Senate lauds Landbank's 2017 Gawad PITAK winners

The Senate today adopted four resolutions commending farmers and cooperatives that won Landbank's 2017 Gawad sa Pinakatanging Kooperatiba (Gawad PITAK) for their roles as "agents of growth in the countryside."

Proposed Senate Resolutions (PSR) No. 459, No. 460, No.461, and No. 462 were introduced by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, chairman of the Senate Committee on Cooperatives and chairman of the Board of Judges that selected this year's winners.

"The Senate of the Philippines proudly joins the Landbank of the Philippines in acknowledging the vital role of farmers and cooperatives in our nation's social and economic progress by stimulating development at the grassroot level," the resolutions said.

The Gawad sa Pinakatanging Kooperatiba or Gawad PITAK is an annual search undertaken by Landbank "that recognizes cooperatives which exemplified the social responsibility of being agents of growth in the countryside." "Launched in 1990, the Gawad PITAK is the country's most prestigious award for cooperatives and is awarded to Land Bank-assisted cooperatives in the country that serve as effective channels in providing support, financial or technical to the economic endeavors of small farmers, fisher folk and other marginalized sectors of society," according to Zubiri.

Resolution No. 459 commended the five winners of the 2017 Gawad PITAK most-outstanding agriculture-based cooperatives led by the Bontoc Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Bontoc, Southern Leyte (1st place), Libacao Development Cooperative of Libacao, Aklan (2nd place), Batangas Sugar Planters Cooperative Marketing Association of Balayan, Batangas (3rd place), Bantug Agricultural Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Talavera, Nueva Ecija (4th place) and Kooperatiba Naton Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Tigabuan Iloilo (5th place), and the most outstanding non-agriculture-based cooperatives led by the Abra Diocesan Teachers and Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Bangued, Abra (1st place), Pinoy Lingap Damayan Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Virac, Catanduanes (2nd place), Watchlife Workers Multi-purpose Cooperative of Mariveles, Bataan (3rd place), Providers Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Naguilian, Isable (4th place), and the Golden Group Gabay Puhunan Brotherhood Multi-purpose cooperative of San Fernando, Pampanga (5th place).

Resolution No. 460 also commended the 2017 Gawad PITAK Hall of Fame awardees Buenavista Development Cooperative (agriculture-based category) of Buenavista, Guimaras and Sacred Heart Savings cooperative (non-agriculture based category) of galimuyod, Ilocos Sur.

Resolution No. 461 commended the 2017 Ginintuang Gawad PITAK awardee, the Nagkakaisang Magsasaka Agricultural Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Talavera, Nueva Ecija. Resolution No. 462 commended farmer-entrepreneur Cesario Tabago of Moncada, Tarlac for being named the 2017 Ulirang Magsasaka by the Landbank of the Philippines.

Apart from Zubiri, AGAP Partylist Representative Rico Geron, chairman of the House Committee on Cooperatives, Landbank CEO Alex Buenaventura, Agriculture Secretary Manuel Piñol, Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, and Cooperative Development Authority Chairman Orlando Ravanera were also part of the Board of Judges for the said annual search.