FSI Promotes Cooperativism Through Cooperative Development Authority Administrator
MANILA 06 August 2024 — The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) successfully held its Partners’ Lecture Series (PLS) on 02 August 2024 at the Carlos P. Romulo Library with Assistant Secretary Santiago S. Lim, Administrator of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), as guest speaker. His lecture on “Empowering Communities: Our Programs and Services for Cooperatives and Stakeholders” emphasized CDA’s vision of making it as ASEAN’s benchmark of excellence in cooperative development by 2025 through the CDA Strategic Map for 2020 - 2025.
Lim shared that their mission is to provide developmental, regulatory, and quasi-judicial services in promoting socio-economic opportunities to cooperative members. In addition, as a directive by the current government administration, CDA was tasked to focus on agricultural programs and initiatives.
He further outlined CDA successes through their programs and services, including the Handholding Program, COOP Biz: CDA Global, Coconut Farmers Organization and Development through Cooperatives (COCOFARMCOOP), Sagip CSF Program, Financial Products and Consumer Protection Program, and the Gawad Parangal Awards and Incentives Program.
Looking ahead, Lim affirmed that CDA will continue its initiatives and programs geared towards the expansion of cooperatives, including overseas.
The lecture was attended by personnel of FSI, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), other partner government agencies, and officials of the DFA Multi-Purpose Cooperative (DFAMPC).
The FSI launched the PLS to serve as a platform for Heads of Government Agencies and other organizations to share knowledge, priorities, and advocacy with the Department of Foreign Affairs. END
