ILOILO City – The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) has intensified its regulatory oversight on transport cooperatives in Western Visayas, issuing show cause orders to four delinquent cooperatives for failure to submit mandatory reports, a move that signals stricter enforcement and potential dissolution proceedings for non-compliance.
CDA Region 6 director Antonio Escobar revealed acknowledged internal issues within cooperatives, such as financial mismanagement and leadership disputes.
“Dami na naming natanggap na complaints… meron mga pending which are being subjected to appreciation… whether or not they are within our jurisdiction,” he said.
Out of the 82 CDA-registered transport cooperatives in the region, four — one in Aklan, two in Iloilo, and one in Negros Occidental — have been flagged for extended non-compliance as of June 30, 2025.
“These cooperatives failed to submit their required annual reports within the prescribed period. If non-compliance persists for more than two years, dissolution proceedings may follow,” Escobar warned. “Pinapa-explain namin iyan, why this coop will not be subjected to dissolution.”
The agency also reported that 58 transport cooperatives were compliant while 20 others remained non-compliant due to delayed or missing submissions.
The prescribed deadline for submitting reports is 120 days after the end of the calendar year. A delay of 15 days triggers the first level of delinquency, according to Escobar.
“Compliance ngayon is online… so pagkulang, babalik ‘yan, ide-defer ‘yung action on compliance… may penalties ka na for late submission,” he added.
The breakdown of 82 transport cooperatives across the region is as follows: Aklan, 17; Antique, 5; Capiz, 9; Guimaras, 5; Iloilo (including Iloilo City), 32, and Negros Occidental, 14.
Escobar clarified that despite the administrative separation of Negros Occidental, it remains under CDA Region 6’s regulatory coverage.
“They have a regional head, but regulatory and supervisory functions are still handled by our office because of limited manpower there,” he explained.
To address mounting issues related to transport cooperatives — especially in the context of public utility modernization — CDA-6 has convened a local monitoring committee composed of representatives from the Office of Transportation Cooperatives (OTC), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).
“Our transport cooperatives are particularly challenging,” Escobar admitted. “They require not only CDA’s attention but also that of the Department of Transportation, LTFRB, and OTC.”
Meanwhile, in observance of the International Day of Cooperatives, CDA-6 is encouraging all cooperatives in the region to participate in the global celebration aimed at promoting inclusive and sustainable development through cooperative systems.
As of December 2024, the region had a total of 2,133 registered cooperatives.
“Currently, we are still counting for 2025,” Escobar said.
“We are promoting cooperativism as an instrument for a better world,” he emphasized, noting the agency’s commitment to both support and hold accountable all cooperative organizations under its watch./PN
