UThe Davao City Cooperative Development Office (DCCDO) under its Comprehensive Cooperative Training and Development Program, Operations Support Services Program, and Livelihood Development Program has provided assistance to these cooperatives and small enterprises in the form of capital loans, and various education and skills training.
Aside from capacity-building programs, the office also grants loan assistance to small and micro cooperatives and individual entrepreneurs. These programs are in line with the local government’s commitment to poverty alleviation and education, as well as its directive to bolster self-sufficiency and economic sustainability of the residents.
DCCDO Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Unit's Supervising Cooperative Development Specialist Donna España in a report from the City Information Office (CIO) said that his office has awarded loan grants to three cooperatives in the city in the second quarter of this year under its Cooperative Financial Assistance Program. Each cooperative received loan assistance of P300,000 payable within three years with no interest.
Meanwhile, 26 small and micro-entrepreneurs with focus on indigenous people, persons with disabilities (PWDs), disadvantaged women, farmers and fisherfolk were also awarded capital assistance under the office’s Start-Up Capital Assistance program during the same period.
Under this grant, entrant small businesses can avail of the start-up capital loan assistance amounting from "P10,000 to 20,000 repayable within a year at 0% interest rate” while operating businesses can avail of the working capital loan assistance ranging from “P30,000 to P50,000 repayable within 3 years with no interest”.
España said that over P1 million of allocated funds is still available for loan disbursement to Davao City cooperatives this year. She said that the office is currently “focusing on new clients” while still catering to all beneficiaries of the office’s programs and projects.
She said, “the DCDDO is mandated to prioritize small and micro cooperatives”; this is under the Executive Order No.1 series of 2015 known as “Enhanced Livelihood and Enterprise Assistance Program (ELEAP).” Small and micro cooperatives make up 80 percent of the total number of existing cooperatives in the city.
From 2014 to June 30 of this year, 72 cooperatives in the city were granted loan assistance ranging from P100,000 to P300,000 for small and micro cooperatives and P301,000 to P1 million for medium and large cooperatives by the DCCDO.
A total of 9,538 cooperative members benefited from these loan assistance.
Information Education Training Division conducts Fundamentals of Cooperative to the Officers of Davao Deca Tacunan Transport Cooperative recently. Photo from Davao City Cooperative Development Office