Sen. Robinhood “Robin” C. Padilla on Thursday pushed for strengthening cooperatives especially for farmers and indigenous peoples, saying this is the most effective way that fertilizer and other forms of help from the national government can reach them.

Padilla said this entails the cooperation of agencies such as the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

“Ito pong coordination ng DA sa pagbibigay ng fertilizer sa mga magsasaka ay dinadaan sa LGU at ito po ay madalas ginagamitan ng pulitika. Kaya akin pong minungkahi sa DA na mas mainam kung ito ay idadaan sa kooperatiba (The DA coordinates with LGUs in distributing fertilizer to farmers, but this is sometimes marred by politics. That is why I told the DA it is better to course the aid through the cooperatives),” Padilla said at the hearing on the CDA’s 2023 budget.

“Umaasa ako na kayo po sa CDA, sa NCIP at sa DSWD, sa DA – bigyan nyo po ng sapat na atensyon at oras itong ating katutubo na sa hanggang ngayon ay humihingi ng katarungan sa atin (I trust the CDA, NCIP, DSWD and DA will give enough time and attention to our IPs who are asking for justice),” he added.

According to Padilla, IPs will greatly benefit from cooperatives, especially those victimized by landgrabbers and those who have difficulty selling their produce.

Padilla, who chairs the Senate Committee on Cultural Committees and Muslim Affairs, said it is time to strengthen cooperatives as the government under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has big plans for agriculture.

In response to Padilla’s questions, CDA chairman Jose Encabo said cooperatives have the capacity to improve the implementation of programs of agencies like the DA, as cooperatives are in a better position to determine the beneficiaries of government aid.

“Dahil sila ang may direktang kaalaman kung anong kapasidad ng bawa’t myembro meron sila at alam nila sitwasyon ng lupain alam nila ang sitwasyon ng pagsasaka at alam nila paano mag-engage ng negosyo sa kapwa negosyante maging traders or direct buyers man dahil sila ang may unang engagement niyan (The cooperatives know their members, and they know who to engage with, whether it’s traders or direct buyers),” said Encabo.

For his part, CDA Assistant Secretary Vidal Villanueva III said cooperatives are being established for Aetas in Zambales so they can receive help from government, including piglets. He added there are cooperatives in other provinces such as South Cotabato, Bukidnon, and Agusan del Sur.

Villanueva added they are coordinating with the NCIP to “cooperativize” IPs, “so that the government assistance will be easily transferred to these people.”

Source: http://www.senate.gov.ph