As part of the International Day of Cooperatives 2026, the City Cooperatives Development Office (CCDO), in partnership with the Davao City Cooperatives Development Council (DCCDC), extended aid to quake-hit communities in Davao Occidental.
The CCDO and DCCDC coordinated with the Provincial Government of Davao Occidental, and identified 11 cooperatives as beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries, on July 4, received food and non-food items from various cooperatives in Davao City, following a donation drive spearheaded by the CCDO and DCCDC.
“We appealed to the cooperatives here in Davao City to donate kung unsa ilahang madonate para sa communities sa Davao Occidental (We appealed to cooperatives across Davao City to extend humanitarian assistance to fellow cooperatives whose operations and members were adversely affected by the disaster in Davao Occidental),” February Barate, Cooperative Development Specialist II of the CCDO said in an interview.
Barate said that the support of the cooperatives in the city was overwhelming, and they were able to collect a total of 56 sacks of rice, boxes of goods, water, and essentials among others.
A simple turnover ceremony was held at the Emergency OperationsCenter of the Provincial Government of Davao Occidental on July 4 to formally hand over the donations.
“Ubay-ubay pud ilahang nahatag and daghan pud amoang natabangan didto (The cooperatives in the city provided a significant amount of relief goods which helped a lot of beneficiaries in the area),” Barate said.
More than providing material assistance, the initiative further affirmed the spirit of unity, compassion, and solidarity among cooperatives. This move highlighted the crucial role of cooperation in overcoming challenges, fostering peace, resilience, and hope in communities. CIO
Written by: J. Villaluz
Edited by: A. Nawal
Photo courtesy: City Cooperatives Development Office