004 BENEFICIARIES

In order to generate the active participation of cooperatives as beneficiaries of PHI/89/004, initial groundwork activities were started. As early as May 1992, a series of informal/formal consultative and orientation meetings with cooperative officers were undertaken. These meetings were presented and validated with the General Assembly so that the early targetted beneficiaries were acquainted with PHI/89/004.

Simultaneously, a management audit of existing cooperatives from 10 sites proposed by PHI/89/004 technical staff was conducted to identify viable cooperatives for the Project.

Please refer to Annex 4, operating framework.

4.1 METHODOLOGY

The methodology involved: (a) oral interviews/meetings with Cooperative officers and members, local officials and government personnel engaged in cooperative activities; and, (b) validation of documents/reports and financial statements submitted to the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA).

The selection of potential Project Cooperators were based on the following criteria:

a newly organized Multi-Purpose Cooperative registered with CDA:
the cooperative is solvent and growing based on financial statements and documents submitted to CDA
the member's main source of livelihood is fishing, fishing/farming or other forms of marine farming (mussel culture, crab fattening, eucheuma farming, etc.)
the members are willing to become Project Cooperators and submit to PHI/89/004 a Board Resolution expressing their commitment to the Project; and,
favorably endorsed by CDA.

Nine (9) cooperatives became initial beneficiaries of PHI/89/004. These are presented in Table 1 below:

Table 1. Project Beneficiaries, PHI/89/004

Name of Cooperative		Site	No of Members
1.	12th Tribe of Israel	Prieto Diaz	176
2.	Bagacay Agricultural and Livelihood Development Cooperative, Inc (BALIDECO)	Gubat	73
3.	Sama-Sama Multi Purpose Coop	Barcelona	37
4.	Sablayan Development Coop	Juban	80
5.	Casiquran Fishermen Development	Casiquran	15
6.	Boroqkos Ng Saraday Nang Paraisira	Castilla	86
7.	Dancalan Development Multi	Bulusan	25
8.	Calintaan Seaweeds Farmers Development Coop, Inc	Matnog	40
9.	Magallanes Agro Fishing Development Coop, Inc	Magallanes	36

Source: Project Files

4.2 IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES

4.2.1. Establishment of Demo Farms and Technical Training Activities

Demonstration plots were set up by the technical staff. However, technical problems, specifically site viability limited seaweed farming to 6 Project Cooperatives. These include: St Lawrence MPC (Prieto Diaz), BALIDECO (Gubat), Sama-Sama MPC (Barcelona), Dancalan MPC (Bulusan), Magallanes Agro Fishing Development Coop (Magallanes) and Sablayan Development Coop (Juban). Please refer to Annex 5 for location map.

In the selected viable sites, demonstration plots were expanded into pilot farm size. Seaweed farming technology was introduced to farmer members. Each individual multipurpose cooperative was given adequate technical training in seaweed farming as an alternative source of livelihood. The number of beneficiaries trained in seaweed farming, on going demo and coop farm areas and potential area for seaweedfarming is presented in

Table 2. below:

Table 2. No. of Beneficiaries Trained, Area Planted to Demo and Coop Farming and Potential Area (has)

Coop	No. of Coop Members			Area Planted, has
Coop	# Members	# Trained	# Working w/Project	Present demo/coop,m2	Potential has
St. Lawrence	60	60	20	1,950	50
BALIDECO	80	42	15	1,075	20
Sama-Sama	35	35	35	200	10
Dancalan	45	27	27	500	10
Magallanes	52	52	10	1,850	25
Sablayan	80	37	37	1,500	30

Source: Project File

4.2.2. Introduction of Cooperative Entrepreneurship

At the same time, management competencies were upgraded through trainings in order to strenqthen the organizational viability and in preparation for more organized production activities. Basic entrepreneurship or cooperative entrepreneurship, an International Labor Organization (ILO) approach to maximize cooperatives' potential for enterprise and employment creation was slowly introduced to the initial officers of Project Cooperators through trainings. As a strategy, employment opportunities can be expanded and the survival rate of new cooperative business start ups (in this case seaweed farming) can be increased by adopting and using cooperative entrepreneurship principles. i.e. shifting the focus of entrepreneurship from the individual to the group, thereby emphasizing self-reliance through “collective self-employment” and “group entrepreneurship”.

Selected officers were sent to cooperative entrepreneurship trainings in order to acquire the necessary predisposition and skills to manage a project. Table 3 presents the various entrepreneurship based trainings and workshops participated by the Project Cooperators.

Table 3. Trainings, Workshops and No. of Participants to Cooperative Entrepreneurship Trainings
Training/Workshop		# of Participants
1.	General Orientation Seminar on Seaweeds Cooperative Sorsogon, Sorsogon 13 July 1993	70
2.	Coastal Resource Resource Systems and Cooperative Entrepreneurship Development Iloilo City 14–21 April 1993	9
3.	Regional Strategic Planning Workshop on the Promotion of Cooperative Entrepreneurship Naga City 2–4 June 1993	3
4.	Cooperative Management Seminar Sorsogon, Sorsogon 21 July 1993	20
5.	Cooperative Entrepreneurship for Board of Directors Naga City October 1993	2

Source: Project Files

4.2.3. Networking Activities

Various networking activities were initiated with government and non-government organizations. These include other cooperatives, non-government organizations and government agencies involved in the development of Self Help Organizations.

4.3 Increased Economic Size Farms and Federating Cooperatives

The success of pilot farms is enough motivation for the cooperatives to increase production size of farms. This will likewise increase the economic returns to the cooperative. This would be possible if they would market value-added commodity, rather than primary commodity. Dr. Quintana observes that when the farmer can produce a processed product which the consumer needs, the demand and return for his product is both higher and more stable than for primary produce. It has been shown in economic studies that the returns to the farmers have often substantially increased when the farmers own and operate their own processing facilities. However, the smallness could hardly meet the requirements for efficient management which are in the following areas: (a) insufficient or inadequate capital: (b) lack of business volume: (c) no capability in provision of pre- and post-harvest facilities: (d) lack of management knowhow (e) no developed market: (f) poor bookeeping system.

The next logical step is to group the multi purpose cooperatives into a secondary or federation which will seek to develop a viable alternative livelihood activity for each cooperative member; increase income of each coop member through organized farming and production activities; provide/seek assistance in the provision of credit for farming and post production activities' and, eventually, establish a common service facility for the processing of the commodity into a high value product.

The emergence of economic size farms or commercialization of seaweed farming will eventually lead into planned production and processing activities. The establishment of a common service facility for the processing of the commodity can be a catalyst of agricultural improvement. This can stimulate services such as inmproved post harvest facilities and promote timely harvesting. Additional off-farm income and employment to rural households will be generated. The cooperative will slowly develop an industry culture with marketing and trading activities which is both productive and cost effective. Higher management skills will be provided at the Federation level.