Co-operatives are a growing and sustainable form of enterprise, a unique business model that puts people at the centre of development. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on the occasion of the 2016 International Day of Co-operatives, 2 July 2016, said: “I urge governments to create an enabling environment for co-operatives to thrive and grow. Let us harness the power of co-operatives to achieve the SDGs and create a world of dignity and opportunity for all."

Co-operatives allow members to have control over and localise their revenues, enjoy quality jobs, and meet their needs, all from a care-for-community perspective. Co-ops provide a platform for people to unite as businessmen and women.

A co-op can provide to its members the basics to live and to conduct business: access to water, quality food, dependable energy, and empowering communications. Co-operatives are a sustainable way to create a world of dignity and opportunity.

The venue of the Cordillera Regional Cooperative Month Celebration was at the BENECO Complex, South Drive, Baguio City. It accommodated the participants of 505 coming from the six provinces and one chartered city composing the administrative region.

The regional cooperative month celebration in the Cordillera Region is in an alphabetical order round-robin hosting of six provinces and one chartered city of Baguio. This 2017 Cordillera Regional Cooperative month is the 21st celebration for Cordillera cooperatives that was spawned by careful planning. However, this year’s venue and host-province, Ifugao Province, had a different dynamics of hosting the regional coop month that does not fit well on a regional basis. Such underlying forces among cooperative leaders was only known to the personalities in Ifugao that the Leadership at the Regional Cooperative Development Council had finally to change and move the venue from Banaue, Ifugao to the City of Baguio.

The CDA would like to congratulate all the NATIONAL WINNERS and AWARDEES of this year’s GAWAD PARANGAL. You all deserve the title! Continue to excel and be the model of best practices and good governance from today onwards.