PIA Dispatch - Tuesday, February 17, 2009

More opportunities in store for members as PGMA signs into law Coop Code of 2008

Tacloban City (PIA) -- Amidst the global economic crisis that is threatening to affect the Filipino people, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is scheduled to sign into law today, the proposed Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008 which will give cooperatives greater opportunities to serve their members.

The President's signing into law the much awaited Republic Act 9520, comes as a fresh breath of hope to the almost 24,000 cooperatives all over the country. This is perhaps the reason why some 500 leaders of cooperatives are expected to witness the signing at Malacanang today.

The signing also brings to forth the importance of cooperatives not only as an important tool in poverty reduction but also in mitigating the impact of the current global economic meltdown on the Filipino people.

To less than President Arroyo cited the cooperative as she once said, "at a time of great challenges, cooperatives have helped the government in forging strong economy by bringing in investments, cutting down the incidence of hunger and helping reduce the unemployment rate with the creation of seven million jobs in seven years."

"When we bring in investments including the cooperatives' investments and create jobs, our people have a more stable and predictable life. And with more investments come more tax revenues that can be invested in schools, roads and bridges as well as healthcare, education and environment. Over time, everyone will benefit."

Sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, chairman of the chamber's Committee on Cooperatives, and in the House of Representatives by Rep. Ernesto C. Pablo, the bill was passed in Nov. 2008.

The new law, Republic Act No. 9520, which amends the 1990 Cooperative Code of the Philippines or RA No. 6938, gives cooperatives greater opportunities to serve their members, not only in terms of financial assistance, but also in undertaking more productive activities geared toward the economic upliftment of their members.

The new cooperative code outlines in greater detail the requirements in professionalizing the management and operation of cooperatives. It provides a monitoring and evaluation tool for the cooperatives to conduct self-assessments in terms of its managerial, financial, and social objectives.

The main aim of the enactment of the Philippine Cooperative Code of 2008 is the utilization of the cooperatives for social justice and sustainable economic development.

The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) reported that since 1990, the number and types of cooperatives registered include 4,812 savings and credit cooperatives; 1,369 consumer cooperatives, mostly in public and private offices and schools; 1,409 producers cooperatives; 911 marketing cooperatives; 1,806 service cooperatives providing power distribution, potable water and irrigation system, public and private transportation service; and 60,000 registered agricultural and non-agricultural cooperatives.

The entire cooperative sector generated 1.636 million jobs in 2006, 1.563 million jobs in 2005 and 1.498 million jobs in 2004, the CDA report stated.


Gov't committed to achieving genuine and lasting peace in Mindanao, OPAPP chief says

Tacloban City (PIA) -- The government is committed to work hard towards achieving genuine and lasting peace in the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Avelino Razon, Jr. underscored.

Secretary Razon said the peace process spearheaded by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) has "achieved many milestone in this endeavor and as eager as all of you to move the peace process forward not only for the sake of our brothers in Mindanao, but for the entire country as well."

Secretary Razon said that the government is implementing its projects for peace such as construction of roads, bridges, school buildings, irrigation and health centers, among others, particularly in conflict-affected areas.

Consultations with local stakeholders will continue to be intensified to give them the latest updates on what is going on in the peace process, specifically during the formal talks, Secretary Razon said.

The government will also intensify its social integration program (SIP) to ensure that former rebels will be given livelihood to become good citizens, he added.

Believing that there is no problem that cannot be threshed out; the OPAP chief expressed optimism that the government will soon resume the stalled peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The pronouncement is Secretary Razon's reaction to the MILF deputy information chief Khaled Musa's statement that peace negotiations with the government will not likely take place soon.

Saying the differences between the two sides can be worked out. Secretary Razon said that he remains optimistic of the resumption of the peace negotiations because the government is determined to hasten the peace process for the sake of the people in Mindanao.

"We will hasten the peace process because for as long as the peace talks are stalled, our countrymen, especially in Mindanao in insurgency-affected areas continue to suffer," Razon said.

Secretary Razon said that with determination, perseverance and creativeness between the parties concerned "by exploring all possibilities to end the twin insurgencies hounding our nation there is no reason why we cannot solve our differences at the conference table and sign a peace agreement."


Razon: GRP panel ready for talks with MILF

MANILA (PNA) -- Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Avelino I. Razon Jr. on Tuesday announced that the government is ready to sit down with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to discuss what it dubs as the 3Rs -– reassert, review and redirect -– to restart the peace talks stalled the past six months.

"When we say the government is ready to resume talks with the MILF, we mean it with all sincerity," said Razon who took over his new post only last Jan. 29 from Secretary Hermogenes C. Esperon Jr., who was named as chief of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS).

"Firstly, we would like to restart talks with the MILF to reassert both parties commitment to the primacy of the peace process and our continuing adherence to the interim agreements, specifically on the cessation of hostilities and rehabilitation and development of conflict-affected areas, which constitute the building blocks of our peace negotiations," Razon said.

"In connection with this, we want to discuss with the MILF the renewal of the mandates of the Ad-Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG), the International Monitoring Team (IMT), including the possible changes in its organization and membership," he added.

"Secondly," he said, the government would like to resume the stalled negotiations "to review and propose enhancements to the nature and structure of the facilitation process."

Razon said that the third reason to revive the peace talks is "to redirect the substantive agenda of the talks towards the crafting of the Comprehensive Compact."

"The government is really serious for the immediate resumption of the peace dialogues with our brother Muslim rebels so we can have a lasting peace not only in Mindanao but the whole country," Razon said.

"It's about time we give the Filipinos a break. It is long overdue," said Razon.

"There is no alternative to peace that is why I'm calling the MILF leadership to go back to the negotiating table to resolve our differences peacefully," Razon said.

At the same time, Razon said he was happy to note that several countries such as Malaysia, the United States, Britain, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Japan, Libya, Norway, Brunei, and Sweden are fully supporting the peace process to move on.

"To do this, we need to rebuild trust, confidence-building and creativeness to surmount all obstacles along the way and achieve a genuine and lasting peace for the country," Razon said.
"Every step we take towards peace even how small it may be, is always a step forward to the attainment of a lasting peace in our country," he added.


Malacanang keeping open mind on calls for renegotiation of VFA, says Remonde

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said today that Malacanang is keeping an open mind regarding the proposal for the renegotiation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States, especially the provision on the custody of US servicemen convicted or facing charges in Philippine courts.

“Of course we will respect any initiative, through due process, to revisit the VFA,” Remonde said, referring to calls by certain quarters for the renegotiation of the 1998 agreement.

But Remonde urged all parties involved in the current move to renegotiate the agreement should resist the temptation to take advantage of the controversy over the VFA to grandstanding for political purposes.

He pointed out that "what is stake here is not only issues of sovereignty but also our most important bilateral relationship (with the US) going forward in an uncertain world.”

Calls for the renegotiation of the VFA stemmed from the recent Supreme Court decision that Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith, the convicted rapist of a Filipina identified only as Nicole, should be detained in a Philippine-run facility.

Since his conviction in July 2006 to a maximum of 40 years in jail for raping Nicole, Smith has been placed under the custody of the US embassy in Manila while his appeal to reverse the lower courts decision remains pending in the Court of Appeals.