Cooperatives play an important role in economic development. They enable members, including repatriated OFWs, to start, manage, and earn from their own businesses. To promote the growth of cooperatives in the country, the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) was established.
When it comes to the creation and regulation of cooperatives, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) coordinates with the CDA, an attached agency of the Department of Trade Industry (DTI). The CDA’s main functions include: registering all cooperatives; developing and conducting management and training programs; and formulating, adopting, and implementing plans on cooperative development.
Vision, Mission, and Core Values
According to its official website, the CDA envisions to be “ASEANS’s benchmark of EXCELLENCE in Cooperative Development.”
Correspondingly, its mission is “to provide developmental, regulatory, and quasi-judicial services to cooperatives, thereby giving access to socio-economic opportunities to their members.”
As an organization, the CDA operates on the following core values: Excellence, Commitment, Integrity, and Teamwork.
Organizational Structure
The CDA is headed by a Chairperson, with the rank of Undersecretary, along with six (6) Members of the Board who have the rank and privilege of Assistant Secretary. All of them are appointed by the President of the Philippines, selected among nominees from the cooperative sector.
Notably, the Secretaries of the DTI and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) serve as ex officio Members of the Board. They may also designate an alternate, with the rank of at least Assistant Secretary.
The CDA Head Office is located in Cubao, Quezon City. In addition, there are CDA Extension Offices operating in every region across the country.
Key Services
The key services of the CDA include regulatory services, technical advisory services, and online services.
Regulatory Services
Among the agency’s regulatory services are the following:
- Registering cooperatives by issuing Certificate of Registration (COR) and other important documents;
- Monitoring cooperatives’ performance through reports, feedback, and information gathered through inspections and examinations;
- Monitoring the implementation of regulatory policies, guidelines, orders, and other issuances;
- Providing legal assistance to the CDA Board and other units; and
- Reviewing contracts and other agreements entered into by the CDA.
Technical Advisory Services (TAS)
The agency offers Technical Advisory Services (TAS) in the form of training, mentoring, consultancy, and the provision of legal opinions. The CDA Head Office as well as Extension Offices deliver these services.
Online Services
Through the agency’s official website, member organizations can access the CDA Cooperative Systems (CS) Project, which includes the following online systems:
- Cooperative Annual Progress Report Information System (CAPRIS);
- Cooperative Assessment Information System (CAIS);
- Credit Survey Fund Cooperative – Information System (CSFC-IS); and
- Electronic – Cooperative Registration Information System (E-COOPRIS).
What’s more, the agency has launched CoopBiz, an online global marketplace platform for member cooperatives.
Contact Information: CDA Central Office
For questions and concerns, the CDA Central Office may be reached through the following contact details:
Address: 827 Aurora Blvd., Service Road, Brgy. Immaculate Conception, Cubao, 1111 Quezon City, Philippines
Telephone: (02) 8725-3764
Email: helpdesk@cda.gov.ph
Website: https://cda.gov.ph/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cdaphilippines/
Google Map:
Ultimately, the CDA’s programs benefit not just cooperatives, but numerous families and communities all over the Philippines. Its tag line, “Empowering Cooperatives, Empowering the Filipino People!” is truly fitting.
As for OWWA, along with other government agencies, it continues to offer different types of assistance to repatriated OFWs. Visit this link to know more about the financial and livelihood assistance it provides.