The Institute of Cooperatives

The Institute of Cooperatives (IC) was established as a separate academic unit of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines on March 31, 1989 upon the approval of the PUP Board of regents. Rationale of the creation of the IC is the growing need for an academic center that will promote the viability and growth of cooperatives as an alternative socio-economic formation. The promotion of cooperativism is consonant with the 1986 Constitutional provision under Section 15 Article 12 “That congress shall create an agency to promote the viability and growth of cooperative as instruments for social justice and economic development" and the provision of the new constitution under Section 5 Article 13 which states that “ The State shall recognize the right of the farmers, farm workers, and land owners, as cooperatives, and other independent farmer’s organization to participate in planning and management of the program, and shall provide support to agriculture through appropriate technology and research, adequate financial, production, marketing and other support services. "

As early as April 1969, the Philippine College of Commerce (now Polytechnic University of the Philippines – PUP) has been designated, by the virtue of Memorandum Circular NO. 251 issued by President Ferdinand E. Marcos, as the training center for non-agricultural cooperatives. And since then, the Institution has consistently and committedly adhered to its role in the propagation and development of cooperativism in the country.

In September 1989, a Seminar- workshop was launched which had, as main participants, the entire IC workforce and, as main resource person, top University officials such as Executive Vice President - Dr. Zenaida C. Olonan, Vice President for Academic Affairs – Dr. Ofelia M. Carague, and Assistant Vice President – Dr. Samuel M Salvador. In this seminar-workshop, the IC Mission Statement, Long Term Goals, Specific Objectives and an Action Plan Indicating IC work priorities for coming months were drawn up. The work plan included, among others, curriculum and teaching/instructional materials development. All these served as IC’s guide in its current operations.

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines as a state subsidized education institution is the only University offering a four-year course in Bachelor in Cooperatives. The Institute of Cooperative formally spun-off from the College of Business and became a separate academic unit of the PUP on March 31, 1989. The University’s effort to deliver responsive and relevant services eventually led to the establishment of the Institute that extends academic and non-academic services related to cooperatives. The PUP Institute of Cooperatives undertaking includes the academic, research and the extension services program and reproduction.

IC Mission

The Institute of Cooperatives, in line with the PUP Philosophy and Objectives, is imbued with the mission of attaining meaningful development and social transformation through cooperativism. Specifically, it commits itself to:

• Provide a more effective, relevant, responsive, and continuing education that strengthens the development of cooperativism in the country.

• Promote cooperative among masses that leads to social discipline and economic self-reliance; and

• Uplift the social-cultural and economic conditions of the Filipino people through cooperativism in an atmosphere of brotherhood, peace, freedom, and justice.

Goals:

1. To promote and strengthen the country’s cooperative education both formal and informal;

2. To provide a nationalist, scientific, democratic, and pro-people education;

3. To strengthen and broaden research programs;

4. To develop competence and expertise among faculty members;

5. To develop virtues of social discipline and self-reliance; and

6. To make the Institute one of the most adequate training centers in the country.

Objectives:

1. to offer four-year course leading to the degree of Bachelor in Cooperatives;

2. to provide training courses on organizational, business, and human development to cooperative at all levels;

3. to undertake research and disseminate finding through appropriate media;

4. to set up exchange programs, scholarship and professional chairs on cooperatives;

5. to engage in advocacy work to hasten promotion, growth and development of cooperative organization in the country;

6. to facilitate linkages and networking among coops, both local and international;

7. to undertake community development projects and extension services with cooperative organizations;

8. to establish consortia and linkages with educational institutions and cooperative organizations both local and international; and

9. to undertake faculty development programs that include scholarship, fellowship, study visits, exchange programs, and exposure

PUP- IC at 16: A Milestone of Cooperative Education, Research & Extension

In 2005, the Institute of Cooperatives turned 16. IC has more than enough reasons to celebrate and be thankful for what is has become.

