Cooperatives Development Officer Act Signed into Law

On Tuesday, the Palace signed into law Republic Act 11535 or the Cooperatives Development Officer Act, which amends the Local Government Code of 1991 to authorize the creation of the Cooperatives Development Officer (CDO) as a mandatory position in all local government units.

"This has been such a long-awaited bill by our cooperative sector, so I thank the President for signing it into law," said Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, principal sponsor of the measure, and also the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Cooperatives.

This law will see to the establishment of a CDO in every province, city, and municipality across the nation, to provide on-the-ground government support to the cooperative sector.

Local governments will be given a choice between appointing a full-fledged CDO, or merging the responsibilities of a CDO with an existing position, if this is more feasible with respect to the size of the local cooperative sector, or the capability of the local government to provide the proper emoluments from its budget.

"It's timely for us to establish CDOs as we emerge from the pandemic. Our cooperatives will really need focused, particularized assistance during this crucial period of recovery," Zubiri said. "Through our CDOs, we will really be able to reach out to every single cooperative in the nation, and we'll be better positioned to help Filipinos help themselves."