Utilization of Community Fund of Selected Cooperatives in Atok, Benguet: An Assessment

Abstract

The study was conducted primarily to determine how much is the community fund of the selected cooperatives in Atok, Benguet as of December 30, 2015, to determine the purposes of the community fund and to identify the problems encountered by the cooperatives in managing their community fund. An interview schedule was used to gather the data needed in the study with 10 respondents from the selected cooperatives. The study was conducted in Atok, one of the 13 municipalities of Benguet from February to May 2016 with a total of 10 respondents from the selected cooperatives. Interview schedule was used to gather the data needed in the study. The data gathered were consolidated, tabulated and were analyzed descriptively. The findings of the study reveals that the funds for the community by most of the cooperatives is ranging from ₱10,000 and below since only 3% of the net surplus is being allocated for the community fund. This is not even enough to subsidize an infrastructure project which is primarily needed by the communities where the study was conducted like footpaths and foot trail improvements. The purpose of the community fund is to fulfill the social responsibility of the cooperative which is to reach out to the needs of the community. The respondents usually uses the fund to provide snacks and lunch for those who attended the clean-up drive in the community, they also provide school supplies to the pupils in the area and donate books and chairs in their school. They also provide social services in terms of health and sports by answering to solicitations related to it. For the cooperatives who have high community fund, they somehow help in constructing infrastructures like loading platform as part of the farm to market road, cementing footpaths and foot trails in the area. When calamities occur, the cooperatives also provides relief goods to the victims. The findings of the study shows that some of the members of the cooperative and the community are not aware or even familiar about the community fund, the information about the fund is not properly disseminated. The fund is not even enough to subsidize an infrastructure project which is primarily needed by the community. Some of the residents in the community do not cooperate to the cooperative in implementing their project especially during community service because they are busy in their own work and they do not want to work without pay. These are the problems encountered by the cooperative in managing the community fund.