principles of Catholic social thought. According to the United States’ Acton Institute, “the tenet holds that nothing should be done by a larger and more complex organization which can be done as well by a smaller and simpler organization.”
In other words, any activity which can be performed by a more decentralized entity should be promoted.
The principle of subsidiarity is a bulwark of limited government and personal freedom. It conflicts with the passion for centralization and bureaucracy characteristic of the Welfare State, according to online resources.
I think Noy Pabling brushed himself up on the writings of Lord John Acton, the English historian best known for his famous remark, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The former lawmaker did in fact use the famous quote to caution the JOCC about amending the CDA charter.
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Outrage against the Priority Assistance Development Fund (PDAF) continues despite efforts by senators and congressmen to manipulate the sentiments of people who are calling for the abolition of the pork barrel system.
Last week, the House of Representatives announced that some P25 billion worth of PDAF will be deleted from the 2014 national budget. The monies will instead be distributed to executive agencies that will implement projects subject to references by congressmen.
I don’t understand why we need congressmen and senators to identify projects when we all know what is lacking in our country for the past 50 years: access to education and medical care as well as basic services like roads, bridges, water, power and telecommunication.
Trillions of pesos have been allocated for these projects through the lawmakers’ PDAF but the Janet Lim-Napoles caper has exposed the system as rotten to the core. I think Filipinos are about to run amok except that they are still able to express themselves freely.
Cebu-based netizens will march to Fuente Osmeña on Sept. 11 to call for continued vigilance, an end to pork and the prosecution of those who abused it.
The idea was first posted by former CCTN Channel 47 marketing executive Stella Palomo-Monteno in the social networking site. A few hours later, the “Fuente Ta” (Let’s go to Fuente) caught the attention of thousands of netizens who are pressing for the abolition of the pork barrel system. They pledge to join the protest rally in Fuente Rotunda on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 6 p.m.
I fully support the advocacy of “Fuente Ta” because most lawmakers used taxpayers’ money to enrich themselves and ensure their perpetuity in power.