IC has its first strategic planning five (5) months after its birth on March 31, 1989. Former PUP President Ofelia M. Carague, the VPAA then and one of the resource persons accentuated on the IC’s role in forging unity and promoting mutual concerns among the Filipino people. She said: “there is simple acts in the people’s daily lives that show their capability for being organized and cooperativitized.

The establishment of the Institute of Cooperative was a collective brainchild of the committee comprised of professors Romulo T. Martin, Dante Prudente, Corazon R. Mabagos, Juan T. Bordas, and Dr. Normita M. Villa. This group was tasked by former President Nemisio E. Prudente to revive the Pup Kilusang Bayan. The coop served as springboard for the establishment of the IC as a separate academic unit.

The Pioneer Team

IC Founding Director Romulo T. Martin led four other full-time members namely Professor Corazon R. Mabagos, Firmo E. Esguerra, Herly Aguarino, and Juan Bordas to be first generation of IC faculty. They were from the College of Business and Cooperatives. A number of part-timers from the college of the university and from the college movement also joined them, all cooperative practitioners, they were the IC Pioneers.

Prof. Mabagos whose involvement in cooperative dates many years back, assumed the chairmanship of the Academic Program in 1989. She was succeeded by Prof. Firmo A. Esguerra in 1995. In the 1^st quarter of 1990, when inquiries and application for Bachelor in Cooperatives. Non-Traditional Study state coming from Prof Herly Aguarino, now Australian based educator, was tasked to coordinate the Non-Traditional Study Program. Prof Bordas was the Manager of the University Consumers Cooperative at that time.

In the Mid-1990, new recruits were designated as programs heads – Prof. Herminia E. Manimtim for the Extension Services and Prof. Ruben Dela Cruz for the Research and Project Development. In 1992, Dr. Marietta P. Demelino, SFCC, took over as head of the Reseach Program. In the same year, Prof. Elenita S. Mantalaba, CPA from the College of Accountancy and Law become full time faculty member of IC. Prof. Mantalaba succeeded Prof. Martin in 1997. In 2005, Sis Mayette assumed the IC Directorship.

Two months after its founding, IC offered the degree program Bachelor in Cooperatives to 150 freshmen and 10 shiftees from business courses. IC needed only one classroom to get going before having an office of its own at the former NDC in Building in Pureza St., the University Board of Secretary‘s Office served as IC Administrative hub especially for its academic functions.

While preparations for the opening of the academic program were underway, request for short courses from outside group were also coming in. By early summer of 1989, The IC faculty was already double-tasked as trainor for extension services and project development assistance. In 1991, request for short courses were already averaging five per month. The faculty trainers went as far as Palawan, Pangasinan, and Cavite to conduct coop short courses and to promote IC’s academic and non-academic services. IC’s cooperative organizing work included of course the studentry. The last quarter of 1990 saw the organization of the first youth cooperative in Metro Manila- the PUP Student Credit and Service Cooperative. The PUPSCSC membership includes student from other colleges of the University. The Institute needed only a one year to germinate as an academic unit and complete the groundwork for the implementation of its formal and informal study, research and project development and extension programs. The synergistic convergence of the efforts of the IC’s Pioneer’s team spirit, the cooperative movement’s acceptance of IC’s services and the way the university administration shored up the development take-off of the Institute were felt early in IC’s life.

The Growth and Search For Excellence

The IC’s students increased from school year to school year. The initial enrollment of 160 in SY 1989-90 increased up to 808 in SY 2003-2004. Ten graduates of cooperatives now work in IC as faculty members and staff trainor like Prof. Al Fontamillas, Leonila Medina, Emilyn Coloma, Rebecca Palma, Zanro Estella, Angelita Sumaway, Ireneo Dela Armas, Lizel Santos, Clarissa Trampe, Ricardo Ramiscal and Michael Pechardo.

Under the leadership of Prof. Elenita S. Mantalaba as IC Director and Prof. Herminia E. Manimtim as Academic Area Chairperson, IC headed for another development decade in 2000. The development program includes curriculum and instruction improvement as well as human resource effectiveness. The BC curriculum 2001 revision features three for specialization - Cooperative Financial Management and Accounting, Coop Business Management, & Coop Education and Community Development.

