Following the successful conduct of the First National Forum for Federations and Unions last February 21, the NATCCO Network is set to hold the Second Forum on May 28, 2025, at Ardenhills Suites, Quezon City.

The first forum, hosted by the Cordillera Autonomous Region Cooperative Union in Baguio City, gathered around 200 leaders from cooperative unions and federations, mostly from Luzon, with participants traveling from as far as Camarines Norte and Batangas.

Originally intended as an annual event, the Second Forum is being advanced to May in light of the upcoming Bicameral Discussions in the Senate on amendments to the Cooperative Code of 2008. NATCCO leadership made the decision to time the forum strategically, ensuring that the concerns of federations and unions are presented before the legislative process continues in June.

The Cooperative Code of 2008 (Republic Act 9520) is currently being amended through Senate Bill 2811, filed by Senator Imee Marcos in September 2024. The bill has passed second reading and is scheduled for deliberation by the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Cooperatives in June.

Key issues expected to surface during the forum include the definition and delineation of functions between federations and unions as proposed in SB 2811. Under the current draft, federations would be limited to business activities and related training, while unions would be assigned the roles of cooperative education and sector representation. This proposal has drawn strong opposition from federation leaders, who assert that they have long fulfilled these functions.

Another contentious point is the bill’s provision requiring primary cooperatives to remit their Cooperative Education and Training Fund (CETF) exclusively to cooperative unions. Many primary cooperatives and federations argue that this infringes on their autonomy, as they believe CETF allocations should remain at the discretion of each cooperative. In response, NATCCO issued a position paper advocating for the right of cooperatives to determine where and to whom their CETF contributions should go.

During the Strategic Planning of the National Union of Cooperatives held in Cebu City last April, NATCCO representatives were present as observers, and they raised these widespread concerns. Subsequently, cooperative union leaders reconsidered their position and proposed a compromise, suggesting a percentage of CETF remitted to unions, with the remainder allocated at the discretion of the primary cooperatives.

These issues and more will be tackled at the upcoming forum on May 28. With only 200 seats available, interested participants are encouraged to register early.

For registration, you may contact Mr. Kim D. Longhas at 0997-324-7447 or email kdlonghas@natcco.coop.

For event program matters, please reach out to Mr. Diosdado L. Luna of NATCCO Communications at 0917-519-8433 or email dlluna@natcco.coop.