The Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) held a Pre-Registration Seminar on cooperative membership and process for six farmers’ associations in the province of Dinagat Islands. The activity was conducted on May 8–9 and May 14–15, 2025.
The participants came from Doña Helen Sewing Women’s Association (DOHSWA) and Bayanihan Makugihong Mag-uuma Mangingisda Asosasyon (BMMMA) in Libjo, Malinao Poultry Raisers Association (MAPORA) and Mabini Multipurpose Cooperative (MAMULCO) in Tubajon, and Pangie Farmers’ Association (PFA) and Justiniana Edera Livestock Growers Association (JELGA) in Dinagat. These groups are beneficiaries of the Egg Production Projects under the DA-SAAD Program (Table 1).
Table. 1 Farmers’ Associations and schedule of seminar conducted
| FA | Address | Date of Seminar |
| Malinao Poultry Raisers Association (MAPORA) | Brgy. Malinao, Tubajon | May 8, 2025 |
| Mabini Multipurpose Cooperative (MAMULCO) | Brgy. Mabini, Tubajon | May 9, 2025 |
| Doña Helen Sewing Women’s Association (DOHSWA) | Brgy. Doña Helen, Libjo | May 14, 2025 |
| Bayanihan Makugihong Mag-uuma Mangingisda Asosasyon (BMMMA) | Brgy. Bayanihan, Libjo | |
| Justiniana Edera Livestock Growers Association (JELGA) | Brgy. Justiniana Edera, Dinagat | May 15, 2025 |
| Pangie Farmers’ Association (PFA) | Brgy. Wadas, Dinagat |
The seminar was initiated to help and guide farmers in forming cooperatives and turning their groups into business enterprises that support local economic development. This initiative gives the beneficiaries a better chance to succeed and continue their projects in the long run.
Mr. Azur D. Atos Jr., Cooperative Development Specialist II from the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), served as the resource person. He gave a detailed discussion on cooperative principles, values, capitalization, accounting procedures, how to allocate and distribute net surplus, and the process of organizing and registering cooperatives, including the needed documents.
Mr. Atos shared that the seminar is important for farmer groups to achieve sustainability. “Ang gihisgutan mahitungod sa CDA isa sa pinaka labing importante na instrumento aron masiguro nga magmalungtaron ang asosasyon. Pagtudlo sa mga estratehiya na makahatag kadasig sa matag miyembro, pagsunod sa prinsipyo, pagsinabtanay ug hiniusang pagtinabangay aron makab-ot ang gitinguha na lig-on ang pundasyon ug malahutayon na asosasyon.”
(The discussion about the CDA is one of the most important instruments to ensure the sustainability of the association. It includes teaching strategies that inspire each member, adherence to principles, mutual understanding, and collective cooperation in order to achieve a strong foundation and a resilient, long-lasting association.)
The seminar also guided them on the correct process for CDA registration and encouraged them to complete and submit their application.
“Ang pre-registration seminar dako kini na tabang kanamo aron kami makahibalo sama sa ensaktong proseso ug pag plastar sa mga requirements na kinaanglan buhaton alang sa among association. Kini nga seminar subay sa among gi-plano nga mahimo kaming kooperatiba aron makab-ot ang gitinguha nga molambo, maong dako among pasalamat sa DA-SAAD sa pagpahigayon ani nga seminar,” added Atos.
(The pre-registration seminar was a great help to us, this provides the knowledge, right process and how to organize necessary requirements for our association. This seminar aligns with our plan to become a cooperative to achieve our goal, this is why we are grateful to the DA-SAAD for having this seminar.)
By giving beneficiaries the basic knowledge needed, the Program helps support their farming activities, improve their quality of life, and promote long-term economic growth and sustainability.
