March 28, 2024

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Cooperative Development Authority-Cordillera will soon have its own building in this capital town. 

CDA officials led by assistant secretaries Pendatun Disimban, Abdulsalam Guinomla and Vidal Villanueva III, Cordillera Director Marieta Hwang and Region 2 Director Franco Bawang, Jr. with Benguet State University President Felipe Comila and La Trinidad Vice Mayor Roderick Awingan recently led the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the CDA-Cordillera Office at Bektey, Longlong in Barangay Puguis.

They were joined by the Department of Public Works and Highways Benguet First District Engineering Office District Engineer Isagani Cayme and Regional Cooperative Development Council Chairman Victor Luacan.

The CDA thanked the BSU for granting their request for a lot to build the regional office through a usufruct agreement. The request and negotiations for a lot was initiated by Bawang during his stint as at the CDA-Cordillera. The request was granted by Comila.

In the message of CDA Chair Joseph Encabo read by Guinomla, he expressed gladness on the historic groundbreaking which is a new beginning for the CDA.

“Today, as we break the ground, we also plant the seeds of hope that every man and woman in the cooperative movement will be proud of. I am seeing this transformation as an earmark of our institution’s development to honor the hard work and perseverance of all who came before us that led us to this moment of success. Above all are accomplishing this to give our clientele the cooperatives and stakeholders the above standards service they deserve,” Encabo said.

Villanueva said the structure will be a four-story building built in a 300 square-meter of lot with an initial budget of P25 million.

The CDA is keen on adding additional budget to ensure the building will be completed and be furnished with office equipment as well.

He told the CDA-Cordillera employees the new building should be an inspiration for them to provide better services to the more than 1,600 cooperatives in the Cordillera.

 Hwang said the new building is a realization of a dream since the CDA-Cordillera has been renting office space for 30 years now.

She said this will provide better services for clients and stakeholders from the cooperatives and other individuals and organizations.

Aside from the donated lot, Comila committed to provide another parcel of lot for the construction of a training center for the training and development of the cooperative members in the region. – Redjie Melvic Cawis