Benguet recognizes 16 coops for growing into bigger coops

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Benguet Provincial Cooperative Development Council with the Cooperative Development Authority and the provincial government recognized 16 cooperatives that have leveled up.
Those recognized from micro to small category are Amionget Consumers Cooperative of Beling-Belis, Kapangan;  Datakan Multipurpose Cooperative (MPC) of Datakan, Kapangan; Highland Transport Services Cooperative of Pico, La Trinidad; Togoy Farmers MPC of Baayan, Tublay; Sinipsip Amgaleyguey-Gambang Pines Farmers Agriculture Cooperative of Sinipsip, Buguias;  Bonglo Agriculture Cooperative of Paoay, Atok; UCCP-Luzon Credit Cooperative of Buyacaoan, Buguias; and Cordillera Brotherhood Transport Service Multipurpose Cooperative of Pico, La Trinidad.
The cooperatives that moved up from small to medium category are the Progressive Citizens MPC of Abatan, Buguias; Pakiya MPC of Bila, Bokod; the Benguet Courts Credit Cooperative;  Benguet Agrarian Reform MPC; La Trinidad MPC; and the Benguet Traders MPC.
Two cooperatives also leveled up from medium to large category namely the Lengaoan Indigenous Farmers MPC in Lengaoan, Buguias and the Tawangan Agrarian Reform Community MPC in Tawangan Proper, Kabayan.
The recognized cooperatives have graduated from micro to small category or those with an asset of less than P3 million to P15M; small to medium category or those with an asset of over P15M to P100M; and medium to large category or those with an asset of over P100M.
PCDC Chair Miguel Luma-ang, CDA-Cordillera Assistant Director Felicidad Cenon, and Executive Assistant Mario Baucas representing Gov. Melchor Diclas awarded plaques to the representatives of the awardees. 
The coop representatives shared their best practices on how they were able to level up and encouraged other coops to also strive to grow.
CDA-Region 2 Director Franco Bawang, Jr. advocated for the adoption of the “Big Brother-Small Brother” concept or for larger cooperatives to find ways to help smaller cooperatives in any way they can.
Board Member Joel Tingbaoen, Jr. who chairs the sangguniang panlalawigan committee on cooperatives presented the Benguet Provincial Cooperative Code, which aims to develop, install, and maintain an effective and efficient local government support system, including incentive system for the continuing development and sustainability of cooperatives as viable small and medium scale business enterprise. – Redjie Melvic Cawis