THE Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh), under the leadership of Gov. Aris Aumentado, continues to strengthen cooperative development through expanded institutional support, livelihood assistance, and partnerships benefiting communities across the province.
This was after the Provincial Cooperative Development Office (PCDO) of Bohol presented its annual accomplishment report, covering its programs and initiatives from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026.
The office expanded its operations across Tagbilaran City and 47 municipalities through the mobilization of 45 Cooperative Development Officers.
For cooperative governance and compliance, the PCDO prepared 522 individuals for Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) registration and integrated 99 cooperatives into the Cooperative Assessment Information System (CAIS) and Cooperative Registration Information System (CoopRIS).
The office also facilitated Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and CDA certifications for 72 organizations, prepared 68 risk and business management plans, and conducted compliance and financial consumer protection briefings for 171 cooperatives.
Capacity-building efforts provided bookkeeping, manual accounting, and financial statement audit assistance to 264 cooperatives and local associations.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Cooperative Development Council chaired by Board Member Lucille Lagunay, strengthened its partnership with civil society organizations under the PGBh-CSO Collaboration Program.
BM Lagunay is also the current chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Committee on Cooperatives, NGOs, POs, and Civil Society Organizations in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
Of 265 applications processed, 222 CSOs were evaluated, and 118 were formally accredited by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
A weeklong solidarity celebration in September gathered 500 stakeholders representing 75 accredited CSOs.
Livelihood support likewise remained a key component of the province’s cooperative development efforts, with ₱20 million distributed to 51 community-based groups during the current cycle.
The latest allocation brought the province’s four-year livelihood funding to ₱39.94 million, benefiting 119 community organizations and reaching an estimated 40,000 individuals across Bohol, a UNESCO Global Geopark.
The PCDO also linked local groups to a ₱5.4-million allocation under the Department of Agriculture’s Livestock Economic Enterprise Development Cattle Raising Project and more than ₱10.47 million in DOLE livelihood grants and starter kits.
The Sustainable Livelihood Program further provided ₱4.035 million per participating municipalities across four selected Local Government Units, benefiting 269 individuals, while additional livestock initiatives were implemented with the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian.
The office also highlighted Cooperative Month accomplishments, including a 950-participant culminating activity at the Bohol Cultural Center and environmental initiatives such as tree-growing in Ubay and mangrove planting on Alumar Island in Getafe.
As part of the continuing celebration, the PCDO invited provincial cooperatives, including BAWIGS Cooperative and the Rural Multipurpose Cooperatives of the Provincial Capitol, to the Cooperative Month gathering on October 22 at the Bohol Cultural Center.
The initiatives underscore the provincial government’s commitment to strengthening cooperatives as partners in inclusive economic development and advancing community resilience in line with the Capitol’s Strategic Governance Roadmap 2028. (PIMO/JFP)
