A Diagnostic Analysis on the Potential to Organize a Cooperative in Labayug, Sison, Pangasinan

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the Potentials of organizing a cooperative in the Labayug, Sison, Pangasinan and aimed to determine the perception of the community people about a cooperative, the need to the area addressed by a cooperative, the level of awareness on the benefit derive from, their degree of willingness to join a cooperative, the type of a cooperative to organize and the possible constraints to organize a cooperative in the area. The respondents of the study were of 150 individuals who are categorized according to their sources of income, whether on agricultural base, employees, skilled works (laborers), small entrepreneurs such as sari-sari store owner and vendors and OFW dependents. A survey questionnaire was distributed to the respondents to gather information complimented with either personal interview or focus group discussion and data were analyzed through frequency counts, percentage and mean. Many of the respondents were housewives, female and married thus the result indicated that most have a family to support. All of the respondents had undergone formal education wherein many only finished high school. Most of the respondents were engaging in agricultural activities wherein most are vegetable gardeners and majority earns Php.100, 000.00 and below a year. Based on the results most of the respondents have a little knowledge about what cooperative is all about wherein opinions were based on the cooperatives which have organized in the community before, and on the cooperative NCC corporation employees organized. Respondents’ level of awareness was limited with cooperative services such as loans and savings and provider of low cost of goods and services that affects the choices on what type of cooperative respondents to join with. Most of the respondents were willing to join a cooperative for a reason that the organization will be great help for the community in terms of financial assistance. The results revealed that credit cooperative was the first choice of community people to organize. Majority were willing to invest Php. 1,500.00 initially though many want for a bigger investment such as Php. 3, 000.00 and a capital build-up of Php. 500.00 every year ends. Only few volunteered for having a position of officers for reason of helping in the success of the cooperative. Some reason out that officers are to be voted, and not just because of volunteerism. Majority from the respondents agreed putting up a cooperative in the area has a potential though the plan have to undergo some rough situations because respondents believed that community people are not that cooperative and some thought a little knowledge about a cooperative is not enough reason to join. Based on the findings, majority form the respondents were willing to join a cooperative, thus information dissemination shall be conducted to the community discussing the identified need and how cooperative would address it. And it is recommended for the community to organize a credit cooperative since it is the majority’s choice