The City Cooperative Development Office (CCDO) has officially launched a series of events and initiatives throughout October for Cooperative Month Celebration 2026, aiming to empower local cooperatives, strengthen community partnerships, and promote economic self-reliance across Davao City’s 11 political districts.
Prialyn M. Carpio, Officer-in-Charge of CCDO, stressed that the festivities will kick off on October 3 at the Sta. Lucia Mall with a Thanksgiving Mass, Foot Parade, and the “Cheers and Yells” competition for participating cooperatives.
Following the opening, a Cooperative Leaders’ Conversation is scheduled for October 13 at the Brokenshire Activity Center, along with discussions and forums addressing sector-specific governance and operational strategies for cooperative leaders.
To foster sportsmanship and solidarity among members, the CCDO has organized bowling activities at Dover Lanes on October 14, 19, and 21. A badminton tournament will also take place on October 18, bringing together participants from various registered coops.
Carpio also underscored the Cooperative Trade Fair Exhibit on October 15, 16, and 17 at Ayala Abreeza Mall, where Dabawenyos are encouraged to attend and show their support. A Medical-Dental Activity will also be held on October 17 in Catigan, Toril District. The Cooperative Month will conclude with a Culmination Program on October 24 at Mergrande, Talomo District.
The trade fair exhibit will also feature a Quiz Bowl for the youth, organized by the Model Cooperative Network (MCN) on the first day, followed by a competitive coffee brewing contest on the second day. On the third day, the exhibition will wrap up with an awarding ceremony recognizing sponsors of exhibitors, such as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Ahead of the celebration, the CCDO continues to provide free specialized technical training, skills livelihood programs, and zero-interest financial assistance ranging from startup capital to working capital loans for individual members and micro-to-large cooperatives. These continuous capacity-building initiatives are designed to help more than 400 compliant registered cooperatives in Davao City sustain their operations and uplift marginalized sectors.
“Kaning atong mga trainings libre man atong ginahatag sa atong mga members ug marginalized sectors para sa ilang panginabuhian. Once ma-complete nila ang training, pwede sila maka-avail sa atong startup capital nga financial assistance amounting from PHP 5,000 to PHP 10,000. Gina-encourage gyud nako sila nga mag-avail kay zero-interest man ni siya nga tabang gikan sa atong dakbayan (We offer these livelihood training completely free to our members and marginalized sectors for their economic advancement. Once they complete the training, they qualify to avail of our startup capital financial assistance ranging from PHP 5,000 to PHP 10,000. I strongly encourage them to take advantage of this because it is a zero-interest assistance program provided by our city),” Carpio said. CIO
Written by: J. Murillo
Edited by: A. Nawal
Photo by: J. Faelnar