Map of Batangas (File image)
CUENCA, Batangas – Cooperatives across the province are in the process of resuming operations after majority of them were forced to shut down during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In an interview on Wednesday, Celia Atienza, head of the Provincial Cooperative, Livelihood and Enterprise Development Office (PCLEDO), said that 75-80 percent of cooperatives in Batangas closed down during the pandemic.
To help the cooperatives survive, she said the PCLEDO initiated programs such as a mobile market to bring basic necessities to the community organizations, as well as opportunities for financing.
Atienza said efforts to reopen the provincial economy this year have also seen local cooperatives trying to bounce back.
Batangas currently has 400 registered cooperatives, with around 349 alread awarded certificates of compliance, which is a requirement for their resumption of operations.
She said Batangas cooperatives are composed of individuals representing various sectors, such as in agriculture, food processing, retail and other micro-enterprises.
To further cultivate the cooperative culture, Atienza added the PCLEDO has tapped youths under 18 years old, helping them to band together as informal cooperatives under the care of larger cooperatives. (Pot Chavez/PNA)
