PAGADIAN CITY, October 30 (PIA) –- ‘There’s no better way to
culminate the cooperative month celebration than to give back to the
environment,” said Supervising cooperative development specialist Nestor
Mendaros as thousands of cooperative members from 58 cooperatives all over the
province actively participated in the clean up drive held over the weekend as a closing salvo to the month-long celebration.
This year’s commemoration of the cooperative
month (October) is anchored on the theme ““Kooperatiba ay
Pagyamanin, Mga Kasapi Paramihin”
“The celebration kicked off with the synchronized hanging of
tarpaulins in the different cooperative centers on October 1 to raise public
awareness on cooperativism as strong force to reckon towards economic
development, and culminated with clean up activity,” Mendaros said.
The coop month is an annual nationwide
celebration pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 493 declaring October 1-31
and every year thereafter as “Cooperative Month.”
Mendaros said in support to the seventh
cooperative principle, “Concern for Community” and Republic Act 9003 otherwise
known as Solid Waste Management Act of 2002, cooperative members from 58
cooperatives of the city joined the activity.
“We want to show our concern for the
community by cleaning the different areas for us to be spared from flood caused
by garbage clogging in the streets,” Mendaros explained.
He said the 3-hour clean up day,
which started at 6 am and ended at 9am was aimed at preserving the environment
and maintaining its cleanliness.
“Cooperative members brought thier
broom sticks, empty sacks marked with ‘bio-gradable’ and ‘non-biogradable’,
bolos, rakes, and other tools,” he said.