Philippines Co-operatives To Lift 10 Mln People From Poverty By 2010

from the Malaysian News Agency

By Umi Hani Sharani

KUALA LUMPUR, The Philippines co-operative sector hopes to uplift 10 million people out of poverty by 2010, according to the country's Cooperative Development Authority.

"We are crafting some kind of blueprint that will guide us for the next five years, a medium-term plan that will basically bring down poverty in the country," its chairman, Lecira V. Juarez, said.

Speaking to Bernama on the sidelines of the Eighth Asia-Pacific Co-operative Ministers' Conference here today, Juarez said the plan, from 2006 to 2010, would see the co-operative sector working hand-in-hand with local government agencies to ensure access to financial assistance and technology for better capacity building.

"Generally, co-operatives deal with the marginalised, so we hope the plan will uplift them economically and socially," she said.

The authority, which regulates and develops co-operatives, comes under the Philippines' Department of Finance and oversees about 25,000 co-operatives with nearly four million members.

"We also believe that co-operation within the co-operative movement will really make things happen," Juarez said.

"But in the long run, the authority hopes to see the emergence of a few strong and stable co-operatives that would be able to lend a helping hand to the rest.

"We can only work on some conditions that can lead to the establishment of a few strong co-operatives. But if this is realised, it can be very ideal to the sector."

She said it was every regional co-operative sector's dream to make it one of the most significant contributors to their respective country's economy.

However, she added, the co-operative movement must not be seen as enhancing the economic pie only, but also elevating the social status and addressing the basic needs of its members.

"What is good about the co-operative movement is that it is not just concerned about economic empowerment, but also social empowerment," she said.