Faculty Development is another milestone of IC. To compliment in-house training program, student and faculty went to foreign and local training, conference and study visits on Cooperative and education. The foreign training and study visits include those in Sweden, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Israel, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Thailand. Five students were also sent as delegates in international training and study visits in 1992, 1996, and 2001, four delegates went to Japan for the University Consumers Cooperative and Youth Study Tour. In 1995, one joined the youth delegation to the International Cooperative Youth Alliance Centennial Congress in Manchester, United Kingdom.

The successes of its program signalled the IC’s preparedness for accreditation. Its entry to process started with the designation of Prof. Al Fontamillas as Accreditation Coordinator. Prof Zandro T. Estella succeeded Prof. Fontamillas . In March 2002, IC passes the preliminary survey conducted by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACCUP). The Bachelor in Cooperatives became the first-degree program in this discipline to be granted by the candidate status for formal Survey for level 1 Accreditation by the AACCUP.

IC’s Academic, Research Extension Services kept their trust on education and capability buildings as integral components in making the cooperative sector dynamic and vibrant builders of a better society. The complementation of these services proved to be mutually beneficial both for cooperatives and the institute. An increasing number of cooperatives and NGO’s now offer scholarship. This encouraged students to take cooperatives. In school year 2003-2004, the offering of the post baccalaureate Diploma in Cooperative Management was made possible by sponsorship of one of IC partnership agencies, the Fundacion Santiago.

More and more cooperative and cooperatives-related agencies added to the roster of IC partners and program beneficiaries. They are now Internship stations and employers of IC graduates.

In addition to the partnership with primary, secondary and tertiary cooperatives IC also undertake projects with regional and national agencies.

The Cooperative Enterprise Development and Management Program (CEDMP) is one of them. CEDMP was jointly undertaken with the Office of Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr., The Cooperative Development Authority – Manila Extension Office and LandBank of the Philippines from 1995 to 1998. The CEDMP graduates were later absorbed by cooperatives as trainee managers or hired by the LandBank of the Philippines as cooperative management technicians.

Other projects done with the partners agencies are the manualization projects through the Cooperative Housing Foundation, National Confederation of the Philippines and Cooperative Manualization Revolving Fund- land Bank Country-side Development Foundation.

IC also participates as of the judges in the selection of the coop awardees of regional and national searches such as that of the Cooperative Development Authority’s Search for Most Outstanding Cooperative, Office of Senator Aquilino Pimentel’s Coop LGU Partnership Awards and LandBank’s GAWAD PITAK.

As IC turns 16 and look forward to another developmental stage, it is greeted by the cooperative sector’s heightened efforts towards rationalizing initiatives and structures. The cooperative unions and federations are solidifying their foundation by being better equipped in meeting the need of their affiliates and finding more appropriate vertical and horizontal support systems. Non-Traditional types of cooperatives are being formed and optimal use of resources and sharing benefits are explored.

These developments bring forth new challenges ad open new areas of engagement between IC and coop sector. They serve as the wind that lofts the Institute and propels its programs toward the fulfillment of its vision of building a just and humanist society.

IC through its proactive implementation of education, research and capability – building programs. IC became an important partaker in this great task of mainstreaming the cooperative system and practicing’s mutual concerns as a way of life.

All these led to the fulfilment of IC Mission: to provide relevant and continuing cooperative education and services towards meaningful economic self-reliance and cooperativism as a way of life.

Other Historical Bases of the Institute of Cooperatives:

RA6938 - Cooperative Code of the Philippines: Article 2. Declaration of Policy of the Cooperative Code of the Philippines states: “It is the declared policy of the State to foster the creation and growth of cooperatives as a practical vehicle for the promotion of self-reliance and harnessing people power towards the attainment of economic development and social justice. The State shall encourage the private sector to undertake the actual formation and organization of cooperative and shall create an atmosphere that is conductive to the growth and development of these cooperatives.

