In July, 1992 then Governor Benjamin G. Dy’s priority thrust was the creation of the Provincial Cooperative Office (PCO) which eventually resulted in the creation of the Provincial Cooperative Officer. There were only three (3) regular personnel of the said office then, namely: Provincial Cooperatives Officer, Cooperative Development Specialist IV and CDS III.

 

As per provisions of the Local Government Code (RA 7160), the PCO is mandated to oversee the cooperative programs with emphasis on the Promotion, Organization, Education and Development of Cooperatives in the province. With the presence of the PCO, there were numerous requests from multi-sectors, a group of professionals, farmers, fisher folks, women, irrigators association and the like, to conduct a cooperative orientation in the different municipalities to include remote barangays.

 

The Province of Isabela then boasted the highest number of registered cooperatives in Region 02, owing to the fact that the Land Bank of the Philippines then was very active in the organization and registration of cooperatives to be funded by them. In order to strengthen and imbibe the true meaning of cooperative, the PCO spearheaded the organization of then Provincial Cooperative Advisory Council (PCAC) to serve as a consultative body in threshing out issues confronting the cooperatives. PCACs memberships are primary cooperatives, GA’s with cooperative programs and Financing Institutions. A year after PCAC organization in 1992 came Executive Order 95–96 of then President Fidel V. Ramos, designating the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) as the lead agency in the organization of Cooperative Development Council’s to serve a consultative body. The province of Isabela was the first ever to be organized prior to the issuance of Executive Order 95–96. To date, the IPCDC then PCAC is an active partner of the PCO in the development of cooperatives.