This post was recovered from an article first posted on 2012-10-16 08:20:27

“Based on my personal experience . . . people, dealers, enterprises and even cooperatives can shape and build the future.” With these words Mr. Leo Parma, Founder and Chief Business Builder of Asia Pro Cooperative, discussed the future of workers’ cooperatives in the 1st Philippine Workers’ Cooperative Conference. Organized by the Center for Research and Communication at the Li Seng Giap Auditorium, University of Asia and the Pacific on September 25, 2012, the conference explored the theme, “Workers Cooperative: A Vital Partner towards Poverty Alleviation and Socio-Economic Development.”

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Former Senator Agapito “Butz” Aquino of the Philippine Cooperative Center delivered the Message of Solidarity. Sec. Joel Rocamora of the National Anti-Poverty Commission gave the Keynote Address. Other speakers were Mr. Inocencio Malapit of the Cooperative Development Authority who talked about pro-cooperative policies; Ms. Hilda Felipe-San Gabriel of the Center for Social Responsibility who discussed cooperatives’ role in socioeconomic development; and Atty. Ignacio Añover of Co-opWorks who explored initiatives for meeting challenges. In addition, Mr. Gary Quemado of Asiapro Cooperative, Mr. Alejandro Lukban of Globalpro Cooperative and Fr. Anton Pascual of Caritas Et Labora Cooperative gave examples of their cooperatives’ best practices. The event brought together 280 participants from Ating Koop Party List, Co-op Works, Coop-NATCCO Party List, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines – College of Cooperatives, Serbiz Multi-Purpose Cooperative, and Yearnings Outsourcing Cooperative as well as other organizations, to share insights on policies, practices and initiatives.

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