Sorsogon Governor Francis ‘’Chiz’’ Escudero has called on the national government to relax its requirements for small cooperatives to receive assistance and subsidies if the country wants to facilitate an inclusive post-pandemic recovery.
Escudero, a senatorial aspirant running under the Lacson-Sotto tandem, said cooperatives, especially in the agricultural sector, need urgent help to survive and thrive as government data show that the poorest Filipinos are in agriculture. About a third of the country’s population remains in the sector, too.
“Nagsimula ang kooperatiba sa sektor ng agrikultura pero naiwanan na ito ng mga kooperatiba sa iba’t ibang sektor kabilang na ang transport at credit (The cooperatives system started with agriculture but it is now left behind by other sectors such as transport and credit). Ang agrikultura ay nananatiling kulang ang suporta mula sa pamahalaan ngayon (Support for agriculture will remain lacking starting with this administration),” he pointed out
“Marapat tingnan natin muli ang mga batas, mga polisiya na medyo strikto kaugnay sa pagbibigay ng tulong sa mga kooperatiba (It is but right to review the laws and policies that are strict in giving support to cooperatives).
Naranasan ko iyan bilang gobernador—na ang kwalipikado lamang para makatanggap ng pondo ay ‘yung may mga track record na, ‘yung may magandang performance (I experienced that as a governor that only the qualified with good track record and good performance were given funds). Sa ibang salita, ‘yung may dati nang puhunan at dati na ring matagumpay (In other words, those with previous capital and the successful). Hindi nagka-qualify ang maliliit; yung malalaki pa rin ang nagku-qualify (The small cooperatives do not qualify but the big ones qualify),” the veteran lawmaker said.
He said this defeats the purpose of Republic Act 9520, or the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008, which declares it the “policy of the State to foster the creation and growth of cooperatives as a practical vehicle for promoting self-reliance and harnessing people power towards the attainment of economic development and social justice.
He said the government is mandated by law to extend financial assistance and technical guidance to cooperatives but because of the stringent requirements for availing these, those who need government aid most do not qualify for it.
“Nahihirapan yung kooperatibang nagsisimula pa lamang dahil wala silang track record (Cooperatives that are just beginning are at a disadvantage because they do not have track records). Dahil wala silang maipakitang pruweba na kaya nilang gamitin ng tama yung pondong ibibigay sa kanila ng pamahalaan (Because they could not show proof that they are capable of using the funds that the government will give them). Marapat tingnan ng masusi ang polisiyang iyan upang sa gayon maakay natin yung mga bago at maliliit pa lamang na kooperatiba na lumaki tulad ng maraming kooperatiba na naging matagumpay at napakarami ng pagmamay-ari at assets (This policy should be looked into so that it could win the confidence of small cooperatives to grow like those that have succeeded and have amassed assets),’’ Escudero said.
He also said the government should increase its investment in the agriculture sector, citing the low budget of the Department of Agriculture for 2022 (P103.5 billion), compared with the appropriations for the Department of National Defense (P222 billion) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (P686.1 billion).
“May kasabihan tayo sa Ingles (There is a saying in English), ‘Put your money where your mouth is’. Napakaliit ng perang nilalaan sa sektor ng agrikultura (The budget for agriculture is small). Paano natin matutulungan? (How could we help?). Maglaan ng malaking pondo para matulungan yung pinakamahihirap nating mga kababayan na umaasa sa sektor ng agrikultura, partikular na ang mga kooperatiba na nasa sektor na iyan (Allot a big budget for the agriculture sector so that it could help our poor countrymen in this sector, particularly the cooperatives),” he said.
Escudero also said a revision of the country’s elementary and high school curricula could help FIlipinos understand and appreciate from a young age the value of cooperatives in development.
“Para sa akin panahon na para suriin ano ba talaga ang kailangan ng mga kabataan ngayon para mabuhay sa mundong ito (It is time to examine the policies so that the youth could live in this planet). Ano ba ang pwede nating gawin para mabigyan ng kapasidad ang kabataan na harapin ang mga bagong hamon na kinakaharap ng henerasyon nila sa ngayon? (What can we do to capacitate the young to face the future?),” Escudero said
“Kung maituturo lamang natin sa ating mga kabataan ang konsepto ng pagkakaisa at pagtutulungan imbes na Trigonometry—nag-abogado na ako, nag-congressman na ako, nag-senador ako, ngayon governor ako, hanggang ngayon awa ng Diyos hindi ko pa nagagamit ang Trigonometry o Calculus sa buhay ko (If we can inculcate into the minds of our young the concept of unity and teamwork)...I am a lawyer, had been a congressman, had been a senator and now as governor but I have not used Trigonometry or Calculus),” he added.