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Republic of the Philippines:
Bouse of Representatives
Queson City, Metro Manila

Eighteenth Congress

First Regular Session

2851
House Bill No.

Introduced by

HON. ANNA MARIE VILLARAZA-SUAREZ and
HON. DAVID C. SUAREZ

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act No. 9520, also known as the ‘Philippine Cooperative Code of
2008’, declares that it is the policy of the State ‘to foster the creation and growth
of cooperatives as a practical vehicle for promoting self-reliance and harnessing
people power towards the attainment of economic development and social justice.’
Thus, local government units (LGUs) are mandated to provide cooperatives
technical guidance, financial assistance and other services to enable them to
develop into viable and responsive economic enterprises, especially in the
countryside.

To accomplish these tasks, LGUs need to designate and/or appoint
cooperative development officers in their respective units who shall be primarily
responsible in implementing the cooperatives development program of the LGUs
and for the discharge of the functions of a cooperative officer as provided for in
Section 487 of Republic Act No. 7160, or the ‘Local Government Code Of 1991’.

However, under RA 7160, the appointment or designation of a cooperatives
officer in the city or provincial government is optional. While in the case of
municipal governments, there is no provision in the law relating to the appointment
or designation of a cooperatives officer. This current status of the law has resulted
in LGUs with cooperatives officers who serve other functions or no cooperatives


officers at all, particularly in municipal governments. It reflects the lack of
understanding if not poor appreciation of the potentials of cooperatives in the
context of local development and governance.

This bill seeks to amend Section 443 of RA 7160 to include municipal
cooperatives officers as among the mandatory officials of municipal
governments. It also seeks to amend Sections 454 and 463 of the same law
making the appointment of city and provincial cooperatives officers mandatory
rather than optional.

Synergy between LGUs and cooperatives on local development undertakings
has a stronger impact upon the community. Cooperatives are effective mechanisms
in the delivery of goods and services to the people, especially in the promotion of
livelihood activities, savings mobilization and livelihood generation.

For the foregoing reasons, the immediate consideration and approval of this
bill is earnestly urged.

VG

HON. ANNA MARIE VILI
REPRESENTATIVE
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Republic of the Philippines

Bouse of Representatives
Queson City, Metro Manila

Eighteenth Congress

First Regular Session

2851
House Bill No. =

Introduced by

HON. ANNA MARIE VILLARAZA-SUAREZ and
HON. DAVID C. SUAREZ

AN ACT
MAKING THE POSITION OF A COOPERATIVES OFFICER MANDATORY
IN THE MUNICIPAL, CITY AND PROVINCIAL LEVELS, AMENDING FOR
THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
‘LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991’

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress assembled :

SECTION 1. Section 443, Book III, Title Two, Chapter 2 of Republic Act
No. 7160, is hereby amended to read as follows :

Section 443. Officials of the Municipal Government. -

(a) There shall be in each municipality a municipal mayor, a municipal vice-
mayor, sangguniang bayan members, a secretary to the sangguniang
bayan, a municipal treasurer, a municipal assessor, a municipal
accountant, a municipal budget officer, a municipal planning and
development coordinator, a municipal engineer/building official, a
municipal health officer fend], a municipal civil registrar[=], AND A
MUNICIPAL COOPERATIVES OFFICER.


(b) x9000x
(©) xxxxx
(4) x000%x

(e) xxx

SECTION 2. Section 454, Book III, Title Three, Chapter 2 of Republic Act
No. 7160, is hereby amended to read as follows :

Section 454. Officials of the City Government.

(a) There shall be in each city a mayor, a vice-mayor, sangguniang
panlungsod members, a secretary to the sangguniang panlungsod, a city
treasurer, a city assessor, a city accountant, a city budget officer, a city
planning ‘and development coordinator, a city engineer, a city health
officer, a city civil registrar, a city administrator, a city legal officer, a
city veterinarian, a city social welfare and development officer, [and] @
city general services officer[:], AND A CITY COOPERATIVES
OFFICER.

(b) In addition thereto, the city mayor may appoint a city architect, a city
information officer, a city agriculturist, a city population officer, AND a
city environment and natural resources officer[,]. [and—e—elty
cooperatives officer:]

XXXKK

(C) Xxxxx

(d) x00

(e) x00

SECTION 3. Section 463, Book III, Title Four, Chapter 2 of Republic Act
No. 7160, is hereby amended to read as follows :

Section 463. Officials of the Provincial Government.

(a) There shall be in each province a governor, a vice-governor, members of
the sangguniang panlalawigan, a secretary to the sangguniang
panlalawigan, a provincial treasurer, a provincial assessor, a provincial
accountant, a provincial engineer, a provincial budget officer, a provincial

planning and development coordinator, a provincial legal officer, a
provincial administrator, a provincial health officer, a provincial social


welfare and development officer, a provincial general services officer, a
provincial agriculturist, [and] a provincial veterinarian[-], AND A
PROVINCIAL COOPERATIVES OFFICER.

(b) In addition thereto, the governor may appoint a provincial population
officer, a provincial natural resources and environment officer, [a

a =] a provincial architect, and a provincial
information officer.
2X0
(©) woxx
(A) xxx

(e) xxx

SECTION 4. Section 487 of Book III, Title Five, Article Seventeen of
Republic Act No. 7160, is hereby amended to read as follows :

Section 487. Qualifications, Powers and Duties.

(a) No person shall be appointed cooperative officer unless he is a citizen of
the Philippines, a resident of the local government unit concerned, of
good moral character, a holder of a college degree preferably in
business administration with special training in cooperatives or any
related course from a recognized college or university, and a first grade
civil service eligible or its equivalent. He must have experience in
cooperatives organizations and management of at least five (5) years in
the case of provincial or city cooperatives officer, and three (3) years in
the case of municipal cooperatives officer.

The appointment of the cooperatives officer is [optional] MANDATORY
for the provincial , [ané} city, AND MUNICIPAL governments.

(db) xx00xx
(1) xxxxx
(2) xxxxx
(3) xxxxx
XXX

(4) xxx


(5) x00xx
(€) 0000
SECTION 5. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules
and regulations, issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are
hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

SECTION 6. &ffectivity - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved.