Item calls for unity to sustain coops

TALIBON – Mayor Juanario Item called for unity, cooperation and strict observance of cooperative laws to further strengthen and sustain cooperatives. Said as goodwill message during the culmination program of the cooperative month, October 18 at the Carlos P. Garcia Multi-Purpose Center , the message aptly capped the Cooperative month celebrations, which closed in Talibon with a Holy Mass at the Talibon Cathedral. Putting the backbone of his talk, the town chief vowed P20T to all active cooperatives, the amount sourced out from the Internal Revenue Allotment Fund of 2007.

31 active cooperatives attended the closing program of the coop month. Of the 31, 16 were women cooperatives organized by Councilor Virginia Item, Sangguniang Bayan Cooperative Chair. She also welcomed the participating groups during the affair. At the closing program, Jeneth Balundo acknowledged the participating cooperatives. Edgar Bag-ao, Coop Development Officer in his message also stressed the importance of members to support their respective coops. He said that spending P100 in their coop store allows them to share the profits unlike buying it in a store where not one centavo goes back as shares. He also encouraged members to patronize their products to sustain their coop project. Meanwhile Vice Mayor Restituto Auxtero told coop members the role cooperatives do to improve the living conditions of the people. He pressed that through cooperatives, a sure way to fight poverty starts.

The culmination program was also highlighted by Curacha contests in the afternoon with eleven coops participating. Judges were Joselito Uy, Alturas Talibon branch manager as chairman, Rachelle Saavedra and Dr. Edzel Hormachuelos members. Talibon Public School Teachers and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (TPSTEMPC) bagged the grand prize of P2T; Talibon Government Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (TAGEMPCO) and Talibon Credit Cooperative (TALCRECO) landed second and third with P1.5T and P1T respectively. The culmination program was successfully conducted with the help and assistance of the Provincial Cooperative Development Council (PCDC) through Governor Erico Aumentado who gave P25,000 and Mayor Item.

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