Toward this end, the Government and all its branches, subdivisions, instrumentalities and agencies shall ensure their provisions, of technical guidance, financial assistance and their services to enable said cooperatives to develop into viable and responsive economic enterprises and thereby bring about a strong cooperative movement that is free from any conditions that might infringe upon the autonomy or organizational integrity o f cooperatives.

Further, the state recognizes the principle of subsidiary under which the cooperative sector will initiate and regulate within its own ranks the promotion and organization, training and research, audit and support services relating to cooperatives with government assistance where necessary.”

RA 6939 Cooperative Development Authority:

An act creating the cooperative Development Authority to promote the viability and growth of cooperatives as an instruments of equity social justice and economic development, defining its power, functions and responsibilities, rationalizing government policies and agencies the cooperative functions, supporting cooperative development, transferring the registration and regulation functions of existing government agencies on cooperatives as such and consolidating the same the authority, appropriating funds therefore, and for other purposes.

Excerpts from the Minutes of the 55^th PUP Board of Regents Re: Approval of the Establishments of the Institute of Cooperatives (Copies as is):

In a board of Regents (BOR) meeting held Mach 31, 1989 at PUP, Agenda No. V – New Business re: Approval of the Institute of Cooperatives to wit: (Certification was also made the very same day)

Vice Chairman Prudente requested Prof. Martin to explain the rationale for the creation of the Institute of Cooperatives. Professor Martin cited Section 15, Article of the 1986 constitution as follows “ that Congress shall create an agency to promote the viability and growth of cooperatives as instruments for social justice and economic development” Also, Section 5, Article of the new Constitution, which stated that, “ the State shall recognize the right of farmers, farm workers and landowners, as well as cooperative, and other independent organization, and management of the program, and shall provide support to agriculture through appropriate technology and research, and adequate financial, production, marketing and other support services.” He further cited Presidential Decree No.175 which required the State “to foster the creation and the growth of cooperatives as a means of increasing the income and purchasing power of the lower sector of the population in order to attain a more equitable distribution of income and wealth.” He stressed that the Aquino Administration places emphasis on the development and promotion of cooperatives.

Professor Martin also informed the Board about Memorandum Circular no.251 from the Office of the President of the Philippines, dated April 1, 1969, which designated the Philippine College of Commerce (now Polytechnic University; of the Philippines ) as Training Center for Non-agricultural cooperatives. The Institute, according to him, will provide training programs for cooperative societies in both government and private agencies; design and implement trainors training programs; undertake continuing research studies on cooperatives; set up scholarship exchange programs (local and international) including grants and fellowship exchanges. He reminded the Regents that the Institute was duly approved by them as part of the academic structure of the University last December 1986. The Institute in sum will provide, extension services and research.

Chairperson Quisumbing disclosed to the Board the existence of the DECS moratorium on new curricular programs. Professor Martin stated that the baccalaureate degree in cooperatives is an existing course offering at the College of Business. This will only be transferred to the Institute: as such, no new program will be established. Vice Chairman Prudente re called that PCC graduates (majors) in Cooperatives are well placed and are now leaders in various cooperative enterprises throughout the country.

There are no objection, the Board APPOVED the establishment of the Institute of Cooperative as a separate academic unit, on the motion of Vice Chairman Prudente, and fully seconded by Regent Mercado… ending

Memorandum of Agreement Entered into by the Cooperative Authority and the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports:

A memorandum of agreement made and entered last March 1994 at the Philippine International convention Center (PICC) Roxas Boulevard, Pasay city together with the Cooperative Development Authority and the Department of Education, Culture and Sports saying that: (Portions of the memorandum)

“The history, philosophy, principles and practices of cooperative and their role as a factor in the national economy shall be disseminated both in formal and non-formal education working knowledge of undertaking cooperative activities and economic ventures”

That the schools, colleges and universities are the centers of learning and are considered the best places where the values and practice of cooperativism can be inculcated and nurtured in order to equip the citizenry with sufficient knowledge on cooperatives.

