COOP PERSPECTIVE & SUPPORT

by Berni R. Desabelle

Inclusive

Growth. This must be the

bottomline or the overriding interest
of the coop sector in the cacao
phenomenon now. It is something
we need to understand well. It is
something the development
advocates love to pronounce. It is
something we all hope to achieve.

We

take pride in our 6.9% economic

growth in the first quarter of this
year surpassing even China. But
has this growth trickled down to the
D and E levels of our population?
Hardly. So, inclusive growth is as
illusive as real happiness.

Yes,

reducing poverty incidence cant

be achieved overnight. It is a slow
process. Cooperatives have been
addressing this issue since day one
of their respective organizations
assuming that all of them, true or
false, adopt the purposes for which
cooperatives are organized, Lets
look at Cebu first.

How

many of the 543 registered coops

in the province can claim they are
already substantial engines of social
and economic development? How many
of these number are like Lamac MPC,
CFI Community Credit Coop? Like
MAVENCO of Mandaue City, Cebu
Peoples Cooperative, Sibonga MPC,
FCCT in Toledo City and Fairchild
MPC of Lapulapu City? Only very few.

We

can rule out the lightning way of

reducing poverty incidence. One sure
but slow way is participating in cacao
production.
Our government encourages it.
Budget allocation is in place.
LBP has a specific program for this.
Other agencies of government and good
organizations are coming in to go into
this.

 The

demand is sure high --- domestic and

international. Our country is blessed
where cacao can be raised abundantly.
Cooperatives are in place as good
structures for conduits and as principal
actors of production, processing and
marketing to be able to actualize the value
chain. Our FCCT has two-pronged
program now. One is linked with LBP and
Kennemer Foods International for our
landed farmers for direct market of the
harvest. The other is for small farmers
linked to Plantacion De Sikwate.

 The

project concept is simply to address

the inclusion of small farmers with 20 to
200 cacao trees only. It is like a backyard
project of 50 farmers per cluster
distributed in Cebu, Negros and Masbate.
It must be self-help with technical
assistance from PDS. Financial assistance
maybe granted in case-to-case basis. It is
initially supported with seedlings
production placed in very suitable area
with abundant water and easily accessible
to transportation. Primarily, this project
type is for local market.

The Coop Sector Expectations and Support can be seen in this

diagram:

Government - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Key Initiators

Promote, facilitate
Organizations
Conducive environment Banks
Easier financial access
Processors
Systems & policies
Allied Industries
- fair share of
production
- mutual benefits
Cooperatives
technical capacity
financial capacity
operational capacity
Sustainability

As my contribution to humanity in
some parts in the country within my
reach, I want that before I die I can
promote and facilitate the plantation
of at least 500 hectares of cacao in
Cebu, Negros and Masbate in clusters
of social enterprise format.

- Berni R.
Desabelle

Dr. Berni R. Desabelle

May 2016
Formerly:
Chairman, Cebu Provincial Cooperative Union
Executive Director, Regional Cooperative Union
One Original Founder, Coop Bank of Cebu
Competent Toastmaster
CEO, FCCT (2005-2015)
One of the Ten most Outstanding Toledanos
Founder, First Consolidated Coop along Taon Seaboards
Presently:
President, Cebu Provincial Association of Accredited Coops
Member, Oversight Committee, Cebu Coopreneur Surety Fund
Consultant: FCCT, SMAP, CAPECCI
Doctor of Humanity, Honoris Causa
Associate Fellow, Society of Fellows,
Institute of Corporate Directors