AWCF conducts training for co-op

The MSU-IIT NMPC with the AWCF trainers.

The AWCF, headed by its Executive Director Ms Sally Ganibe, conducted the “Monitoring and Evaluation Training” for the MSU-IIT National Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MSU-IIT NMPC) on November 21-22, 2014. The training was held in the Co-op’s head office in Iligan City, Mindanao region, Philippines.

MSU-IIT NMPC had 48 participants in the training--Board of Directors, Audit Committee, Election Committee, Credit Committee; branch heads and area managers from nine branches of the Co-op; and the management team from the head office. The Co-op's participants were led by Chairperson Dr. Eufemio Callo and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Emma Nieva.

As of December 2013, MSU-IIT NMPC serves 60,000 members and has total assets of PhP1.050 billion. The Co-op is one of AWCF’s partners in the implementation of gender equality projects in the Philippines.

More trainers for gender equality are upcoming

The “Training of Trainers (TOT) on Gender for Co-operatives” was conducted by the Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) in Madapo, Davao City, Philippines. The TOT was held November 12-15, 2014.

AWCF continues to train more co-operators on the principles, values, and practices of gender equality that will cascade to even more co-ops and co-operators. In the ongoing TOT in Davao City, a total of 28 people are in attendance (20 females and 8 males) from 12 co-ops, the Cooperative Development Authority-Davao Extension Office (CDA -DEO), and AWCF. Ms Sally Ganibe leads the AWCF team as Executive Director of the organization, which is a resource center and advocacy body in Asia on gender and co-operatives.

The TOT is organized by the AWCF in coordination with the CDA-DEO. This year, AWCF has done other TOTs for co-ops in different places in the Philippines, with the co-ops represented by their Gender Committee and Education Committee, Gender Focal Persons, and human resource staff and trainers who will handle gender education in the co-ops.

CDA-DEO Regional Director Ms Elma Oguis (in second photo) gave a welcome speech at the opening of this Davao training. She shared how CDA--as the lead government agency tasked for co-op development in the Philippines--is supporting the mainstreaming of gender and development (GAD) in co-ops in the country.

It will be recalled that in November 2013, CDA issued Memorandum Circular 2013-22 that contains the guidelines on GAD mainstreaming in co-ops (see http://cda.gov.ph/…/MC2013-22-Guidelines-on-mainstreaming-G…). In March 2014, the first-ever national summit on GAD in co-ops in the Philippines was held in Subic Bay, PH, co-organized by AWCF and CDA. The summit produced the "Declaration and Call for Action" that seeks to further strengthen the mainstreaming of GAD in Philippines co-ops so that these organizations can be even more effective vehicles for development (see http://coopwomen.org/…/full_declaration_final_gadsummit2014
(See also the video on gender equality produced by AWCF: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ac1AwogoyM)

TOT on Gender for Co-operatives done in Tuguegarao, PH

ONGOING: “Training of Trainers (TOT) on Gender for Co-operatives,” November 4-7, 2014 in Ugac Sur, Tuguegarao City (Region 2), Philippines, with 24 participants and speakers from 11 co-ops, the local government unit (LGU), Philippine government agencies Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), and the Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF).

The training educates members of co-ops' Gender Committee and Education Committee, Gender Focal Persons, and human resource staff and trainers in handling gender education in co-ops.

Organized by AWCF, in coordination with the CDA-Tuguegarao Extension Office (CDA-TEO).

UPCOMING: TOT on Gender for Co-operatives in Madapo, Davao City, Philippines, November 12-15, 2014.

UPCOMING: Gender training for co-ops in Philippines

"Training of Trainers (TOT) on Gender for Co-operatives," November 12-15, 2014, Davao City, PH. Organized by the Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF), in coordination with the Cooperative Development Authority-Davao Extension Office (CDA-DEO).

Open to co-operators wherever you are in the Philippines. For registration, please contact:
AWCF by e-mail: gadsummit@coopwomen.org or gender.coop@yahoo.com; OR by mobile: 09174579228; 09186354943; 09223856048. CDA-DEO (c/o Ms Margarita Bauto, Cooperative Development Specialist/Gender Focal Person) 09173614720.

For more information on gender equality and co-ops, please see http://cda.gov.ph/images/Issuances/MCs/MC2013-22-Guidelines-on-mainstreaming-GAD-in-coops.pdf AND http://coopwomen.org/pdfs/full_declaration_final_gadsummit2014_ph1.pdf

Gender equality video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ac1AwogoyM