That such schools, colleges and universities can provide a healthy environment for training their students on cooperativism as a way of life and economic venture and thereby making them prepare to find gainful employment in the future”

That there are already available and pilot tested curricular materials on cooperative education which can be utilized in schools”

That there is a need to institutionalize cooperative education and training the Philippines and integrate in the educational system at all levels.” End of the portion...

THE DEPARTMENT OF COOPERATIVES & SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

(A Look at the DCSD Chronicles)

The Department of Cooperatives & Social Development (DCSD) is an academic unit of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines – College of Social Sciences & Development that specializes in cooperative development and management. It was established on March 31, 1989 as the Institute of Cooperatives and metamorphosed into a College in April 2006. The College of Cooperatives was expanded and renamed College of Cooperatives and Social Development (CCSD) in April 2011. In line with the vision of the new President of PUP in 2012, in the person of Dr. Emanuel C. De Guzman, to put together all allied academic disciplines, the College of Cooperatives & Social Development was merged, into a new College named the College of Social Sciences & Development where CCSD became one of its Department.

DCSD services complement the efforts of the cooperative sector to mainstream the cooperative system in the Philippines. The CSSD through the Department responds to the national efforts of addressing poverty and achieving economic progress and social justice. Its academic, research and extension services have two pronged objectives: to produce committed and competent development practitioners that have theoretical grasp, interdisciplinary training and practical skills as managers and implementers of programs that promote equity and social well-being; and to build communities and promote social cohesion by extending support services to requesting external groups and partners.

From its inception as academic unit of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines – College of Social Sciences & Development, DCSD is one of the University’s flag-bearers when it comes to promoting and professionalizing the management and operations of people-owned, people-managed and self-reliant cooperative enterprises.

Cooperatives, according to the Philippine Constitution and the Cooperative Code of the land, are practical vehicles for gaining people’s participation in achieving economic progress and social justice. The development thrust of the present dispensation as well as the implementation of the Local Government Code provide an immense opportunity for the professional practice of cooperatives and social development whether community or institution-based. Locally and Internationally, there are the common efforts to pursue and achieve the millennium development goals and the ILO-International Cooperative Movement’s decent work common agenda.

The socio-economic development thrusts are evident not only in the support given to cooperatives but also in the propagation of both government and non-government development agencies, networks, micro finance programs and development banking, fair trades, and similar outfits. Such initiatives for improving the quantity and the quality of life demand committed and competent development practitioners that have theoretical grasp, interdisciplinary training and practical skills as managers and implementers of programs that promote equity, social well-being, environment protection, sanitation, and social cohesion across nations, races and cultures.

The cooperatives’ social entrepreneurship paradigm and integrative proposition require complementary micro and macro social infrastructure and support systems among the underserved, neglected and disadvantaged sectors which cooperatives profess to serve. Without such social environment, cooperatives’ spheres of influence tend to be fragmented and the scales of their direct actions remain constrained. A sustainable and expansive transformation of the economic base through joint ownership of wealth and cooperative production, service provisions and exchanges needs the enlightened, solid and continuing support of the communities that are organized along similar development orientation and strategies. The strength of the cooperative system lies on the support of the enlightened citizenry and the presence of the bigger social and political infrastructures that shore it up. These had been proven in more advanced and progressive economies and societies.

Hence, the CSSD Department of Cooperatives & Social Development is a developmental leap, supportive and complementary to the former’s cooperative management and development domain. It provides more leeway for the College and the Department to undertake programs that address the economic, political, cultural, environmental and spiritual dimensions of people’s realities. Such programs are needed in making cooperative businesses more diversified, mass-based and up-scaled to achieve more synergistic and holistic outcomes for both the members and the larger society. The expanded curricular offerings, research and extension work of the CSSD Department of Cooperatives and Social Development shall educate and train students and other beneficiaries to professionally and responsibly address the multi-faceted capability-building needs of the cooperatives, people’s organizations, development agencies, and government instrumentalities in a more comprehensive and integrative way.