The City Government of Malaybalay together with the representatives of various cooperatives from the Malaybalay City Cooperative Development Council (MCCDC) gathered at the People’s Hall, City Hall, Barangay Casisang to witness the turnover and distribution of different sets of personal protective equipment (PPEs) and supplies on November 20, 2020.

A total of 600 pieces of face shields, 600 boxes of surgical masks, 160 gallons of alcohol and 160 pieces of hand sanitizers were distributed to respective individual cooperative representatives.

MCCDC Chairperson Bartolome L. Barredo, Jr. expressed his gratitude for the fund given to them, saying, “Based from our meeting last time, we have decided to use the fund for providing cooperatives with PPEs and supplies due to the pandemic. I hope this assistance will be used well and will help stakeholders being protected from Covid-19.”

In response, Chairman of the Committee on Cooperatives, Councilor Niko P. Aldeguer also thanked the City Government of Malayabalay especially to Mayor Florencio T. Flores, Jr. for the support given to them. “We had to realign the fund supposedly intended for other programs and projects of the MCCDC into PPEs and supplies because of Covid-19. This will help keep our members safe from being infected with the deadly virus and help save lives.”, he added.

Meanwhile, Acting Mayor Jay Warren R. Pabillaran encouraged various representatives to be more aggressive on keeping their cooperative alive amid this difficult time since it has a big role in the development and progress of the society.  “All of us should be protected, not just for the few but for all the people of Malaybalay”.

In addition, honored guest Congressman Jonathan Keith T. Flores urged stakeholders to help promote and sustain the existence of cooperatives because of their crucial contribution to nation’s development. “It is part of coping up with what we have to face at this time of crisis. Let us continue our fight and pray that this will end soon.”, he added.