Cooperative Forum on Taxation

The Cooperative Development Authority - X (CDA) in cooperation with the Regional Cooperative Development Council - X (RCDC), the Misamis Oriental Cooperative Union - X and First Community Cooperative (FICCO) successfully held the "Cooperative Forum on Taxation" with the speaker invited from NCR no less than the Former BIR Deputy Commissioner Estelita Aguirre and the Secretary General of the Cooperative Union of The Philippines (CUP) Engr. Felix Borja.

I remember that very short acquaintances in Cebu, Lamac MPC last Feb this year where I met the Former BIR Deputy Comm. Aguirre and Engr. Borja, it was an annual GA for the Cooperative Union of the Philippines and during this meeting Aguirre cites simple provisions of the law that answers the cooperatives problem from taxation assessment by the BIR. She made a short tax clinic and advises the cooperatives on how to remedy the tax deficiency assessment of the BIR. During its forum I cast in a lot of questions to her which she answered clearly citing provisions of the law. It was this time that I realize we got for ourselves a champion in the Cooperative Taxation, a defender of cooperatives, a person with passion for the cooperative movement.

That experience in Cebu made me hope for more encounter with the Former Dep. Comm. and that long wait is over when there was an initial discussion with the RCDC and CDA by Dir Orland Ravanera to invite Aguirre in Cagayan de Oro, and so, she came and join us for a day with cooperative leaders in the Region. The Cooperative Forum on Taxation that answers much of the gray areas in the coop taxation. And for the benefit of those who were not present I will post some tax issues in my next articles and don't worry because I will not let you wait for long. I'll just publish the very important and relevant issues of coop taxation and you may post questions as comments at the end of the article.

While I am very thankful that I was molded in the cooperative principles at a young age, I am thankful as well that God interfere to the people in authority and in the government to slowly realize that in “cooperativism” this nation is full of hope. That peace and order situation and poverty can be answered by cooperativism. For a person like the Former Deputy Comm. with a shout from Region X "We salute you Madame Estelita Aguirre!" for the commitment and the dedication we pray for more people like you to protect and progress this movement and the country.